There was a time when a person with a degree from a business
school, possibly Stanford or McGill, had job interviews handed to them on a
platter. But then along came Google, and they decided that maybe it didn’t
matter if your degree was from a prestigious University. Maybe what actually
mattered was how passionate you were about your work and whether or not you
loved what you did.
I have had the privilege of teaching mostly five and six year
olds over the course of twenty-one years and I have loved what I have done. I never
wanted to not love it and when I was expecting my first child, I could feel
that my priorities had begun to change. It wasn’t that I didn’t love teaching,
but all of a sudden my child was more important than my work.
And so… I took a leave.
When my little fellow went into Kindergarten, I was asked to
teach his class and nothing could have been more perfect. I then taught for
another 6 years and when my mama died, I again felt a shift inside of me,
knowing that even though I loved what I was doing for my life’s work, I needed
more time to reflect and so I took yet another break from teaching and sat down
to write. I love writing and have been fortunate to be able to write from home,
co-write with others around the globe, complete a Masters, and craft my skill.
This past October, I had a call from a local school Vice Principal
who asked me if I would come in and cover for a teacher who had just had a
heart attack. “Of course.” I said. The esteemed colleague of mine, who would eventually take
almost two months to recover from the heart incident, is well respected and I
remembered a time when he rescued our school from a ruinous situation. I wanted
to do my best to fill his shoes for as long as he needed me to do so.
Did I mention that he is a Junior High Social Studies and
English teacher?
Although I have a fairly good grasp of the English language,
am well-read, have a passion for history and world events, and can certainly read
a curriculum, I have only ever taught Home Economics with teens. You know, one
of the fun subjects where you get to make stuff, and eat.
The day I began teaching the Junior High students, I was
shortlisted for a writing job that I had applied to and two days after I had
started teaching, I received a call from the Department Head of a college Early
Childhood Education team asking me to apply for a certain position and wooing
me to work with her. I actually laughed out loud in shock and was on the edge
of my seat with excitement over the opportunities that were presenting themselves
to me. However, a commitment is a commitment and I had made a promise.
I have high expectations for behaviour as well as studies
and I am in awe that those students stepped up to the plate and demonstrated to
me that they are capable of great work. And…
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by how much I
loved being with that age group and working within those subject areas. The
only trepidation I had, happened on the first day, before I had even left the
house to teach, and it was just butterflies in the tummy, and fleeting.
When he recovered and returned, it was with great sadness
that I gave the students and the classes back to the “real” teacher, but I am
hopeful that an opportunity such as this will present itself to me again
sometime.
Thank you amazing teens for spending two extraordinary
months with me.
~ Ellyn
