Should I Stay or Should I Go?
While having my end of year review with my principal she informed me that my position was being cut. That being said, since I've been here a while she did say that there is a position for me - in the classroom. This will be a series of posts bringing you along on my decision making process. I don't even know how it will end!
I was hired on at this school (the only school I've ever worked at) to be the technology specialist for grades K-5. That is what I did my first year. Second year I taught technology specials for grades 3-5 and spent my afternoon collaborating with teachers and fixing stuff. At the end of that year I begged my principal to let me teach both science and technology in my classroom. She agreed and now I am both the science and technology specialist on the specials rotation. I'm teaching grades 2-5. That's my back story.
So now I have to decide if I'm willing to make the move into the classroom. There are definite pros and cons to each position.
I am truly only willing to teach in the classroom if I get to teach science. The 4th and 5th grade teams at my school departmentalize their subjects (math/science etc.) and the 5th grade teachers who teach science are not willing to change just because I want them to :-). This leaves me with the 4th grade team. There is a teacher who is hoping to retire at the end of this school year. She currently teaches Reading/Social Studies, but her team-teacher is willing to give me Reading/Science (woohoo!) so this could be a definite possibility.
I am also applying for any and all science positions in the district. There are middle school positions in which science would be the only subject taught, score! I am also qualified to teach high school biology, but am terrified to make the jump from this to that. Naturally there is a hiring freeze right now, so the job offers won't start coming in until after June 1st. So now we wait...
Any advice? How would you make a decision like this? I'm not even sure what to pray for - wisdom, for the path to be clear, peace in the decision, patience?
I was hired on at this school (the only school I've ever worked at) to be the technology specialist for grades K-5. That is what I did my first year. Second year I taught technology specials for grades 3-5 and spent my afternoon collaborating with teachers and fixing stuff. At the end of that year I begged my principal to let me teach both science and technology in my classroom. She agreed and now I am both the science and technology specialist on the specials rotation. I'm teaching grades 2-5. That's my back story.
So now I have to decide if I'm willing to make the move into the classroom. There are definite pros and cons to each position.
- I don't love fixing technology and having to be "on call" to fix emergencies as they happen throughout the day.
- I don't love trying to create a classroom management system when I have 20 classes every week with different homeroom teachers and therefore different personalities, energies, quirks, etc.
- I'm nervous about going into the classroom because of how overworked my colleagues appear to be.
- I don't love the idea of teaching to a test.
- I don't love the idea of having full-inclusion classrooms and having to meet every child on his/her level (how does one even plan for that, am I making it too complicated?)
- I already have a curriculum developed for my position
- I am sooooo excited about implementing more project based learning if I get to teach science/technology again next year
- I have plans to teach professional development on technology to get more teachers on-board next year
- The teacher I would be teamed up with is AMAZING and is our teacher of the year this year!
- Teaching 4th grade reading could be amazing for my desire for a calm classroom- what is calmer than silent reading for 20 minutes?
- The 4th grade science curriculum is fun and I would love to dive into planning for that.
- I would get so many great ideas for my TpT store teaching 4th grade
I am truly only willing to teach in the classroom if I get to teach science. The 4th and 5th grade teams at my school departmentalize their subjects (math/science etc.) and the 5th grade teachers who teach science are not willing to change just because I want them to :-). This leaves me with the 4th grade team. There is a teacher who is hoping to retire at the end of this school year. She currently teaches Reading/Social Studies, but her team-teacher is willing to give me Reading/Science (woohoo!) so this could be a definite possibility.
I am also applying for any and all science positions in the district. There are middle school positions in which science would be the only subject taught, score! I am also qualified to teach high school biology, but am terrified to make the jump from this to that. Naturally there is a hiring freeze right now, so the job offers won't start coming in until after June 1st. So now we wait...
Any advice? How would you make a decision like this? I'm not even sure what to pray for - wisdom, for the path to be clear, peace in the decision, patience?
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