I've told the story before - of my husband being an international businessman when our 2nd baby was born and the overwhelming burden of stress placed on me as an often single Mommy when he traveled - and our decision for me to stay at home. We were not exactly in a financial position to do this - and actually sold our larger, new house and moved into a smaller, older home in order to make it happen.
This year, when Ephraim started Kindergarten, I decided to go back to work. I had a very difficult time finding a job in my former career - guidance counseling - and was forced to consider other options. I was offered a part-time job in counseling the year Ephraim would have gone to Pre-K at my children's old school - but turned it down to move to Montana to help with a church plant. We also sold our house in anticipation of the move - and 6 hours after signing the contract discovered the church plant had been cancelled. It was too late to accept the job offer OR keep our house... and we couldn't afford a bigger house in the same school zone (and who wants to move to a smaller house?) We bought a bigger, older house in a different school zone and requested a hardship transfer for the kids to go to their old school for my oldest to finish out 5th grade. The youngest lost his slot in Pre-K, so it was a good thing I was not working - I spent the 2007-08 school year hauling 2 kids across town to their old school and my 4-year-old across town in a different direction to a church preschool!
We decided to let our two youngest (Nathan & Ephraim) go to the neighborhood school this year, and the oldest (Matthew) started middle school. This seemed like a reduction in stress - no more long car-rides and all three kids in school all day. I had reservations about returning to work when all three kids were starting new schools - but Charles had reservations about paying the bills we had run up in the process of trying to move across the country - so I accepted a job in Special Education teaching severely disabled students.
Teaching is new to me, but schools are not (I have been a guidance counselor and have also spent a lot of time in schools as a substitute teacher and as a volunteer Mom). In addition, I worked with severely and profoundly mentally retarded children and adolescents when I lived in Athens. All in all, it seemed like a good fit.
I have enjoyed many aspects of my teaching experience this year. My students are wonderful. The incredible thing about working with severely disabled students is their sweet spirits - you can literally see Jesus reflected in their faces. I have met some awesome parents - and will be forever changed by their incredible strength and determination.
However, I have decided to resign at the end of the year for several reasons. I have a little back trouble - and the doctor tells me that although my condition is not at all limiting my life at this time - my back is currently as good as it will ever get. I cannot hope to improve the strength of my back through physical therapy, exercise, surgery, or any other means. My back will never get better - if it ever changes, it will only become worse. Since working with SID/PID students may require lifting of people twice my size or larger, this is not a possible long-term placement for me.
Despite being unable to remain in my current class due to the physical requirements, my placement this year was wonderful! I didn't have any students that endangered my back condition; and I was surrounded by a huge special education department full of great teachers able to help me learn how to complete and handle the mounds of paperwork that go along with teaching special education. I understand the law, I know how to write IEPs, BIPs and many other acronyms that need not be mentioned here. It was a great reintroduction to working and a great introduction to a possible new career path - teaching special education.
What about next year?
I'm not sure... Counseling was a critical need when I obtained my M. Ed., but not so much anymore. My marketability as a counselor is probably greater after teaching special education for a year - I would be better able to support teachers new to writing IEPs and BIPs, I could provide support to teachers administering the GAA, and I have experience in controlling aggressive behavior... I gained a lot of skills this year that would be above and beyond the repertoire of the typical guidance counselor. I would enjoy returning to counseling.
On the other hand, I LOVED being in the classroom! I could definitely see myself teaching special education for the next 10 - 15 years in the lower grades - somewhere between preschool and 3rd grade - and then possibly moving to a regular education first grade classroom in my 50's and remaining there until retirement (teaching reading is my favorite). What a way to go out!
I'm not sure, but I am open to either possibility!
Next year is uncertain. With all three of my boys in new schools this year, I lost much of the rapport I had with my own children's teachers when I was at home. I also lost my sense of comfort with the assignments and the work expected. I have been able to regain my sense of awareness with my children's teachers who use the Internet - but not all of them do. If we had stayed at the old school, I would know the teachers well enough to know what to expect. I would be so much more comfortable because I would be "in the know" in a way that I am definitely not now!
My kids have great teachers at their new schools, but communication is lacking in a couple of instances. After being a super-involved Mom for 7 years, I am uncomfortable in the position of an uninformed Mom with children no longer making straight A's. I wouldn't mind the B's if I believed they were a reflection if my kids' best efforts. Instead, I feel the B's are a reflection of the lack of parental support my children have this year due to my inability to visit their classrooms.
So... we will see about next year. I have a lot of classes to take in order to earn a clear-and-renewable certificate in special education; and as a result, will have to spend many hours at the local university if I decide to change careers. If I change careers, I must still find time to support my own children in their education - and there are only so many hours in a day. For this reason, I may not work next year. If I am unable to find a position where I can work at a school where my two youngest could attend or at least be close by, I may spend next year doubling up on all of the sped classes that require the most time (the ones requiring 30 hours of observation on top of class time) and return to work the following year.
We'll see!
