Paperwork

Now that one of my jobs has ended, I once again have the majority of the morning to myself. Since I don't know what to do with myself (what? I don't have to go teach, plan lessons, or grade papers in the same volume I used to have to do?), I've been getting my act together with the certification process I had started on back in the fall, before I took on the maternity leave position. Today, I *FINALLY* submitted the proper paperwork to get my substitute teaching license... I call it an accomplishment. I was going to mail my CE paperwork for my English certificate (I think everything is in there; I just want it IN), but I guess that will wait until Thursday. Thursday, I am also supposed to go and get more paperwork filled out for another job that I'm taking on at the school where I did the maternity leave position as a teacher's aide, but we'll see... The principal has been so busy she hasn't called the office where I need to go, which is kinda good because it gives me all this down time to get stuff for myself done. I've even been studying for my Latin certification exam, which I still need to schedule, but if these free days keep going, I'll be able to do that without a problem.

The one nagging thought in my mind (well, there's more than one, but this is one of them) is when I plan to go back to grad school. That is still a dream that has not yet been fulfilled, and teaching Latin and seeing the kids really get into Roman culture etc continually reminds me why I fell in love with classical languages in the first place. I do like teaching, and I think maybe with more time and experience I could really be good at this; however, my desire to think at levels that are far above the K-12 sphere is still unfulfilled. I know I want at least a masters degree in Classics, maybe a PhD; yet, my life is moving forward in ways that wouldn't be possible by going back to school for the subject I love. Financially, I really need to be working to support myself and help my family out; artistically, I really should be going back to school and crying over late night papers and translating until my eyes fall out. That's the stuff I really love; I miss the analysis over great works in the original language and exploring the literary and human depth of the classics. It's stuff I can't have in it's great fullness in a K-12 classroom, and to a certain extent, I'm okay with that because my students need to learn the basics before they can get to that point. I know what a profound impact my experience with Latin in high school had on me, and I can thank all three teachers who got me to this point; I think my job is worthwhile if I can have that same impact on another budding classicist, even if it means that sacrifice. I know some of my students have an interest in the subject and plan to keep going when they reach high school, and I hope they do. I guess the desire will continue to bother me for a little while longer before I give up and just go back.