Coming from a corporate background where the money was great, the perks were awesome, and the stress level was crushing, I looked at teaching as something I never thought I'd be doing. I always knew that I didn't want to be a teacher, even when I didn't know what else I wanted to do either. Everyone that I'd ever encounter always told me that I needed to be a teacher. I've always been a people person and I've always been a lifelong learner. Truth be told, Teaching has been the most rewarding, fulfilling job that I've ever had.
I was a pharmacy recruiter right before I got my first teaching job. I'd been working there about 1.5 years when the economy tanked. I'd been doing very well up until that point even obtaining my first promotion within 6 months of starting that job, however when the economy went south so did my commission, and so did my job security. I knew it was a matter of time before I was let go and I knew I didn't want to be behind a desk anymore. I'd had enough of being on the telephone and the computer screen for 8 hours a day 5-6 days per week. I had to make a move and I wanted to make one that I could be happy with and for a long long time. I started looking into alternative certification programs here in Texas since I already had my bachelor's degree.
Now here is where God stepped in. I didn't know when I was going to be let go I just knew it was comming eventually so I started making my back up plan. I contacted the certification department of PISD (after having tried another program and hating it) and submitted all my paperwork. I wasn't accepted right away because I never took the THEA College Entrance test (I was exempt because of my SAT scores) and these scores were among the criteria for acceptance into the program. I signed up for the test and submitted my scores, was accepted, and scheduled my start date. A few weeks later my start date rolls around and I'm excited. The certification specialist advised all of the participants to keep their jobs until they had secured another position within the district so the certification classes were all scheduled at night. I went to work at 7:30 am, was laid-off at 9:00 am, and started my program at 5:00 pm that evening. I literally started my Alternative Certification Program the same day that I was laid-off. It was hard packing up my cubicle (So glad I no longer have a cubicle!!) and driving home while everyone else was on their way to work, but the pain of being asked to leave was softened by knowing that I was on my way to a career that I'd love.
And loving my career is a huge understatement. Teaching is challenging, rewarding, and asks so much more of you than simply teaching a student how to spell, write in complete sentences, and know the difference between an article and an adjective. I've heard stories
like this more often than I'd like and it's so hard to process that information, try to help in any way possible, and maintain some sort of detachment when I go home, but I do my best and I try my best and I give all that I have everyday; The rewards come with every student who trusts me with their story and the angry kid who breaks down in tears and hugs me, and tells me that no one has every made them feel as safe as they do when they are in my class. I get those rewards everyday and they mean more to me than any bonus that someone can pay me. (Although a bonus would certainly be awesome....ha ha!!). I love my job, I love my school, I love my colleagues, and I love my students. It doesn't get any better than that.
