30 September 2007

I just want to bang on the drum all day

I don't know what I want to be. I know some things I want to be, like a good person, a good wife, a good mama, but other than that, I'm kind of floundering.
I'm a teacher. I teach second grade at a Catholic school, and I'm not sure I want to be a second grade teacher, a teacher at a Catholic school, or a teacher in general. I've never felt especially good at teaching, but I'm not sure if this is a valid feeling or if it's my general lack of confidence. I became a teacher because I thought it would be interesting, I love being in school, and I couldn't find a job teaching religion or working at a church. I find the students interesting, but I don't know that I find the work stimulating. I worry that my students are bored or that I'm not conveying the information clearly. When I decided to go back to school to pursue teaching certification, Husband and I agreed that teaching would be it, for a long time. My first two years as a teacher, I commuted for two hours a day. Most of my dissatisfaction with my job was blamed on the commute, or, last year, on being pregnant.
Being on maternity leave gave me a lot of time to think, and the longer I was off of work, the more I questioned whether or not I should teach. It wasn't just that I wanted to stay home with Baby, it was my thoughts that maybe I wasn't good at it or am actually called to do something else.
School has started well this year, but I find myself questioning my career more than I have in the past. I don't have the commute anymore, and I've gotten used to being apart from Baby and Husband all day, but I still dread going to work each day. Sometimes I enjoy it when I get there, but other days I come home crying or frustrated. I know part of that is the nature of teaching. Teaching is full of pressure-from parents who really only want the best for their children but communicate it in ways that imply my innate stupidity, from 20 expectant faces who truly believe that they'd be better off at home watching television, and from myself and my own expectations of what a good teacher should be. I'm worried that I'm only teaching because of the schedule. If I can't be a stay at home mama, at least I get to be one three months out of the year. In that respect I'm more fortunate than a lot of people. Husband says that if I'm only a teacher because of the schedule than I certainly shouldn't be a teacher. I agree. I don't think it's fair to my little ones.
I've been doing some soul searching and toyed with different ideas. I enjoy cooking, so I've thought of going to culinary school and getting a job in a bakery or something. I'm a good cook, but I don't think I'm good enough to sell my wares. And really, I'm just looking to make food that will cause Husband to want to eat at home, not in a restaurant and that will mildly impress my family and friends. For awhile I was thinking of getting an MSW. I have the academic background to do it with my BA in psychology, and I could be an adoption social worker. Adoption is something I feel truly called to do, and maybe if I were a social worker, I'd learn more about the process or somehow get an in. I looked at the social work classes, and it seems like I'd be taking a lot of classes that don't interest me in order to do a job that would be interesting. But I have a lot of anxiety, and I'm not sure social work would be good for that. While there is certainly a lot of joy in being an adoption social worker, I don't think I have it in me to tell someone that they can't get a child. I am almost certain I couldn't do that to someone. I've thought of getting an MA in reading. This would help me in my current job, would give me more skills in order to switch to a different job if I wanted, and it might help me with my lack of confidence. Again, I'm not sure I find the classes all that interesting.
So I've been thinking about what I did find interesting, the classes I liked in college. I remember sitting in my archaeology class my first year and thinking I can do this forever. I enjoyed my history class, and I took an English class that I liked. I started taking psychology classes because I wanted to take the intro class, liked the professor, took a class from his wife, and ended up taking more classes with her because she was a really good teacher and taught interesting classes. I was pretty far into psychology when I realized that I don't like it much. I even talked to my parents about staying in college an extra year, but that idea got vetoed. My Bible and religion classes in college were great too and led to a graduate degree that prepared me for a whole lot of debt.
I have no skills that I know of and no money to obtain more skills. I'm not even sure what I would do if I had unlimited funds and could do whatever I wanted. I also can't imagine working for 50 weeks of the year, but maybe if I was doing something I felt passionate about I wouldn't mind. I know I often enjoy my job, but I don't feel passionate about it. My current fear is that I will wake up when I'm 60 and realize I haven't done anything I felt passionate about.

2 comments:

Lanie said...

I actually understand where you are coming from. I too suffer from a distinct lack of passion for something that earns money. I want to be employed doing something that I love but the issue lies with me, I have no idea what I want to do. I just want to do something. Try a part time job in or near the field you want to be in. Test the waters so to speak. I tried that, only I was so tired and cranky when I got home that it just wasn't worth it. I did learn some valuable lessons though, that I couldn't have learned any other way. I am one of those people who has to learn it the hardest way. Anyway. Hang in there.

Grace Ellen said...

Cathy,
Thanks for your comment. I am thinking of trying to get a job this summer-weighing that against getting to be a stay at home mom for three months...