Earlier this week I sat down with the principal to talk about my options. Mostly, I wanted to figure out what my future will be like at JHS before I turn my back on it. I expressed a desire to teach AP English and Humanities. He told me that I am next in line to teach those courses.
This is a BIG deal because veteran teachers are usually those who get those classes, but I am the one in the department with a Masters degree (or at least the one who WILL have it) and that means I am the most academically qualified. It's a great thing to have on my resume, and something that I would not have a chance to do at most other schools. If I were to leave now, I would be take a salary penalty and I would be making the school scramble to replace me. Now is NOT the time to tell a school I am not coming back; I would barely be giving 2 weeks' notice.
The job at the alumni office appeals to me because it is new, in a college environment, and the pay is about $10,000 more a year. I would also have better medical and dental benefits than those I have in Nephi. The job is high profile and high stress. My pay could increase based on performance, or I could be let go for poor performance. It seems like an easy choice, but I find myself questioning my ability to make good choices. I love teaching. At the end of the day, it brings me joy. I love having summers free and I love interacting with students on such an insightful level.
I talked to Nicki Blair today and she told me much of what I already know in my heart: I am a teacher. She believes the appeal of Snow comes because I would be doing something new and working with people I love, but that the novelty would wear out pretty quickly. She's right. It seems so basic, but Nicki knows my heart more than most. I love the challenge that teaching is, and as long as new students walk into my classroom, I will always have that challenge.