"I do not want to be a teacher. My mom is a teacher," I remember saying this when trying to decide what career path I wanted to take. I really didn't know. It took a few bumps and turns, but I finally decided that teaching just might be what I wanted to do.
After graduating from high school, I decided I wanted to be a travel agent. I attended college in Grand Rapids, after just meeting my future husband! I did not like being away from him or home. At the end of the trimester, I decided that being a travel agent wasn't for me, (not a real big need in the LaGrange area). So,I quit school and came home. I promised my mom I would go to school at IPFW, but in the short time I was home I interviewed for a bank teller job and did not return to college.
For the next ten years, I worked as a teller and head teller at Farmers State Bank in LaGrange. I did like my job. I was able to stay home when Audri was born. Then when Derek was born I worked part time. When Allison was born I had gone back to working full time but realized that I was missing out on her growing up, so I went back to part time. Finally I thought I needed a change and was tired of doing the same thing day after day, so I went to work at Dometic as a customer service rep. Quickly I found out RV customer service was not for me. I decided to be a stay at home mom.
Money started to get tight, so I began subbing in the area schools. I took a maternity leave in EL and helped a lot in kindergarten. After this time I decided I wanted to return to college to get a degree in elementary education, but not get a kindergarten endorsement! In, 2000, I began online course work at IPFW. Going to school in Fort Wayne still allowed me to spend time with my three children and be involved at their school. Even though it took me five years to complete my degree, I wanted to graduate before Audri did! I graduated from IPFW in 2005 and she graduated from high school in 2009. I did it! I learned that going to school and being a mom is a tough job, but it can be done.
My mom was nearing retirement so I had hoped to take over when she left. That didn't happen. I spent the first year after graduation subbing and filling two maternity leaves. My second year was spent filling a year long maternity leave. At the end of the year, I packed up and headed home, still no permanent teaching job. As school was beginning, positions began to open up and I landed my first teaching position at Parkside in second grade. The first few years were rocky with the Rif process. I usually did have a job the following year. After the third year I was hired back as a permanent substitute. I started the year in fifth grade since the teacher assigned to that position hasn't decided if she was coming back or not. Two days after school started, she turned in her resignation and I had a teaching job, at least for a year! Ever since that year I have been in fifth grade at Parkside.
I have enjoyed the journey of my teaching career. I like that every day is a new challenge. From students to curriculum. I have had to learn to take risks and learn new things all the time. Even though teaching was not my first career choice, I am glad I made the switch for myself and my family.
