Tuesday, May 27, 2014

There's Something About June

...that means it is time to move. If you want to be logical it marks the end of an academic year, but if you want to read into what it means to The Universe I guess it is time for a change.

Atlanta has truly become 'home' in the grandest sense of the word over the past six years. Multiple communities, neighborhoods, and people have made this city very dear to my heart. I never planned on staying this long -- but in retrospect I think it was just long enough. I am not running away from anything now, instead I am moving forward towards the next chapter/stage/phase/level of life.

Level up!

Why? Well, there isn't anything left for me here in terms of my career goals. By year five I was given the exact worksheets and kits to hand out every nine weeks. I was told that I couldn't create my own lesson plans anymore or veer from the standards. Going to high school would have been a slightly better situation but there were no schools hiring within a reasonable distance of the city -- and after commuting 45 minutes each way for so long I was looking for something a little closer to home.

And to be perfectly honest, I don't fit in the mold for public education. It was an amazing experience; I learned more than I could have ever anticipated about professionalism, classroom management, leadership, community, peer relations, and the mystery of teaching -- all of which I am eternally grateful. However, dreams run big in this family and I was not going to settle in to the complacency of standardized worksheets.

Thus, my year sabbatical began June 2013. Summer vacation stretched into September until I was finally working 3-4 jobs to pay rent. A dear friend upped my hours and eventually I was 'full time' contract work for a start-up company as the Project Manager. Again, learning more than I could have ever dreamed, but still not feeling a sense of fulfillment after a long day of sitting in an office sending emails. I was, however, living a dream of being in the city proper, walking or biking to work, experiencing Atlanta in ways that people in the 'burbs will never grasp. Apparently I should only live downtown or on top of a mountain for optimum quality of life.

So, in January the career hunt began again with the realization I could work practically anywhere -- but that I didn't want to just be a middle school or high school teacher just for the sake of a job. So I contacted a college professor who has been asking me to come to ISU for my PhD (full ride) for years. Turns out they have grants and work coming out of their ears and not enough staff





Thursday, May 22, 2014

Simplethings

GIRLS was better than usual tonight. All 4 episodes. F.