So, I'm retiring in a few months. Almost every day someone asks me if I'm "counting down the days."
It's hard to explain that even though I'm ridiculously excited about never having to grade another 6th-grade writing assignment, the feelings I have about retirement aren't 100% excitement.
I have had some sort of job since I was 14 and cleaned my dad's office every weekend. I have done everything from work in a gas station self-service booth to cutting roses at a wholesale greenhouse. I have never been fired, although I've come close. I just couldn't figure out what the exact amount of open a rose needed to be when cut. Fortunately, I figured it out before getting cut myself.
With a teacher's schedule, it's been 26 years since I've taught summer school, so I guess you could say I'm unemployed each summer. I view it more as a retreat to rest and recharge before the next school year.
This summer will no doubt feel the same...until the end of August. I'll start noticing the signs: school supplies on sale, yellow school buses practicing their roots, and teacher friends counting down the end of summer.
Yes, I'll be excited that I won't be getting thrown into the chaos that is the beginning of a school year. I also feel a bit untethered, unsure of what's next. Twenty-three years ago, I made the move from elementary school teacher to middle school teacher. Nothing much has changed since.
I'll be nervous but that's okay. Eventually, I'll find my way just like I always have.
I have a feeling you're going to adjust just fine... but if you need a taste of school back, you will always know where to find it! There's a teacher shortage after all, and you can always come back, but I hope your next career is one where we can visit you and have a beer.
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