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I've been searching my soul

I remember that song from Ally McBeal. I really liked that show, as I could identify with Ally's quirky ways a bit.

Yesterday I signed up for two online classes so that I can reactivate my teaching certification. One starts next week and the other begins a week later. Does this mean I am going to teach again? I honestly don't know. But over the past few months, while searching my soul, I have mostly come to the conclusion that I need to make a difference. Not an MLK difference. Nothing that will make me famous or change many, many lives. But I just think I need to do more. To give more. To help more.

Brian pointed out a management job in the paper, starting salary of 70k. Would I like to make 70k? Sure. I made nowhere close to that at my last job. But I would rather make half that or even less than half that and do something meaningful and something that I like. I keep thinking that job is out there somewhere.

I talked to Jordan's principal at the beginning of August about substitute teaching at the school. I gave her my resume a few weeks later, but have not heard anything. I don't want to bug her, and I doubt seriously that too many teachers have missed school, this being only the second full week. And she may not want to use me until my certification is active (most schools don't) anyway. But I think I need to fill out an application, get a physical, etc., before I can even do it. So I should probably get moving on that.

I think teachers have one of the most challenging jobs. And teachers in the poorer school districts really have it tough. Not only do they have to deal with kids who don't want to be there, violence, uninvolved parents, etc., but these teachers get paid less than teachers in more affluent areas who get to avoid a lot of those issues. Seems backward to me. Maybe Governor Spendell's idea of reducing the number of school districts will help that.

I don't know if teaching is the answer, and I am also not sure if I can handle working in a touch school district. But I am trying to be open to it. Stay tuned. In the meantime, I will continue to search my soul.
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ashley said…
i like the idea of you as a teacher. i think you'd be great. :)
September 10, 2009 at 9:24 AM
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