Job Offer

On Tuesday, my boss called me and asked if I would take a 3rd grade teaching position from 9:15-2:15 Monday through Friday.   At first I was so excited about the  offer.  I have wanted to go back into the regular classroom and teach my own group of kids.  I love teaching, I love helping students, I enjoy writing lesson plans and searching for new ways to make it more engaging so the students will understand it.  I like working one on one with the kids.  This is what I have wanted for the past four years.

I told my principal that I need to think about it and let him know tomorrow.   Jeremy and I started to discuss it. 

We talked about how the kids would get off school/preschool at the same time I did. So they would have to walk home or get a ride and be home everyday by themselves for about 45 minutes at least.  We talked about how I had 3 days to get a my old classroom taken down and new classroom set up and ready to go.  We talked about how I would be teaching math, science, and social studies and last time I taught reading and language arts so totally different subjects.  Which I was ok to learn the core for this and write lesson plans for them.  We also talked about how this was a one year position so next year I would go back to the computer lab and did I really want to do all of this work and preparation for just 1 year.  Then we talked about my leg.  It would mean being at school for an extra five hours per week and a lot more walking.  My leg is slowly getting better but it still hurts every day some days it hurts so bad I can hardly stand on it.  

I called my sitter and she said she would be able to watch the Devin, but she would not be able to pick him up from preschool.  And that on Wednesday I could not be any later than 2:45 picking him.  I called another neighbor and we worked out a car pool so I would take her kids in the morning and she would pick up mine in the afternoon.  So far it was looking like I could do it.  But I still had  a problem with Devin.  What was I going to do about Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday?  Devin had to be picked up from preschool.  And I couldn't promise that I would never be late.  I try really hard but that is something that sometimes is out of your control.  Parents could come talk to you, the principal needs you, kids need you, kids are slow getting out the door, traffic is bad etc.

I didn't sleep at all Tuesday night.  I was stressed about making the right decision.  I really wanted to go to third grade.  I really wanted to go back in the classroom and feel that what I was doing would make a difference.  But it felt wrong for my family.  I felt like it wasn't fair to my kids to have to come home every day with no one home.  I didn't know what to do about Devin and I didn't have enough time to figure it before I had to give him an answer. 

So I called my principal and told him I couldn't take the job.  It made me sad but I feel I made the right decision.  I hope that I will be given another opportunity. 

But  now I can enjoy my last day before I return to work, I can have an enjoyable weekend and watch my daughter play soccer this weekend because I won't be at my school frantically trying to get a new classroom ready to start a new year in just a few days.