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So far in my seven year teaching career, I have managed to not teach at the same school for longer than two years. I have spent one year in Yr 2 at one school, two years in Pre Primary in another school, two years in Kindy at yet another school and two years teaching Kindy at my current school (although I had a big ten month break in the middle of this run so it's only really one year).
It looks like this is set to continue as I am unable to continue at my current school next year. If you are unfamiliar with the education department politics and silly rules this may not make a lot of sense but... I am permanent to a different school than where I currently teach. This means I own a position at that school. I applied for the position at my current school, which is a school for children with language delays which only has Kindy, Pre Primary and Year 1 classes. I got the position here but it was a contract, not permanent. For next year, my current school is not advertising any positions and is selecting teachers from a pool. I can't apply for the pool because I am permanent. Only teachers without their permanency can apply to the pool. Which means I have to go back to the other school.
I am a bit sad to be leaving because being at this language school was my dream when I was at uni. I'm so happy I achieved it, even for the short time I was there. I've learnt a lot and really enjoyed seeing kids come in with only a small handful of words or even no words and leaving with a much bigger vocabulary and greater comprehension skills. It's really rewarding to see and the changes are so drastic it's very easy to see them improve.
This other school that I own the position at seems like a nice school too - I haven't actually taught there yet though! I got the transfer to this school a couple of weeks before I was offered the other school and of course I accepted that one instead. I still own the position there though so that's where I will be next year.
Confused yet?
Anyhow, I quite enjoy a bit of change as a teacher. I enjoy trying new things and getting new ideas from other staff. I'm not yet ready to return to full time work so I've told the principal I'm looking at two or three days a week. He thinks he may have a Kindy position for me and I mentioned I would also be open to Pre Primary - having taught Kindy for the past four years I'd like to head back to PP at some stage as I really do prefer that age group (4-5yr olds here in WA, Kindy is 3-4yr olds). The principal is going to get back to me early next week he said, with a couple of options. I'm a bit excited and a bit nervous. What to choose? If I taught a Kindy class I would have my own class and do 3 days/wk. It'd be nice to have my own class again because I do miss that, but it would mean planning, lots of paperwork, assessment, reports. Lots of afterhours work. If I did PP I would be sharing the job with someone else or working in a couple of classes while the class teacher is out on planning time. This would be nice also because it wouldn't be so much assessment and reports and planning. But the downfall there is you have to work with someone else and you can't really choose who that might be and how well you will work together. The lady I am working with this year has quite poor behaviour management skills which means the class can be pretty unruly, it's a bit hard to train them into better habits when I'm only in there once a week. I'd like to avoid having to deal with that sort of thing next year.
I'm already daydreaming about having a Kindy class and making plans of things I can do with them. Which makes me think I might be leaning towards doing that? Either way, I can't make any decisions until I'm given some choices to choose from so I'm eagerly awaiting the phone call sometime next week.
Do you like change in your workplace/job or are you a creature of habit?
5 comments:
Wow when did teaching become so complicated? It has been a long time since I was in the classroom to know. xx
Its so weird because I just finished catching up with a friend who has been on fixed term contracts at a school for two year. The principal has to fill any vacancies with re-deployed teachers (that are permanent but not placed in a school). So my friend is out of work altogether.
Lots of crazy stuff happening at work too because due to the lead-up of the election, no contracts are being renewed in central or regional offices, which means heaps of teachers in non-teaching roles but have teaching permanency, have to have jobs found for them.
I suppose its just really lucky that you have a permanent job!!! Where is it at?
That was always the worst thing, never knowing when you would be transferred or how your life would be affected. I had four schools in my first two years. Yuck. We have exactly the same thing but they change the rules all the time: last decade's hard to staff schools are now lovely schools so your time of service there doesn't count. I am glad you are excited about your new school. It's good to be positive!!
Love change!!!
M. starts kindy next year. I can't believe it. She is practising all her independent skills and talking about how good she is going to be so that she can earn points for green faction!!!
Kindy would be fun. Grace starts kindy next year and has her orientation day this Tuesday. At least you wouldn't have reports there, although I know there's still heaps of planning and assessments to do. I think it would be a nice age group though and as you say, they would be your class without any sharing. I guess it depends how much you are willing to take on board again work-wise next year?? Have you heard back from the principal yet? Bummer about not being able to stay on where you are but I'm sure you'll be able to get back into a language centre down the track if that's what you're after and in the meantime, something like a kindy class will be lots of fun! x
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