Memo Lane

At the halfway point in my first year of teaching, I got to reflecting on my checkered past of professions and that of others I know. People in my life have had some major highs and lows that I have extended an ear to listen or a hug to celebrate. For instance, my best friend has had a string of scary job experiences in the last year as she continues her search for that elusive happy "work" place. However, she has managed to grow from each one. As for me, I have worked in a number of environments that have been both positive and negative experiences. Though I do think that some workplaces are truly on one end of the sanity spectrum while others are at the complete and utterly opposite end. When I was getting my sea legs in the labor force, I babysat, washed dishes, pumped gas, filed stuff, rented movies out, and performed a myriad of other entry level tasks to earn a paycheck. In all those jobs, I'd say it was my tour of the video store circuit that provided me with some of the more entertaining moments. From tyrannical bosses to creepy co-workers, I've seen it all. However, some of my fondest memories also took place while rocking out to endless reruns of Tommy Boy (one clerk played it constantly).

Anyhow, it was when I got out of college that I really experienced the professional world with new eyes. Armed with my handy-dandy degree, new doors suddenly opened for me. On average, I held my next three jobs for approximately 2-3 years apiece. It seemed to me at the time that I was a loyal staffer at my jobs. It took a lot for me to motivate me to move onto new positions. I learned a great deal in the field of social services while working with tramatically brain-injured survivors, troubled youth in residential treatment, and parenting teens. Just when I felt I was finally hitting my stride with my chosen path, I get the crazy notion to switch careers. For reasons I'm still sorting out, I decided to enter the field of education.

Looking back, I was definitely at a crossroads in my life. To be certain I was making the right choice, I opted to work as an instructional assistant at a middle school with behaviorally-challenged youth. It appeared to be an easy segue into this new realm. How could I know just how hard that year would be both personally and professionally? Did I mention that the teacher quit just before school began...the program was in its pilot year and so no structure was set up...and the new teacher had almost no experience? Did I forget to add that both of my grandfathers had cancer and passed away in a space of three months? I will spare you the rest of the story, but suffice it say it was a year of tremendous growth and soul-searching. In a nutshell, all of it messed with my head and took me to the edge. However, I found what I had been searching for...my reason to pursue teaching. I took such joy in working with the kids and it just felt right.


I switched schools and found true happiness in my next position. The Kinders that I taught were so little and loveable! Also, I began work on my masters. Life began looking up and while the road to graduation was a rocky one, I am so glad that I did it. The one thing that has been difficult, is how many job changes I've had in the last three or four years. I had to quit my job with the Kinders to complete my student teaching and that was a tough job to leave. To supplement my income, I subbed whenever possible. You feel like a ghost and not really part of any staff. What's worse, my first teaching assignment was for a school that will close at the end of the academic year. Needless to say, the morale there is quite low and so it can be a challenge to be around all that negative energy. However, I am taking each day as it comes and getting the most I can out of this experience. I realize that it is a waste of time and energy to worry over things that I cannot change. I pray that my next work experience will be somewhere I can finally lay down some roots. Whatever direction the pendulum swings for me, I hope that I learn something valuable along the way and get to smile every now and again.