New Opportunities

I loved teaching Head Start so it was a shock to learn that I wouldn't be able to do so this year. Instead I was moved to First Grade. It was definitely a big change, with a lot more pressures for student performance. But in the end I love what I do and ended up liking the students' capabilities and different skills I was able to teach.
That said, I  had decided to try and change schools for next year. I loved my team, but more than half of them were also looking to change schools for various reasons. That, along with having a new baby, encouraged me to apply to other schools. The only problem was that the job fair (where you can interview with many different schools all in one place on one day) was the week after I delivered Kate.  I had 3 schools want to schedule interviews, and after explaining that I was in the hospital and wouldn't make it to the job fair the following week, two schools offered to let me interview later in the week at their schools (but couldn't believe I had just had a baby and was up and out a week later).

These two schools were completely different. One was brand-spanking-new. It had just reopened in January with new everything- we're talking promethium boards and five touch screen computers in each classroom. The families of this school were more affluent than the population I taught for the past 5 years.

The other school was more like my current school- low(er) income families, many English Language Learners, and a building that was very old with not many perks.

I was offered Kindergarten at the first school, and First Grade at the second. So which school did I choose?

The second school that was more similar to where I was teaching before. Why? First- it is literally 5 minutes from my mom's house. She will be watching Kate next year and cutting my commute time was a huge reason for wanting to switch schools. Second- The principal basically head-hunted me. She e-mailed me, then called my school, then called me (when I was still in the hospital) to schedule an interview. She basically offered me the job on the spot (even though she couldn't officially offer the job until the following day). Also, I like working with the population. These families (in my experience) are so appreciative of what teachers and the school do to help their children learn.

You may be asking 'But what about all the new technology in the other school?'
Well- good news. My new school is scheduled to be re-built next year. So while I will have the inconvenience of being in a holding school for a year (which is luckily located only about 10-15 minutes from mom's house) I will be rewarded with a brand-spanking-new building with all the perks of the more affluent school.

I am so excited to start the year in a new school. It's a fresh start and the staff seems so nice/welcoming.
Now I just have to coordinate packing my old room and sending supplies to my new school.