Change for the Better

Today is my last day at my school.  I put in my 30-days notice just over 30 days ago, so that I timed my leaving at the end of the semester.  Today is the last day of the semester, so it is also my last day of work.

I have mentioned before that I live 45 minutes away from my school - and that is on a good day with no traffic.  Usually, it takes me about 50 minutes to get there, and over an hour to get home.  If I stay after school for any longer than 15 minutes, it takes me an hour and a half to get home, since I hit the bad  traffic.  Not to mention the mileage that I've been putting on my car, which was brand new just one year ago.

I told my principal that the distance was the reason I am leaving.  Honestly, it is the biggest  reason, but if I felt like it was worth the drive, then I would have stayed.  I'm not going to go into it, because I chose not to go into it with my principal, so I'll just say that the school was not a good match for me.  I quickly realized this, but by that time, I had come to love my students, and couldn't leave them in the middle of their semester.  Breaking a contract is so out of character for me, but I had to look out for me  in this situation.

BUT - I'm not leaving teaching.  No way.  I start at my NEW SCHOOL tomorrow!!  I originally interviewed there in October (see how quickly I realized I wanted needed a change?), even though I knew that I wasn't willing to do a mid-semester change and bail on my students (we get a new group of students at the change of the semester).  After the interview, I was asked to do that, because they needed to fill a position that was empty.  I seriously considered it, but I knew that I had to turn the opportunity down for the sake of my students.  I thought I had closed the door, because I knew that they had other people to interview.  But a month later, I got a call asking me to come back in.  They hadn't hired any of the others, and wanted ME.  We made a plan so that I could finish out my semester at my old school, and start there when the new semester started.

I am so excited about this change.  Of course I will miss the kids and my teacher friends, but I know this will be a better work environment for me.  Plus, it is 15 minutes from home.  I will have so much more time after school.  I am proud of myself for doing the right thing in the way that I chose to leave my old school, and I cannot wait to get started in a new, improved place tomorrow!