Since my graduation from high school, where my life's goals were to be married with kids (also my mom's dreams for me) I have had 2 careers (neither of which included being married with kids). Kids were a big part of each career I held.
My first career was nursing. I was an LPN and worked in a hospital with fresh post operative patients, which I loved, and also I worked in an office for 2 pediatricians, which I also loved. I did both jobs, at times at the same time. When I decided to return to college to obtain my RN/BS degree, I worked both jobs in the summer of my first yr of college in Minnesota. While working at the hospital, I injured my back. My two options were to have surgery or change my career. I decided to change my career.
I never wanted to be a teacher, but I knew with kids, I was really good at it. BUT as a student myself in my earlier years, I hated school. I attended 23 different schools from 1st grade until the last college classes I completed. I hated the fact that we moved so often and I never had friends for longer than 6 months - a yr at time. We moved from Pennsylvania to FL and back again, several times. I began school in West Palm Beach, FL, where I currently teach. Then midway through 1st grade we returned to PA. In PA the school districts were many. If you lived on one side of the road you could be in one school district but on the other side of the street, it could be a different school district. Most of my education was in PA in different districts, with different kids, however, I graduated from high school in West Palm Beach, where it all first began 12 yrs prior. I had teachers tell me I was stupid and never take anything higher than beginning math. I had teachers who were unkind and I found myself sick to my stomach every day. Education was not high on my list as far as becoming a career from which I would retire.
Because of my back injury, and because I was attending a Bible College in MN, I decided to enter Christian Education with a minor in Early Childhood Education. I graduated with honors...but jobs were very limited for women in Christian churches. I worked a short time in a Day Care with my roommate from college. When she left to return to Illinois, I took her place as administrator. It was a half day program and enrollment was low, so the church decided to hire someone who did not need a full time job...and I returned again, to FL.
A friend from high school had written to me to tell me there was a position at the school where she worked. It was to be a Instructional Assistant to various teachers until another position opened, and all my paperwork had transferred. I had to also take additional "teaching" classes since my degree was Religious Education.
April 14, 1984 I entered Palmetto Elementary School as an Instructional Assistant to 2 first grade teachers, a 4th grade teacher and 2 "gifted and talented" teachers. I enjoyed my work and the teachers soon gained confidence in me allowing me to work with the kids to tutor them. For a yr and 1/2 I held this position. At the end of the yr in 1985, the principal offered me a position as a 2nd grade teacher. I was overwhelmed and thrilled. The kids I would have were ones I worked with the year before and I loved them already.
Since 1985 I have been privileged to teach first, second, third, fourth, and fifth grade classrooms. I have been previewed in the newspapers for projects the kids were involved with and we were on TV several times for writing letters to the troops in the Persian Gulf during the war. I was then asked to teach Writing to all the kids kindergarten to fifth grade seeing each class once a wk. I loved it because writing is a talent with which God has blessed me. Then I was asked to take classes to become the Reading Coach to the school, mainly the primary grades. I loved doing that also because I got to teach the kids, regardless of whether the teachers wanted me in their rooms or not (and they did not). During these days I also wrote grants for the school and developed a program to help teach parents how to work with their kids at home.
Soon, I missed being with the kids, and really did not like hearing the scuttlebutt from teachers about me being in their rooms, etc. I requested teaching the ELL children new to our country. I have taught all but kindergarten kids while teaching ELL. The last 8 yrs I have taught 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students from Honduras, Guatamala, Spain, Poland, Haiti, Santo Domingo, Cuba and Bangladesh. I have LOVED every minute of my time teaching.
During these 29 yrs I have watched Public Education become a business which generates money through the amount of testing to which we subject our children. Even kids brand new (2 wks or 2 days) to the country are required to take these stressful tests. Everything about teaching has progressed to how to take a test and score certain scores, or have the teachers criticized for not teaching them what they need to be taught. We have become robots. Creativity and experimentation in education for kids no longer exists. Everything revolves around misi assessmensts and meetings to assess the asssessments to the big, one time a year, killer exam which tests the kids' ability to take a test, not inclusive of class work, class exams, projects, etc. The stress level is so intense, many teachers have developed life threatening diseases: High Blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks, and cancers.
I myself had an episode of cancer last yr. Due to the cancer and all the surgeries, my immune system has dropped to almost nothing. The stress at work contributes to this as well as to elevated blood sugars, blood pressures, and migraine headaches, as well as fibromyalgia, a stress produced anomaly.
June 7, 2013 I will exited the building of Palmetto Elementary School for the last time as a teacher. I am retiring to preserve my health. I love teaching - true, actual teaching, and I LOVE the children. They bring so much joy to my life. They make me laugh with their understanding of some things and they make me very proud when they accomplish goals they once viewed as insurmountable. I will miss my friends, the kids, my career.
People ask me, what will you do? You will be bored. I think I will not be bored. I have a house and garage which have been neglected for the past couple years due to my health. I want to plant and grow veggies and flowers. I want to go to the beach and actually have tan skin instead of snow white arms and legs. Travel is going to be a big part of my new life....with the first trip being to Las Vegas and Grand Canyon. I want to go to PA to visit my sister I have not seen in 4 yrs. AND of course, I want to return to Turkey.... probably to live. I don't know when this will happen, but it is a goal. I also want to pursue my writing. I have poetry which has been published as well as a few stories I wrote for kids. I love writing. I can express myself well with words (and not crying). So will I be bored, I think not. If I have time for other things, I would like to exercise, go to a nutritionist and get healthier. I would also like to volunteer at Hospice or at hospitals or even at school as a reader or a "listener" to kids who just need to express themselves. I will be kept busy.
April 14, 1984 - June 7, 2013, a career ends....but life begins. It is finally time for ME. Time to learn who I am outside of a classroom and away from stress. I will miss my "old life", but I look forward to my new one...exploring new adventures and beginning my new journey.