Happy At Work?

I was just reading an article before I went to bed last night called "Happy at work." It is in Real Simple magazine. There were tips about making your job "more likeable" and "even fun." To be honest, I do have fun doing my job. I love working with kids and generally feel like I am making a positive impact in their lives; especially since starting the mentor program. However, there are so many things that I have absolutely no control over in my profession. There were a ton of tips about "how to get a fatter paycheck, a promotion, a more flexible schedule," etc., etc. These are all things that are completely out of my control. As a teacher, you are pretty much at the mercy of your union. I have stood up for myself and my colleagues by speaking at our hearings and attending budget meetings, but I feel utterly frustrated with the concept that all of us, effective or not, are lumped into the same general category. I so desperately want to be in control of my own destiny and even if I do decide to apply for a "promotion" (become an administrator), I am still at the mercy of whatever the Board of Education decides. I can't negotiate my own salary or benefits like those people at the top can.

All of this lead me to doing some research on Linked In last night. There are some great opportunities to be an education coach or effective teacher consultant. I am torn on whether or not to pursue other avenues in education. I definitely think that kids learn better from teachers that they like and teachers that truly care about them. Now that I have dabbled in teaching Elementary, High School, and Middle School I have witnessed a ton of amazing and not-so-amazing teachers and a handful of different administrators. I would like to think that I have a good idea of who can and can not be effective in an educational environment...especially after working on this Masters in Educational Leadership. (Now I sound like I'm just giving myself a pep talk. I guess I kind of am.)

I am doing a lot of praying about it and hoping that God will steer me in the right direction. While I want to make a difference, I also want to be able to provide for myself and eventually for my family. I want to get to a point in my life where I don't have to live paycheck to paycheck and I can finally get out of debt. I don't want to have to work two jobs my whole life just to get by. I certainly want to enjoy what I'm doing, but not at the expense of my personal and financial obligations. If I could have a dream job right now, I would love to be my own boss. I envy my bosses at Wine and Design. They are younger than I am and have an incredibly successful business that is thriving and expanding. If I had the insight when I was in college to create something like that, I think I would be in a much different place. I am certainly not a business expert, but I hope that I will figure out what I want to do when I grow up sooner rather than later. :-)