Making the team - finally

Fifteen years ago I decided to leave the rather profitable canyons of Wall Street to start anew as a public school teacher. Needless to say, the impact on my bottom line was startling. BUT, the impact on my physical well-being was startling too. My grey hair started to disappear!! Perhaps a fringe benefit to having so little money in my pocket?

My first entree to this new profession was as a substitute teacher - a gig designed to let me gauge whether or not I had the intestinal fortitude (and bladder control) to spend each and every day with more children than any one human being should have to manage at any one time. And it turned out I did - although the bladder thing took a bit of training since I wasn’t used to peeing on a set schedule.

Near the end of what I call this year of introduction, I had the good fortune to do a long-term gig at a middle school. Over 45 days of NOT having to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to try to line up a job for the next day. A place to belong. And, as it turned out, a place that I loved.

Middle school had it all - specific teaching periods, specialities (as opposed to being a generalist in elementary school), sports, a great atmosphere and kids who were old enough to “get the jokes” that I attempted to tell (such as using Homer Simpson to teach Homer).  This, I decided, was where my future would lie.

And so, as fate would have it, I interviewed for an English teaching position and was told “no vacancies”. And, since I had to actually pay my bills, I became a para-professional - a non-teaching teacher who specialized in helping one or two children to hopefully succeed academically. Did I mention this was in first grade? And later Kindergarten? And later second grade? None of which was middle school.

But hope springs eternal and the following year I was hired as a full-fledged teacher - of fifth grade. Not quite middle school but at least some of the kids got the jokes. And besides, it was just a matter of time before I was finally lucky enough to get that middle school job, right?

Sure. I’ve spent the last 13 years teaching fifth grade - almost all of them as a “generalist”, teaching reading, writing, science, math and social studies. And while I can’t complain, I always harbored that hope of moving to middle school. But as time has gone on, I ended up seeing most of my “post fifth grade” plans end up on the scrap heap.  I figured I’d just ride out my time, teach fifth grade, and eventually find my way into retirement.

Until two weeks ago. When, at long last, the assignments for next year were approved by the board of education and there, beside my name, was finally the title I had longed for all those years - Teacher of English, Middle School.  And to make things even better, it was at the middle school I had taught at 15 years ago. Getting that e-mail  was like finally getting the call to the majors after toiling in the minors for so long. And on my “orientation visit”, I was greeted not by teachers who saw me as an intruder, but rather by teachers who remembered me from my first stint and were genuinely welcoming me “back” to my school. It was like a homecoming to a home I’d only spent 50 days in.

I can honestly say I am energized like I haven’t been in so long. I’m actually regretting that we have a summer vacation this year since I can’t wait to get there and get the ball rolling right away. But first - some new jokes. Because if I remember correctly, these kids get them!