Passion

My passion in life is teaching. I have never wanted to do anything more than to teach kids what I love to do. What a wonderful and exciting thing to do with your life? I can think of nothing better....other than being married to the most wonderful man in the world of course!

I currently am working at State Farm Headquarters here in Bloomington. I work in the Bank Operations Center doing a lot of randomness. I never thought I would work in the corporate world. It's very different than the creative world where I'm from, but it's growing on me. I don't mind the work, and I work with some awesome people, others, not so awesome. But you'll have that in any work environment that you are in. My husband and I are convinced that we will land teaching jobs this summer. We have had the worst luck trying to find teaching jobs and the sad thing is when we have conversations about our jobs to our friends, most of them, though they don't come out and directly say it, feel as though we aren't trying.

When we moved out here we did everything that we needed to do to get an Illinois teaching license. Billy filled out all the paperwork to sub in the area and even in a 50 mile radius of the Bloomington/Normal area. He never got called. In fact, he even got his physical, TB test, other tests and paperwork were taken and even lots of money was forked out for applications and other things in order for us to teach. He was never contacted and even told that his information was lost on several accounts. I applied for every single art teaching job I could find. I was either never called or had an interview and told I was top on list but my stuttering turned them away.

I don't know how many older women where I work tell me that, "If you have a college degree you can work anywhere!" I tell them the same thing every time. "Bullshit." I don't come out and say it like that but you get the idea. Even though I have a degree I can't work anywhere. I have been turned away from most food places because I am more than qualified. I was looking to get a second job and applied to other places and was turned away because they wanted college students. I can't apply to work at a desk job, because I don't have the work experience. SO while I have a degree, it serves me no good unless I either A: find a teaching job or B: get hired on as a State Farm employee where I currently work, which isn't looking on the brightside due to restructuring. Oh yeah by the way, did I mention I was a temp?

I love seeing the jobs that my colleagues are doing with their art rooms. I love seeing all the creative things that they are doing and I'm living vicariously through them. (thank you Michelle, Natalie, Kati, Stephanie and Lauren. I'm constantly looking at what you guys are doing and smiling from ear to ear because this is what the art room is supposed to look like! keep up the great work!) But then again, when I see what they are doing it makes me sad that I'm not doing what I love. It's nice that I'm able to train people at work because then I have some sense of teaching and it's better than not teaching at all....but I miss the creativity and the laughing of children. I miss hearing the funny things that they have to say and see how their imaginations unfold. I miss hearing them say how awesome you are and they are so glad to have you as a teacher. and this may seem crazy, but I miss writing lesson plans. I miss having an excuse to read children's books every day.  One day I hope to have this. and until that day comes I will continue to bust my butt and write resume after resume and keep applying. Sometimes I wish that passion was enough.

A good friend of mine mentioned to me that I should start an after school program here in the area that concentrates on the creative arts. I would have art classes as well as music classes and maybe even some drama. Before that, we considered opening a charter school here that was devoted strictly to performing arts. It would have drama classes, music, art, etc. These thoughts haven't left my mind. I"m strongly considering these possibilities, but I have no clue how to start any of them. This could be my thing, my outlet. I guess if I can't get hired anywhere to teach, why not start my own? HA. We'll so how far this idea goes. In the meantime I'll continue to look and research. We'll see what happens.