Monday, Monday

On Monday I start a new job, my first since November.  I'm ready to work again, and more importantly, ready to work with children.  The job I held from August until November did not involve working with children—it involved data collection and (supposed) mentoring of teachers.  I had numerous concerns about the way the research of the study was being conducted and it was being conducted by a major research institution.  If lil ole me could see massive problems in reliability and validity, I could only imagine what was wrong with the entire study.  That experience taught me to question all research I read and consider.

But I digress.  On Monday, I start a position working with kindergartners.  It's an extremely part time position—only fifteen hours a week to start—and very little money.  At this point though, the money is secondary to me.  Most important is the ability to work at something I love.

I have had mixed emotions about many jobs that have been offered to me—that they are not the caliber of job I should be working at this point in my career, that I am being grossly underpaid, that my talents are not being utilized.  Those may all be true, but I have not been disturbed by these issues at this new job.  I have put my faith in God and recognized that the purpose of this job is no longer to support my family; it is to revive my love of teaching and one of my great purposes in living.

I know this job is a stepping stone; in fact, I anticipate it will be a very short stepping stone, as I have a potentially more appropriate job in the works.  But I am grateful to get back in the classroom.  I am grateful to have purpose and to give excitement and learning opportunities to children again.  Thank you God, for that miracle.