Finally Blogging about...my new school and grade level

Here in the beautiful sunshine state all teachers are on an annual contract. What does this mean? It means that all teachers' jobs "end" at the end of the school year. Stressed much? Yes...very much so. Now obviously this doesn't happen to everyone, there are some teachers who were grandfathered in and still have continuing contracts, lucky them. 

I suppose theoretically, it could work something like this: you work at a school, have outstanding observations, great parent rapport, engaging activities and technology, and good test scores and your contract gets renewed. No sweat.
However it isn't always that simple. Teachers get let go all the time. It is crazy. The county I work in loses a quarter of their teachers every year. A QUARTER! That seems like a fairly large amount of teachers to lose every year.

So being new to this annual contract thing, it was always in the back of my mind. I stressed about every little thing that I viewed as negative thinking this is going to lose me my job etc. Finally after going back and forth about whether I wanted to come back to the school I was at and then deciding that I did. At the end of the year I had convinced myself of this thought, "I worked hard this year, my kids saw successes and I learned a lot from them and the other teachers around me. It wasn't a perfect year but next year will be better." 

Then came time for everyone to start signing their new contracts...I waited and then was called in to discuss my placement and was told I would not be returning to the school. I was devastated. While this wasn't the perfect year, I had high hopes for next year and the changes I would make in my class, in myself and in my peer relationships. So now jobless I frantically began the job hunt to find another school to call home. I applied to 20 something positions. Some elementary, some middle school. I interviewed with 4 schools and was offered 3 jobs. 

I now happily call home to a portable classroom at a Title 1 School with 100% free and reduced lunch, 83% minority teaching 3rd grade. I will have to be at school an hour longer than last year (than any year I have taught actually) but I am really looking forward to the new adventure.

Happy to be teaching 3rd grade!