Flying away

Well, not flying. Yet anyways. I still hate planes!! And occasionally LOVE Dunedin. Especially the beaches.

I am taking a year off teaching next year. I am excited, terrified, elated, anxious, cautious and curious all at the same time. I’m going to have a break, do some contract work (I’ve got the paper work but waiting on the formalities) and hopefully get excited again.

It has not been an easy decision to make, but I have just struggled this year. I had a really tough start where I just wasn’t feeling it. I put it down to my disappointment at being asked to teach out of my subject area, and the conflict that caused. I found some exciting ways to make the courses I teach manageable, but have just felt off all year. I made some changes at home (I lost 10 kilos!! With some more still come…… or not, I do like wine and chocolate), I tried to make some changes at school, but it just hasn’t felt right. Some changes stuck, some didn’t, and I just didn’t get the same satisfaction. And there is no specific way to say it, but I felt I lost my mojo. Although I still LOVED most of my classes most days, it wasn’t enough to drown out the other difficult but somehow nameless things.

I kept thinking back to my post was back in 2016 about teachers flying away… and how these amazing teachers do just need to go do something else for a while. Some are back teaching in classrooms and schools, others are still in education in other ways, and some are in different roles altoghether. These people have given me the courage to try something new, and I certainly hope I find my way back, refreshed and ready to another crack at it. Or perhaps I find a new space where I can regain my energy and passion for all things educationy.

And I am incredibly thankful for people who have helped me come to this choice. Especially my family (and that we are ‘lucky’ enough to be able to handle a drop/variation in income), but school as well. And to some amazing colleagues and friends who have made the transition, and have so kindly shared their experiences and expertise – they really did pave the way for me. Especially the couple that told me taking that first step was the hardest and the rest just followed. Was totally true.

So, to new adventures, and stretching my wings

Wish me luck.