Decisions

Last year around this time, I had the Kenny Chesney attitude- "I'll just sit right here and have another beer in Mexico..." meaning, "I'm not going to worry about where my life is going." Well, that's not working for me anymore. I need to make a change. I won't go into all the details, but I'm having a really difficult time deciding what to do next year. My priority is to get my master's in reading so I can teach reading at the middle school or high school level. I would also like to get married and have babies at some point. Soon. So, after a lot of thought and prayer, it's come down to two options: going to a state school (like Southern) and getting a job there for a few years, or transferring to the middle school in my district and doing my master's at Governor's State. I don't have to transfer to the middle school in order to go to Governor's State, but that's what I feel like God wants me to do. It sounds silly when you say it out loud or write it, but I felt very strongly that while I was praying, God was telling me to go to the crazy middle school. I've always heard that when you genuinely pray for God to do what he wants with your life, it's probably not going to be exactly what you had in mind.

Although I didn't get a strong impression that I need to go to a state school, the idea is growing on me. And it is a logical option. The reason I'm limiting the schools I can go to is debt; I don't want to spend $30,000 on this degree. So, it's either Governor's State or Southern. Let's look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of each choice.

Carbondale
Hiking
Wine trail
Great restaurants
Warmer weather
Get the experience of going to a big school
New place to explore
Comfortable
Might be easier for me to meet someone
Lets me try something new for 2 years before that 5 year milestone (if you try to move to another district after 5 years of teaching, they will usually only give you credit for 5 years, which means big pay cuts as you get older)
Probably take a pay cut
Giving up my fabulous city life
Being away from all of my friends

Middle School in my district
Get to stay where I am- keep my friends and my fabulous city life
Fulfill my commitment to Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Good money
I feel like this district is killing my soul
Concerns about discipline issues- can I handle the craziness that goes on there? Will I be an effective teacher in that kind of environment?
This is what I feel like God wants me to do

So I guess my plan is to send out my resume and apply for jobs around Carbondale, and apply for the master's program at Southern, too. If a good opportunity presents itself, then that's where I'll go. Otherwise, I'll apply for a transfer in my district and start classes at Governor's State this summer.