Memoirs Of A Full Time Teacher & Mother

The 2011-2012 school year has been a whirlwind!  

Since I pursued my teaching degree, I have always known that when I became a mom, I wanted to work part time.  When I was pregnant with Hudson, I was blessed.  He was the easiest pregnancy.  I didn't miss a day of work with him from Sept-April.  I was squatting on the gymnasium floor during an assembly a week before he was due.  He was just awesome in and out of the womb.  

While I was on maternity leave with him, I found out I had been moved from 5th grade.  I was hoping on a job share but the cards didn't fall that way.  Then my boss informed me I could have a 2nd grade, 1/2 combo or possibly a pm kindergarten.  Wow, what decisions.  I knew I didn't want to work every day so the kindergarten was out.  SO I chose the 2nd grade, and that had already been taken.  Crying to my mom I asked "What should I do?"  She replied "Do you want to be with your son?"  Well yeah, duh!  Then she encouraged me in the kindergarten which did open up.  I have loved working 4 hours a day (actually 3.75:)).  It is the perfect balance of mommy time and working.  

Well this fall, apparently our enrollment was up.  I didn't even pay attention because my class is always full and the extra kids are bused to other schools.  On the 2nd day of school, my boss asks me if I'd teach a PM class as well.  I said no right away.  She looked and me and said think about it and I can't give her an answer that day.  So I was baffled and started running the ideas by co-workers to see what they thought.  A lot of them were so encouraging and said to go for it!  Then I talked to the man and he was encouraging as well.  So I took it.  This was the perfect opportunity to take care of debt, save, and take a year off if we ever got pregnant with #2.  

I had a positive attitude at first but it got hard in October and November when Hudson and I both realized how little we were seeing each other.  There were some tears but for the most part the transition couldn't have gone better, thanks to his new day care/preschool.  The other rough part was Jared's increasing responsibilities at work. Since he earned his CPA this fall, he has gone on a lot more audits and is working MANY hours.  Normally I wouldn't mind (at least as part time) but when we're both working so much, its hard.  The roughest part was in November.  His busy season and my "conferences" always hit at the same time.  He was out on an audit to American Samoa and I had 2 classes of conferences scheduled.  Well of course, without fail, my son gets sick.  He's gone, my parents are working, and my mother-in-law is too far away for a 7 am call.  I was ready to call all my parents and reschedule but then somehow, miraculously, my mom came to the rescue.  Thank you mom!  It happens again to us in March and it seems these are the times my son gets sick.  Oh geez, it was stressful but it all worked out.  Thank you family!  

The Pros:

The money

I was able to teach the same thing AM and PM

Seeing my coworkers more

The kids

A housekeeper (a definite must if you work full time!)

Teaching an AM/PM made me a better teacher

The Cons:

Missing my boy!

I felt like a did everything halfway from being a mom, wife, to a teacher.

When do you cook or clean?

Pregnancy and working full time didn't work this pregnancy!

I was tired!

When you've raised everyone else's kid for the day, you have less energy, time, and patience for your family:(.

If this pregnancy would have been like Hudson, no problem!  But it wasn't, this little girl is different!  I just had to find out because of how sick I was.  In the month of January and February, I missed an entire month of school.  I was averaging 1-3 days a week gone.  Now its hard to be consistent and good at what you do when you are missing so much school and your truly just feel miserable.  It was seriously the stomach flu for 6 1/2 months!  It wasn't like I'd puke and rally it was throwing up at 4 am, 5 am,  6 am and sometimes at 7 am (yes these were consistent times) with an empty stomach.  Not good!  Then with constipation, dehydration, and being malnourished, it's been fun.  Ha!  Needless to say, I made it, Lord willing!  My PM class started with 7 kiddos and ended with 21.  I was a revolving door for new students, students who were low and challenging but I really feel it made me a better teacher.  I have had some pretty wonderful AM classes at UES.  

Hudson and I started a paper chain to count down the weeks to freedom:  

So in my pursuit of freedom, I was able to take of the 2012-2013 school year.  Having a September baby, there just wasn't an easy time to come back.  I looked at grading periods and January was too soon (I had almost 5 months with Hudson) or April (after spring break) but then I was like a sub for 3 months so why bother.  It really wouldn't be fair to the kids.  I had another friend who took a year off wit her baby and I thought she was a genius, so I copied her!  After putting in my request for a years leave, I was replaced within a week, literally.  They moved a teacher (who had been at our school previously) back because her school was over a part time teacher.  That means, I had to clean out and empty 90% of my room and boy was that work!  I only made it because of my loving and supportive husband and mother and father, on Father's Day might I add!  This means, I have no idea where or what I'll be teaching when I come back for the 2012-2013 school year.  The lack of control is hard at times but the jump from 5th to kindergarten was so wonderful, I can teach any grade willingly and happily.  I believe I'll still be in kinder because I am only a part time teacher (0.5).  I just know God has a plan better than my own!

Here is a last picture of my calendar area before I took it all down.  

I'm so blessed that I get the year off.  My boss thinks I'll be bored, ha, she doesn't know me very well!  She did ask me, along with many co-workers, if I'm coming back.  They are worried I'll love motherhood so much I won't come back.  At this point, I'm 95% sure I'll go back.  I love my job and the part time balance is perfect for me but with Jared's increasing responsibilities at work, time will tell.

I sure will miss those energetic 5 and 6 year olds though!  Thanks for the memories UES!