A lot has happened since my wisdom teeth were extracted from my skull. First of all, about 2 weeks later I was "let go" from my job working at the Imagine School. It was really quite a shock. I was called into the Pastor's office at the church that served as our temporary site. This was really no typical pastor's office. Said pastor has a hobby that he likes to display in his office. His hobby is hunting. So as I sat down in a green cushioned chair across from the principal of the school I glanced around in horror. Staring back at me from all over the room were those strange glass eyes of taxidermy animals. Behind me was a whole swamp scene complete with an alligator, raccoon, fish and foliage. I took a deep breath and turned around after making a small comment on how "interesting" this office was. The next sentence out of the principals mouth shook me to the core. "This is not going to be a good meeting, Rebecca. We are going to have to let you go." I think my jaw must have dropped to the floor. Then I started to cry. I did not understand what was going on. He sat there as I blubbered away saying how much I loved my students and how I had put my whole heart into my job. To him it must have sounded like the teacher from Charlie Brown. Blah, blah, blah. He had no reaction, no sympathy, nothing. He handed me some paperwork, inquired about my laptop computer and how soon he could get it back and that was it. He told me it was my last day and that I would not be allowed to say goodbye to my students.
The next few days were very hard. I cried a lot, thought about my students and tried to blame myself even though I knew I had not done anything wrong. I still wonder about them now. I think about how they might be doing and wish I could have finished the year with them. I have come to the realization that I learned so much during my short time teaching 5th grade. I had a crash course in classroom management and had my first real experience in the professional world. It was a good experience, very bittersweet. I knew that I did the best I could for my students and hoped to be in another classroom very soon.
By Monday my mom had some insider info that brought me into a whole other world: subbing.
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