Questioning how to labor on Labor Day

I’ve officially been working as a teacher for a whole year. And in that year, much has happened. I’ve held two different positions at two different schools, and have gone through the waxing and waning inspiration and energy levels that are foreign to no individual in the education sector. It was a very interesting year to be an educator with Covid raging throughout the world and the heat of an unnaturally hot summer bearing down on our outdoor program. Through it all I believe I’ve kept a level head and have had a lot of victories. Looking at it through the lens of optimism, perhaps I’ve had more wins than losses, perhaps many more! However, it did feel humbling to finally come to the conclusion that I would leave the beloved nature-based private school where I’d most recently been teaching to pursue my studio business full time.

It’s official. And it has been a truly magical and celebratory Labor Day weekend. When I started this blog, I was in my studio with the intent to stay there - unless a teaching job came along with the right qualifications and I with the right qualifications for it! That turned out to be a big caveat. So in an unsure time with teachers in great need I was able to somewhat easily secure some great positions. The short of it is… teacher burnout is real, the lure of the studio is too strong, and the need for my flexibility in the family is too great. Walking this line one foot in two different camps ended up being something that was not for me, and not for us.

Now, with all my focus, my art business can surely flourish- and I have some great ideas percolating! On the tail end of this glorious Labor Day and some apple picking with my son in my immediate future, I find myself elated and yearning to work more than ever. It feels like all the questions have been answered and I have nothing left to do but to move forward in this singular direction.

I will miss my students, as I will miss the school with its beautiful classrooms, extensive playgrounds and close-knit community of educators. I am fortunate enough to have the support to follow this dream. I have the luck, I have some talent, I’ve gained a little business sense along the way… now it’s time to build something.