Rough Week

Last Monday I received a letter from my school coorporation stating that they intend to not renew my teaching contract for next year. They usually call this a RIF (reduction in force) letter as it all came down to lack of funding and being on the lower end of the seniority list. Basically it means that you are laid off. 31 teachers in our district were given these letters on Monday. I thought that I would be ok since I am in my 3rd year of teaching, but that was not the case. From what I've figured out, I should be the 1st or second most senior elementary teacher, but who knows. I am hoping that I get called back to my original position teaching kindergarten, but I guess that any job is a paycheck! Even if I do not get called back, I would get to stay at home with my little Madelyn! And that is the best job in the world (even though it doesn't pay well monitarily). For the next two years these teachers are all placed on a recall list, so it's a good possibility that I will be recalled sometime in the next 2 years. It's hard to be in this place of limbo of possibility--being called back to my original position, being called back to my school in a different grade, being called back to kindergarten at a different school, being called back to a different school in a different grade, or not being called back and being a stay-at-home mom for a year. There were four other classroom teachers at our school that received the same letter that I did. One of my really close friends who is a second year teacher and is married to one of Ryan's best friends was one of those. It's hard going through this together, but at least we can be there for one another. All of us at our school are pretty anxious about the future and sad that it may not be like it has been. I seriously work with some of the best teachers. They are amazingly supportive and uplifting through all of this. They have helped me to have a positive attitude about it all.

Last weekend, we went to a new church and loved it. The sermon was all about discouragement. Through God's love, there is hope! Praise Jesus! It was so nice to go back to church again and really feel connected to God. The sermon could not have been more perfect for last week's news. It really helped to remind me that things will all work out in the end how they are intended to. This little bump in the road of life will only make us stronger and will teach us something I am sure! I am anxious as to what lies ahead, but know that I need to trust God and give my worries to Him.

This week has to be better. We have a meeting for all the RIFed teachers after school on Tuesday. I'm sure we will get a lot of questions answered and a direction of where to go next.
I am going to make these last 25 days left with my kindergarteners really count and end this year off with a bang. We are getting butterfly larva this week which the kiddos (and I) are SUPER excited about! I've never been a real "nature" sort of person, so we will hope that I don't kill these things!! I'm so excited to help provide a hand-on learning experience for them. I'm sure many of them will remember it for the years to come.