If you happen to follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you probably know that I recently started working as a substitute teacher for the Calgary Board of Education. I have to admit, I was a little scared to start…for a lot of reasons. I was worried that my teaching practice would have lapsed in the years that I’d been out of the profession, and I was worried I might not even get hired. I was worried that kids would see right through me and take advantage of having a “sub”. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to find childcare for my kids on the days I was working – with such short notice it wouldn’t be easy.
Before I applied for a job with the Board of Education, I asked my Aunt Kathy, a school principal, what she thought of my plan to get back into the profession. She had some great advice and words of encouragement for me. She also told me that teaching was what I was meant to do. I thought there was some merit to this assertion: after all, I was still determined to be a teacher more than a decade after I first graduated with my B.Ed. But it wasn’t until I actually got back into the classroom that I realized how right she really was.
I love teaching. It’s my vocation, my calling, what I was meant to do. Even when the kids are testing my limits (it happens a lot with substitute teachers) or when I arrive in a classroom with no day plan from the regular teacher, or park in the wrong spot or get lost going to the washroom or don’t know how to take attendance (believe me, it can happen!) I still love it.
I love the children, I love the professional discourse with fellow educators, I love being in a school environment, I love being creative, I love it all. And I’m so glad that I did it! To me, it’s so much more than a job.
But what about you? Do you have a calling? And are you lucky enough to be paid to pursue that calling? Share your experiences below in the comments.
The little girl who drew this picture for me answered “you look pretty” when I called her name for attendance. How cute is that?
I agree with Carol – congrats on taking the risk. I’m currently trying to ‘find my calling’ and I hope it can be something I also make an income from!
Awesome! I love the picture. So sweet. And “you look pretty”? Adorable.
I too am a teacher and really do believe it is my calling. There’s nothing quite like a bunch of kindergarten children telling you they love you, or teenagers saying “yeessss” with a vigorous fist pump when they find out you have come back to supply for them. I started back to work like you, supplying. I didn’t last long like that, before I knew it, I had a permanent job again. You will too. It’s in your soul!
That’s awesome Kath!!! To have found your calling is tremendous. I know that many people hang on to jobs that they don’t enjoy because they are scared to take risks. Finding a job that gives you a sense of purpose and joy is not typical. Congratulations for taking the leap and discovering what you are meant to do.