So much more than money

Tomorrow I won't be at school. My mother-in-law and I are going to Fairhope to a flea market. It is going to be fun!! :) I need a break from school...

And, you're right, I am off during the summer. For 4 weeks. And I don't get paid for those 4 weeks. Same with the week and thanksgiving, two weeks at Christmas, and the week at spring break. Altogether, that makes 8 weeks a year. Not including, of course, all of those holidays that you probably mentioned under your breath that I get off. And yes, I get a paycheck all year, even though my measly wage is merely prorated throughout the year so that I won't have to go half of December and all of July without a paycheck.

But... what about all that time that I spend at the school and get no compensation for? Football games... basketball games.... softball games.... volleyball games.... baseball games.... after school faculty meetings.... after school detention.... the hours on end that I have spent (and will continue to spend) grading papers and projects... the conferences during the summer that are not during my contract time.

And yes. I am on contract. Which means that I am basically salaried. BUT I doubt there is another salaried OR hourly position in this WORLD that has as many duties as teaching has. I feel bad for ever thinking my mom had it easy by being a teacher. Because... I’ve figured out.... the good teachers have the hardest jobs. The ones that don't care are a totally different story.

This is the hardest job I have ever had. But it is also the most rewarding. There are days that I just want to throw my hands up and storm out of my classroom, never to return. But then.... a senior that I helped with algebra comes to me and hands me his grad exam results right before graduation and with a tear in his eye, says... "I passed..." Or a former student emails me out of nowhere needing help making a decision about her major in college -- because she has no one else to talk to about it that she trusts to give her an unbiased answer.

So... maybe I take it back. I don't get paid close to enough money for the work that I do at that school and for that school.... but I know that I will be a better person because of the lives that I get to influence and the continuous impact that these kids have on my life and my attitude.

And that is worth so much more than money....

Getting ready for school

People keep asking me if I am ready for school to start. My reply is usually, "I might as well be, it's going to start of I am ready or not."

I can't say that I am ready. But I can say that I am excited :-)  this will be my 2nd year as the Information Technology teacher at JHS and my 1st year as the Computer Science teacher :-)

I haven't turned in my project for the class I am taking. I asked for an extension because Si seems to think he is supposed to be in my lap whenever I am working on the computer. I hope to finish it tomorrow and submit it.

Si starts back to daycare tomorrow. Janie will go to work with me (and we will go by the doctors office for her 6th grade shots -- shhh... She doesn't know that just yet). I hope we can get her some t-shirts from the high school and that will pretty much finish up her school shopping except for a mesh backpack.

I hope this year is going to be as good as I am feeling :-)

teaching

I just found out that our librarian is probably quitting this year.

I cannot imagine ever leaving JHS.

My daddy is teaching his 36th year here. I am on my 11th. I graduated from this school. My mom graduated from this school. I hope Janie and Si both graduate from this school.

I love my school. I always have. I cannot imagine teaching anywhere else. I honestly can't. This is more than just a job. It is a calling. It is my life. I constantly strive to be better at teaching my kids.

Yeah, my kids. If they're in my classroom, they're mine. I care about them now and I look forward to hearing from them in the future.

I love my job more now than I did the first year I was here.

And I hope I love it even more next year.