Last Monday my principal called and left me a voice mail. I was intrigued by what she wanted to talk to me about. Thousands of thoughts passed through my mind — what does she want? Does she want me to teach computer? Is she finally going to ask me to teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grade English?
My heart pounded as I punched in her number. I really wasn’t sure what she was going to ask me. As the phone rang, my heart fluttered more and more. “Hello,” said the quite voice on the other end. “Sister, this is Andi returning your call.” Then it came. The question that I wasn’t expecting at all. “How would you like to teach 5th grade?” A long pause went by before I answered. “Oh, I am not so sure. I am going to need time to think about it.”
We ended the phone conversation and my mind was going 90 miles an hour. My first reaction was to tell her absolutely not. Why would I want to move down? I have been teaching 6th grade for 10 years. Why change when I have my routines set? Is this really something I want to do? Would I hate it? Would I love it? These were all the questions running through my mind – no let’s say sprinting through my mind.
Three days had past and I decided to call her and tell her that I wasn’t going to take the 5th grade position. I waited until 7:30p.m. to call her. “Sister, I don’t think I want to teach 5th grade. I don’t think I would like it.” Sister sounded disappointed, but at that moment I didn’t care. It was over. I made the decision. I’m staying in 6th grade.
“Not so fast!” my heart said. Something didn’t feel right. My heart wasn’t settled. I kept pondering my decision. The clock’s minutes ticked away. I couldn’t sleep. My decision seemed to be haunting me. Of course I had to call my mom. I dialed her number hoping she would still be awake. I didn’t care that it was midnight. I needed my mom’s words of wisdom.
The next morning around 6:45 I called my principal. I changed my mind. I will be embarking on a new adventure this 2011 school year — 5th grade! I am ecstatic about my decision. My heart feels at peace and I’m ready for this new journey in my life. Who knew?
English Teacher Party: A Look into the Real Life of an English Teacher 