Final Countdown

I am down to single digits of my teaching career. I gave away posters on my wall and stuffed animals on the shelves. I packed up my coffee mugs, and extra clothes and a few things I want to take home, like my radio that I bought with my own money and my DVD player. I am giving the DVD player to my son, so maybe he will watch Hot Fuzz at his own place instead of on my couch while eating my snacks.

Everyday people ask me what comes next. Honestly, I don’t have a clue. Sometimes I say the truth, that I don’t know. Sometimes I say that I plan on moving to the beach, walking my designer dog and writing on the front porch. That’s my fantasy life. I know I do want to work, just not necessarily with kids, and I don’t want to manage anyone’s behavior or teach anyone anything they don’t want to learn. I would love to work from home, but I am not opposed to moving, so I suppose that leaves me a lot of options. Mostly, I can’t think too much about the next step until the classroom part is over.

I ran into someone I know over the weekend and she was scoffing outwardly at my retirement mid-year, and too early. I could have gotten upset, but it’s her opinion, and she has no idea what I feel, or what I need. I know it’s the right decision, even if I am uncertain about the future.

In a way, I just wish my last day could just happen without a lot of fanfare, but I know that closure is important. I do have a few more things I want to accomplish before I dip out. I want to finish strong and mostly, I can say that I am doing that. I am going to miss watching kids grow up, and knowing all the slang and trends. So many people have touched my life in education and I have grown and learned so much in this career. My years in the classroom have made me strong, resilient and ready to face any challenge. So even though I don’t know what comes next, I have the mindset for crushing it!