Saturday, May 8, 2010

Rock and a Hard Place

I have to make the most painful decision of my life right now. (so far)

It all boils down to this one question: am I willing to make this career choice my life? Because, if I leave, and go where great things are happening, this is what I become.
1) I have to work much more than I do now. Much more. 5 pm more. Saturdays more. Running clubs more. Higher expectations more. Resource creation more.
2) I'd get friends via the job. This was honestly told. Your job is your life, your friends are the ones at your job. These are your people. These are great people, but they are your people.
3) I'd leave my subject that I love dearly. And that is hard. Because the math teachers here are not in the same place I am. They are at the point of teaching procedural fluency and no conceptual understanding and problem solving. "Problem solving" is the the term they use for word problems. Conceptual understanding is lacking.
4)The math that I love is lacking. And the work that the school is doing is so great, but it is not the work that I love. I love curriculum. I LOVE IT. And the curriculum priorities here are not the priorities that I have.
5) But have I told you about the discipline and culture? I AM DYING OF LOVE. So successful. So supportive. So much love for the culture of the school.
6) Autonomy from political problems. (Cough cough public schools cough).

There are so many AMAZING things about this job. About this life. But is this the right career path? As a 22 year old, these priorities wouldn't matter. I would have taken this job in a second. But I am no longer 22. So now I have to make a decision. There are so many factors. Some I haven't even tried to articulate.

I don't like being grown up sometimes. Now is one of those times.

I want to move to Bali and run a fish taco stand.

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