A new year

My first grown-up job was as a teacher at a home school/private school hybrid type establishment. I hated it. My second job was teaching at a different school, same(ish) model. I hated it. Part of the problem was I was teaching lower-elementary, which is not at all my gifting, and at both places the admin was not fantastic. My current boss's motto is "Shut up and be nice" which is great advice so I'm not going to elaborate there. At about nine weeks in to that second job, another school, also a home school/private school hybrid type establishment wanted me to come interview. To be more precise, they wanted to hire me and the interview was a formality. (I had somehow established a solid reputation among the education community when I didn't even enjoy my job, but I digress.) They had let a teacher go and wanted me to replace her. I didn't want to go the interview. I had had it with teaching and had it with these schools, and if I took this job, I would spend my school year teaching in two different places, M/W at one, and T/Th at another. My husband told me I had to go. Now this may surprise some of you who know me, but it is incredibly rare that my husband puts his foot down. I think in the almost 8 years we've been married, he's told me maybe 3 times that I absolutely had to do something. So on a fine October day, I went to my interview for the 5th grade M/W teacher job at International Community School. I was looking for a reason to say no. After talking to 4 different people (the chief administrator, the dean of students, the admin assistant, and my potential team teacher) I had no reason at all to say no, so I accepted the job. That was about the time of my first wedding anniversary, so I have now been with ICS about as long as I've been with my husband. After my year teaching 5th grade, I took over middle school English, and after a few years there, took over some high school English classes plus the yearbook, which is what I am still doing. Barely 2 years into my career, I didn't think I wanted to teach. 9 years into my career, I can't imagine doing anything else. Tomorrow, those 5th graders I taught my first year at ICS are starting their last year of high school and I get to see them graduate. Also tomorrow, my son starts pre-K at ICS. I am so excited for him to become a part of this place that has been my home for the past 8 years. I think it's fitting that as the group I started with ends their career at ICS, my son is starting his journey there. I pray for many more beautiful years in this place.