On Leaving Public School Teaching

For the past five-six months, I wanted to make my announcement.

While I’d already made my decision this past summer, I didn’t get around to letting my Dept. Director and Principal know until the week of the first storm (the week before last). I let them know early enough in the year that they can hire two teachers+ when I leave. I informed my team last week, and sent off my official resignation to the Supt.

I just heard back from him, and he was wonderfully kind in his remarks, as were my Principal and Dept. Director earlier. My team (science, math, history, special ed and guidance) was great, as well. Now that I’ve heard back from the Supt. of Schools where I teach, I feel I can let the news trickle out that I am leaving my career as an English teacher in the realms of Public School.

I’ve been in my job for seventeen years, and now, it’s time for change.

Yes, I still love teaching (passionately), but instead of teaching 110 students or more every year and stressing out over grading papers, and worrying about hurting anyone’s feelings or crushing anyone’s spirits, I will teach my daughter, tutor anyone who wants an English tutor, and run little writing workshops, or poetry workshops for home-schoolers.

Most of all, I want to spend more time with my beloved husband and my beautiful daughter, and my lovely Holly. Life is short, and I never, ever want to say the awful words, “If only I had …”

I want to write, read, sleep, sing, play guitar, compose, do gardening, help people, be an activist (to a certain degree), and find harmony and balance. Sure, I won’t be financially as secure, but I will be making a life.

I learned a tremendous amount from my students, and my admin has always been very supportive, kind and respectful towards me. I have been given leeway to teach how I saw fit, and felt respected by parents in the community.

I want to live a life free of too many demands on my time which are not of my making. I do not want to test anyone and grade anyone ever again. Because I disagree about mandatory testing, I feel hypocritical while I do it. Well, from this September onwards, I won’t need to do so.

And I’m happy to be at this place in my life.

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Dreamer of Dreams

Posted on WordPress on February 16th, 2015