Since so many of us have left the classroom in the past few years, it’s bound to be a question that some people are kicking around. Whether you left for online teaching, to stay home with kids, or for another career altogether, some teachers are still feeling the pull back to the classroom.
I am one of these, and after a full two years out, I’m headed back in to teach pretty much the same thing I did before I left. What’s different now? I’m excited. I’m not burnt out. After many years in the classroom, I was ready for a break.
I was not truly a victim of the pandemic: I notified my district that I would be resigning from my position as a fourth grade teacher in November of 2019, to be effective the following June. After the pandemic hit, I initially considered shifting to a much smaller school in my district since I knew they needed support, but in the end, I opted out. Several back-to-back years of intense behaviors in my classroom, compounded by nonstop consultants, curriculum changes, and shifts in administration and initiatives sent me over the edge. My interest in having a creative, dynamic classroom never changed, but it was crushing me to get it all done. I chose to shift to working as an administrator for a distance-learning program, which also allowed me to homeschool my own kids. It was a great job. Yet, I still felt that bug… I couldn’t stop following my teacher blogs, reading trade books, slapping my own hand away from children’s literature at Barnes and Noble… I knew it was time to head back.
The truth is, all of the things that drove me out are still there today, even though I’ll be in a different school. So, how do I know that this time will be different?
Obviously, I can’t control everything. Admin will leave, other turnovers will happen, etc. But, reflecting on how I was spending my time, and what control I do have, has been essential for me in being ready to go back to the classroom. Several key pieces in particular have made it possible for me to move forward, that might also be of use to others considering returning to the profession to think about:
Do your research. What schools are a good match for you? My previous school was a good match for me in some ways, and in others, it was a real challenge. After thinking about my experiences in the three schools I’ve worked in, I know now that I work best in small communities. I like to have one or two teammates, max, to make everyday decisions with. I also had some red flags that I stayed away from: if a school had a ton of vacancies, or all of its admin leaving, I didn’t consider it. Considering schools before positions was helpful for me – this allowed me to keep an eye on the places I truly wanted to work, rather than getting distracted by attractive positions in districts that weren’t a good match. In the end, I was only interested in one school this year, which also happened to be the school my youngest child attends. I knew that if something came up in the grade levels I enjoy teaching, I would apply, but if not I would just stay with my current work for another year. As luck would have it, the only position they advertised this year was a grade 3-4 teacher, and I applied and accepted the job this spring with confidence, knowing that this school met a lot of the requirements I was looking for.
I will be spending my time focusing on my team, and my classroom. This isn’t to say I don’t care about whole-school issues or activities: I certainly do! What I’m choosing to leave behind is the work drama. My role as a school administrator this past year taught me that I really *don’t* want to know what’s going on with everyone. It’s exhausting, and stressful. My primary interest is in working with kids, and other adults who are enthusiastic about teaching. It’s easy and even entertaining to get bogged down in building politics, gossip, and the like, but I know that taking a pass on this in the future will allow me the mental and emotional space I need to do my job well. Note: Please don’t read this as a holier-than-thou statement: I’m not a bucket of sunshine. I’ve got more than enough interest in snark and sarcasm, and have a fantastic cadre of friends to share that with. I have found though, that it’s best left out of work, for me, and separating it from my professional life in my current role has been extremely beneficial to me.
I am a confident, knowledgeable educator who can make decisions about my classroom and advocate for my students. In the past, I’ve largely just followed directions from administrators, consultants, whoever, with far less expertise than I had about the “best practices” for my students. As a person who loves learning, research, and staying up to date in my field (not to mention the National Board Certification, advanced degrees, or 15 years of experience in the classroom…) I feel confident this time around to ask hard questions, push back (kindly, but firmly!) when information and decisions don’t benefit students, and know that I have just as much expertise as anyone in the room. In the worst case scenarios, when something has to be implemented that isn’t great, I usually know how to integrate the support my kids actually need, as well, and can go home knowing that I am serving my students in the best way I can.
Of course, the biggest thing driving me back was – I LOVE IT! I missed putting my classroom together, facilitating math talks, designing games, running book clubs, crafting science projects – the whole shebang. I’m a total teaching and education nerd at the end of the day, and I’ve got to let it shine. 😀
I hope you’ll check back to see how the big “reentry” goes – I’d also love to hear from you! Are you considering going back to teaching? Never in a million years? Share your thoughts and questions below.