Back To Reality

Well, I am definitely "back in the saddle" again! Today was my second day of re-entry into the real world. It went better than yesterday. Yesterday I was so tired that I almost fell asleep while I was teaching...pretty pathetic, huh? But my student and I are reading an exceptional little novel called Number the Stars written by Lois Lowery. It is a captivating account of how the people of Denmark were able to hide nearly all of their Jewish population during WWII.

I have several students that I work with in Houston. Ever since I moved here I have had a variety of teaching jobs. I chose not to get a Texas teaching certificate and limit myself to a traditional classroom. Rather, I decided to teach individuals, and I LOVE it! I'm not stuck in a classroom; I get to drive to several homes. I don't have discipline problems, I have no papers to grade; I only have students that really have a desire to learn. I'm back to the reason I entered the field of education in the first place - for the pure joy of teaching, and finally I get to do just that! No more jumping through the hoops for my principal or marching to the beat of a Superintendent. Nope! Now I get to call the shots, and I thoroughly enjoy that!

I work with a variety of different students. Last year, for example, I worked for Two Jewish families and taught their sons English and World History. I also work for a large global oil company that is based in Argentina. When they place engineers in Houston that do not speak English, part of their benefits package is English lessons. I usually become quite involved in their lives in the beginning and serve as their "security blanket" as they navigate the maze of where to buy groceries or confront their fear of talking on the phone with limited English skills. They are very bright and pick up on the language very well!

I also work for a family that has a 17 year-old son that suffers from ADD. His school experiences have been a nightmare, so this year they pulled him out of school and I help their son prepare for the GED.

And finally, I tutor some high school English students on an "on call" basis, which usually means I get a call whenever they need help with a research paper.

So that's how I spend my days, teaching and traveling from job to job. My days are full and I feel very fullfilled!!