School days are coming! I, my dear readers, am returning to school on July 8th. With back pack and cute jeans. Oh, yeah. Wait a minute. Things are different now. I’ll be spending more time in my studio in front of the computer screen. I must say, the excitement wore me out yesterday. Let me unpack the story for you.
Two weeks ago, I met a new friend. She works at a tiny little school by my favorite local lake. Yes, it IS the one in which they find an occasional body, but it’s so beautiful, I’ll overlook that little fact. As we talked, she told me about her job and how much fun she was having. With graduation just around the corner and memories haunting me, I asked her to tell me more. She mentioned that the number of Christian teachers there had increased to five and it was a great staff and even better students and families. A small country school focusing on reading, writing, and arithmetic in 2022. Go figure.
So, her words worked on me until curiosity got the better of me. I Googled the district office and found that there IS a one year 3rd grade opening at that very school. Fancy that. 3rd Grade is my happy place fbecause the people there are the nicest found anywhere in the world.
Doing more research, I realized why the position is a one year appointment. An abundance of 2nd graders. That happens once in awhile when a huge class creates a staffing problem. You need an additional teacher for that particular class as they go through the year.
On my end, there are a few obstacles in the way.
- I am no spring chicken. At 66, 3rd graders have much more energy than I do on a good day.
- Naps aren’t even for kindergartners anymore. I love a good afternoon nap.
- I would be starting the year with no personal supplies. Teachers spend a huge amount going back to school every year. Starting from scratch is expensive.
Those three points should’ve given me pause, but there was one more challenge presented a bigger problem. My Nevada teaching license expired in 2018.
Reciprocity – the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit, especially privileges granted by one country or organization to another. Nevada honors teaching credentials from California with a minor requirement.
I used up my one chance at reciprocity when VST and I moved to Virginia City to teach middle school. They simple required three classes to be completed in three years. Guess who missed the bell on that one?
Driving to the Nevada Department of Education yesterday, I thought back to the last time I went there in person. VST drove and I was a bundle of nerves. A new school. New students. I would be THE Science teacher for Virginia City Middle School for one year. Their teacher was running away to snorkel at some tropical venue for a year. Middle school science will do that to a person.
Yesterday, I drove myself. Once arriving, I received the best news. Two of the three classes were no longer required. I only needed one class to re-activate my teaching credential. ONE. Only One. With online schools, this would be done in a snap. Driving home with a pre-approved list of colleges in hand, I was giddy with delight.
Well, not so fast. As it turned out, the list I was given was old and outdated. Colleges had shut their doors. Some had changed names. Some were closed for the summer. Finally I found the one that would work for me. University of Phoenix. You know, the one that tailors every situation for every student? That one. Sure enough, quicker then I could type in my Visa number, I transformed myself into a college coed. I’m thinking of a bean bag chair and black light for my studio. My hair is long enough for braids now. Add a pair of Birkenstocks and it will be 1973 all over again. For sure, the hair might be gray, but the roots are still as blond as ever.
Here’s the deal.
I may never make it to the first day of school for the 8:00 bell on August 9. There may be no need for a complete teaching wardrobe or sensible new shoes. I may not need a shiny lunch box and thermos set. Or new hair clips and scrunches. I may never get to feel the First Day Jitters just one last time. Or wipe away tears as a beloved class skips out the door towards 4th grade.
But, this is the truth.
Without returning to college to complete one class, I’ll never have a choice about how I spend my August 9th, 2022. That much is true.
With that being said, I need to start my lists. So many things to prepare for the beginning of college on July 8th. I need to spend some time roaming around the Student Union and Resource Center at the virtual campus. I got a special invitation to do so from the Dean.
More tomorrow.