The Summer Migration: Starting a New Teaching Job

It’s time for the summer migration. Do you have a new teaching job?

There are some teachers who are already relaxing, enjoying their #TERSchoolFreeSummer without a care in the world. Their classroom materials are put up nicely in their classroom of 3+ years. They already know how they’re going to set up their room for the new theme. The curriculum is already planned out for the year. 

Then there are teachers like you and me, filled with anxiety for the entire summer as we prepare to take on a new job.

I’m currently transitioning from the UAE back to America, where I’ll be teaching in a new state. Although I’m not worried about my administration, who seems amazing, the thought of starting a new teaching job is slowly but surely causing more stress this summer. 

I’ve yet to experience the joy and comfort of being in the same classroom for longer than 2 years. I’ve watched the veteran teachers tuck their things away in their storage containers inside their rooms, tidy their desk of 5+ years, and enjoy their summer. I’m stuck ripping stuff off the walls and boards, pulling items out of the multiple cabinets,  throwing it on top of a trolley, and stuffing it into my car (and this time into multiple suitcases.) 

The thought of starting at a new school can be stressful. Not only are you losing the comfort of your sanctuary/classroom, but you’re also losing friends, familiarity, and the joy of seeing your kids from last year. Once you’ve learned an administrative team and how your colleagues operate,  you get to be comfortable and focus on teaching. Sometimes, the only aspect that changes is the kids and the name tags... and that’s okay! It’s great when you’ve perfected what works and what doesn’t when teaching certain concepts. 

But when you have to start a new teaching job, it’s almost like becoming a new teacher all over again. You have to earn the favor and trust from your administration, weave your way in and out of the new rules and regulations when it comes to staff, and understand how your team operates. 

Teachers are like a box of chocolates...you never know what you’re gonna get next. Am I right?

All teachers have an itty bitty little bit of crazy in them. But if you’re staying at your school, you know that crazy! Going to another school? That’s a different type of crazy you don’t know yet! 

So all summer, you’re sitting, trying to find the other teachers. You look on Facebook or Instagram to see if they are Pinterest teachers or laid back teachers. Facebook statuses are your tool to see if they posted anything to give you clues about your administrators. You try to find teachers from the grade below you and see how they’re spending their summer; relaxing or recovering. This gives you insight when it comes to your future scholars of the next school year. 

Although it can be a bit scary, sometimes we need that change. We need new administrators to shake us from our comfort zone and push us into our greatness as educators. Our new colleagues can help to challenge the complacent teacher on the inside. New students from different backgrounds push us to become students again, learning more about the kids in our world who need good teachers. 

This world needs less of is teachers that have stopped learning. The world is changing. People are changing. Kids are DEFINITELY changing. The moment we decide that we’re going to keep doing the same and not try something new to help students excel is when we’ve failed not only them but ourselves. 

Don’t be afraid of change. Embrace it. Move with it. Pack up your things and go with it. You’ll be surprised at who you’ve become in the end.