Teachers move schools (or sometimes even leave the profession) for a multitude of reasons. Maybe they were unable to teach the classes they desired. Perhaps their teaching philosophy did not align with that of their administrators, or maybe they didn't feel like they were getting the professional support they needed. Sometimes teachers are forced out of their positions by lay-offs or restructuring. Sometimes they move across the country. One could argue that in each of these cases, leaving a school is an easy or unavoidable choice. But how do you tell your students and coworkers you're leaving when it's none of those things? This spring, I found myself in that exact situation. For the past 5 years--my first 5 years of teaching--I have been at Licking Valley High School, a small but progressive school in a rural community of Ohio. There, I was able to gain experience teaching several math and chemistry courses, teach using methods and curricula of my choosing, learn from the mentorship of several teachers and administrators I have grown to greatly respect, and build strong personal relationships with some incredible students.
In those 5 years, I also advised two clubs and helped start a Professional Learning Community exploring ways we could continue to improve school climate and support understanding of differences. As I began to get more involved in the community--something I think is vital to being an effective teacher--I started to realize that being the teacher I wanted to be was not going to be sustainable for me long term. You see, I live 55 miles from Licking Valley. My commute was long, tiresome, and often met with hefty traffic on the way home if I didn't leave right at the 9th period bell. That meant I was stuck in traffic almost every day because if I didn't have club meetings after school, I liked to make myself available to help students or stay to set up the next day. Going to evening events at the school meant rushing home and immediately back or spending the entire day and evening at work. Balancing everything was getting very tough. I began to wonder how I would ever make it work once we have kids. What sacrifices would I have to make at work or at home? Would I be willing and able to make those sacrifices? Thinking about it caused me a lot of stress. So, when I saw a job posting at a highly reputable school very near our home, I thought I owed it to my future self and family to at least apply.
 |
| Letter from a graduating student |
Well, the application lead to an interview, a second interview, and eventually an offer. Now that it was real, I had a new struggle ahead of me. How do I tell my principal? The other teachers? My students? What especially will I say to the students in the GSA and NHS? It was extremely difficult for me. I knew some of those conversations had to happen in person, and some I left to email and Facebook (mostly because I was afraid that I would be too emotional to get to say everything I wanted to in person). I have always had a hard time being that vulnerable in front of others. To an extent, I envied coworkers who had found job offers after school was out. I was scared to face some of my students and I was afraid they would feel like I was abandoning them. While I'm sure those feelings were there for some, what I ended up getting more than anything was an outpouring of support from the community. In the last few days of school, I received dozens of cards and letters from students that I will cherish forever. I got words of encouragement from my coworkers, many of whom had also moved schools at some point.
 |
|
I am excited for the new chapter in my life and to take on the challenge of a new school, but I will be forever grateful to Licking Valley for helping to shape me into the educator and person that I am today.
 |
"Now you can't leave."
|
