And Then the World Turned Upside Down...

My world turned upside down this week, though in a very good way! If you've read this blog for a while, you know how thrilled I was to be hired last fall by the local junior college (I love that place) as an Instructional Facilitator for the English department. And now things have gotten even better!

First, let me fill in some background here... I have been working on my Master's in English Education and Rhetoric forever. Well, forever since 2012. I only take one class a semester toward it because in addition, I work as a secretary, an instructional facilitator, a reader/grader, and a tutor. I know, crazy, right? And then I wonder why my house is always a mess. My goal, for years now, has been to teach at the local junior college. But, with the fact that my MA seemed ever elusive, and we needed money through lean years, that goal seemed impossible.

Until now.

Last week, I almost offhandedly applied for what is called a Teaching Associate position at the local university (where I am working ever so slowly on my MA). The Teaching Associate takes on one class section of English 100A/B—basically a remedial let's-get-you-up-to-college-English-class—for a year, with no more than sixteen students. I was late in applying. All my recommendation letters were actually directed at a career in teaching high school, which I was prepared to do through an intern program. I planned to work as a high school teacher until I could finish my MA, figuring a teaching credential and the classroom experience could only help in the long run. At the same time, I knew this wasn't what I wanted to do long term. My insides quaked a bit at the thought of teaching 4-6 classes a day, with 25-30+ students in each.

But....

I don't have to do the intern program. I don't have to teach in a high school just to teach. The university offered me the position! AND, the junior college wants to keep me on. And it looks like I may be tutoring a group of homeschoooled high-schoolers once a week in literature and writing! More on that later....

This means that: I will be giving notice as a secretary. I'll be writing a syllabus and choosing texts. I'll be working fewer hours total per week (and earning a little less money, but M has a good, solid income now, and we know all too well how to live on a budget). I'll be steadily moving forward to my dream career, and have a little more time with my own kids. The house might even get cleaned! I'll be a teacher this fall!!!

I'm also submitting my first article (a book review) for publication in an academic journal, so wish me luck with that!

Hope your week is as awesome as mine has started out to be!