One door closes.....where does that leave you?

It's been an interesting couple of weeks in our house. For those of you who are overseas teachers you'll know what I'm talking about. For those who are not...let me set the scene.

International recruiting fairs start the first of January. Which means schools need to know what jobs to go recruiting for before then. So in December, teachers need to give notice whether or not they plan on returning the following year (depending on your school it's actually anywhere from November through January). It's difficult on a couple of levels.

First, you have only been in school for about half the school year and you have to make a decision that will affect you a whole year in advance.

Secondly, most schools make you resign before the recruiting fairs even begin. Meaning there is a period of time when you do not know where you will end up, or even if you will have a job.

Of course the best course of action is to go into your last year at a school knowing it is your last year at that school. You can start the recruitment process early, get registered for a fair, ask for letters of recommendations, and prepare yourself for the move.

Now, that's how sane people change jobs internationally. How do the insane do it? Well they go weeks getting very little sleep thinking about their future, what they want to do, and if their current school is the right place. They have long conversations as a couple discussing their future.

And then one Monday you say to your wife, "We're resigning."

And because she loves you she just says, "OK."

(FYI: Because you are hired as a couple to international schools you must resign as a couple as well)

We were not expecting this, we were not/are not planned for it. But sometimes you just have to do things. Sometimes there is a voice within you that is stronger than you are and helps push away those fears and allows you to do what you really want to do. My wife left the decision up to me, knowing that there are things I'm wrestling with internally and that it was me that was feeling the need for a change.

Now only if I knew what that change was I wanted.

I announced that I had resigned on twitter this morning and I cannot thank my twitter network enough for their encouragement (and humor) in my decision.

I do not know what I want to do. All that I know is I want to do something "different". I'm not sure what that is, what that looks like, or feels like at this point, and I'm relatively calm about that which tells me I''ve made the right decision.

Maybe I'll go play World of Warcraft for a couple months like others have done. Right now I am just loving life and being thankful that I'm in a position that allows me to think outside the box a little, to reflect on what it is I want to do, and how best I can affect change both in myself and within education.

Stay tuned...things just got interesting!

[tags]future[/tags]

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