My mother told me something last night. It was something she's told me in the past, but I've never really listened. Perhaps it's because this particular something has never completely applied to me before. But last night, when she told me again, I felt on top of the world. I felt like this was it. This is what I'm supposed to do. It seems so utterly perfect that I'm surprised it's even legal! Now that you're dying to know what she told me, it was...
You need only a college degree to substitute teach.
Doesn't that just seem criminal! But it's true! It's absolutely, positively, 100% true. And once I considered the options that substitute teaching presented, the pieces started falling into place.
I've never really seen myself in a "career," per say, which to me means a full-time, routine, sitting-behind-a-desk, doing-the-same-thing-day-after-day job. I can't imagine being stuck somewhere. Yes, I realize there is tons of creative freedom in many careers, but I've never found any of them particularly appealing. The only job I've ever seriously considered was teaching. Now, I know I can't simply start teaching after graduation, at least not full time. But subbing. Why, it's perfect! I can get my alternative licensure as I substitute teach, and not have to worry about applying for part-time job after part-time job after part-time job. I'll become known among the Mentor School District, and possibly land myself a job teaching middle school English once I'm licensed. Then, once I have some money saved up, I can go back to graduate school, get my MA in Literature, and look for a job teaching in the English department at a community college. Then, if I'm ambitious or stupid or perhaps both, I can go back to school and get my doctorate in literature, after which I can teach at Baldwin-Wallace College, or another college/university of a comparable report.
And all of this unwound itself last night, when my mother told me I could start subbing immediately after college. Now I can comfortably say that I think I know what I want to do with my life. Mind you, I'll constantly be writing on the side, and if, at any time, I end up publishing a book or two, I may just stop where I'm at and let things unfold.
It's a basic formula. No published book = keep striving for my doctorate/teaching at university level. Published book = stop where I'm at and pursue further publishing as opposed to my doctorate.
Ah, the future is looking up for little ol' me.
Also, I really like blogging. I might just do this daily.
I really like this.
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