tick tock

I swear I am now at the point where I am hearing

every second pass of every day

it is now august third, school starts in thirteen days

and I still do not have my job back

the district keeps telling me they are almost to my hire date

and that principals just returned to work this week

so things will be moving again soon

but I must admit that the anticipation this year is killing me

and with the school year starting a week early this year

these days just keep flying by

and my phone is just not ringing

my 8th grade classroom [2011-2012]

Now I think the worst part of all the waiting is the fact that I really have no idea what I am waiting for.  I am credentialed to teach anything from kindergarten through eighth grade, and in some capacity, I have taught all of those grades, except for 7th.  In that time I have also learned that I am much more fit for an upper grade classroom, anything below 4th and things get a little sketchy for me.  So for right now, as I wait for the phone to ring, I am trying to picture myself either sorting primary colored bears with five year olds, or possibly teaching Shakespeare to thirteen year olds.  

After last year I had decided that middle school was a great fit for me.  I was able to really focus on each and every lesson, a way that elementary teachers would never have time to do with so many different lessons and subjects taught each and every day.  I also loved the age group, and hey, if no one else wants to teach teenagers, let me have them.  There was always a saying in my district that once you got in middle school, you were pretty much stuck there.  I guess there aren't many of us out there that are die hard middle school lovers.  So I was thinking this was great news for me, win win all around.  However, this summer I have now been told that I am not "highly qualified" to teach a straight middle school history classroom because my supplement is not NCLB approved, only approved by the state of California.  So after teaching a year of history, I am less qualified to do so this coming school year.  Makes perfect sense, right? 

And with that, the possibilities of where and what I will be teaching next year has swung wide open.  With over six possible cities and over fifty schools I may be placed at, I must admit it is hard not to start hyperventilating.  Oh, and this year, I actually will need help setting up my classroom, seeing as I'm six months pregnant.  Last year I did it all on my own, with time to spare.  This year, I'm just hoping that I hear today so I can give the mr. & my mom some notice to get a day off.  The husband is off on Monday, so fingers crossed I hear today so we can get to work first thing Monday morning.  That will give me seven days to get things together.  

So, to sum things up.  Budget cuts suck.  Being laid off sucks.  Moving schools sucks.  Changing grades sucks.  Not knowing is the worst.  And the best part of all of it, 

your ability to teach plays no part in any of this.  

Going into my 6th year of teaching, at my 5th school, in my 7th grade level.

and they wonder why people are not pursuing careers in education right now

just re-hire me folks, so this rant can be done

thanks