Growing up I ALWAYS wanted to be a teacher. I would play teacher with my sisters and friends and just knew that this was the career that I was meant to do. It also helped that my Mom talked up teaching like it was the golden career because you can have summers off with your kids. She was not wrong at all, however, teaching is very different today than it was in 1994. Nonetheless, I went to Hofstra University for elementary education and grad school for ENL. Currently, I teach adult ENL to ages 18-100. The oldest that I have had in my class was someone in their 70’s but a colleague of mine also had an 82 year old in her class, which I think is amazing. It really shows that learning never stops.
I have been teaching now for 11 years in total but 6 years for adults. My most loved job so far has been teaching adults because they are motivated to be there and they want to learn the language. There are many reasons why they want to be there like to get a better job, to communicate better with co-workers and family, or even to communicate better with their grandchildren, which is my favorite reason. Most adults are there to work and really put the effort into their studies. Of course, there are always ones that do not pan out perfectly like that and their attendance is poor, they are lazy with their assignments, but typically if you want to learn English to better your life you come to class and work. Working with adults requires little behavioral issues and allows all to listen, comprehend and understand as best as they can. My teaching style is strict having come from teaching children and I have been able to calm it down a bit while also commanding respect from all students in my classroom.
How I started
I began teaching right out of grad school as a pre-k aide. It was a job, it was a paycheck and it got me into a classroom. However, the next year I was very fortunate to get my own classroom teaching pre-k, which was stepping in the right direction. Pre-k was fun, exhausting and so humbling. 3 and 4 year olds are blunt, honest, adorable and funny. As the next year progressed, I was then moved to first grade the following year which was an easy transition as they were SO much more independent than the preschoolers. You forget that they are able to do fine motor skills on their own and we had way less bathroom issues. First grade was where I felt most at home and I taught in that grade for two years. I was able to challenge my students while always keeping my environment bright, caring, and always with some added humor. The next step after four years of teaching was the biggest transition of all – motherhood! I luckily got pregnant in the middle of the school year and with my due date being in August, I was able to finish out the year with my first graders, enjoy the summer, and then transition to my new job as stay at home mom. This was something that I thought about very carefully, as I loved my job and the age that I was working with. But, I wanted to put my career on hold and be the sole provider of my child. I was very fortunate to be able to have this choice as so many do not, thanks to Dadjogger.
Motherhood
August 2016 began the hardest job of my entire life. I was figuring out how to raise my own baby. I was very naive at the fact that I thought I had babysat for years and I taught elementary school, this will be easy. Boy was I wrong- it is so different when it is your own child, when it is all on you to keep a human alive and when you are transitioning into a new phase of life where your life will never be the same. I was able to stay home with my first, Billy and also my second guy, Ben, but also did work during that time. I continued work as a waitress, dive coach, and tutor. These odd jobs were great because it was at night, good money, and I was able to dedicate my whole day to my sons.
Teaching at Night
In October of 2019, I had two sons – a three year old toddler and a one year one baby. I was looking to actually go back to school to go into nursing, but that is for a different blog. I wanted to do more – my night odd jobs were great but not fulfilling me in the way I wanted to be challenged. Enter the perfect job on OLAS – ENL teacher at night. I found a job around the corner from my house where I would teach 3 hour classes two nights a week. It was perfect, it was enough to get me out of the house while also not taking too much time away from my family. Some things changed right when I started this job as we moved to a new house only 15 minutes away from my new job and I found out I was pregnant with our third! This perfect balance worked from 2019-2023. This took a wild turn through COVID where I would be teaching over the computer at home and then transitioned back into the classroom. These years of teaching were invaluable because I was able to do it all! My boys were always my priority so I was home with them during the day and then thanks to Dadjogger, I was able to feel like a human and get out of the house and do what I love to do! It was perfect at this stage of life because my kids were young, they weren’t playing sports during the week or singing in concerts that I was missing. We would eat dinner together quickly when Will would be done with work at 5, I would leave by 5:45-6 to get to my 6:30 class and I would teach till 9:30. Sometimes on the way home, I would have my favorite outing of the day of going grocery shopping at 10pm where it was calm, quiet, and peaceful. It really is the little things that get you through the toddler stage that you never expected.
Switching Roles
I then had another transition in 2024. My youngest was now in nursery school, so I was able to start working during the day while he was in school which was very limited due to the short hours of nursery school. But this next transition helped me to work less at night and work more when they were all in school. This is really where our life took a switch because sports were starting to creep in at night and I hated missing anything that they participated in. Luckily, through all of these transitions I have the best boss in the world who is and was always so accommodating to my ever changing schedule. That year may have been less hours worked but I was there for all of the important events while also making some money while all of my kids were in school.
How it’s currently going
My current role is ideal! I teach a day ENL class Monday-Thursday 9am-1pm. I am able to still bring my older kids to school and pick them all up in the afternoon while working the entire time that they are away from me. My youngest is now in preschool and has longer hours than last year but shorter hours than my older two boys! My husband works from home so he is able to bring my youngest to school which is when I have to start my class and we always have our beloved Mugra who helps when Will needs to go into the office which is thankfully not very often. A bonus to it all is having Fridays off to be able to clean, food shop, go to doctors appointments, etc. My schedule right now is very balanced as I am able to have it all and I am so grateful for all of that. I also occasionally work at night for registrations, testing, etc which is all just great extra cash to have. I am really in a sweet spot in my career where I can work, still be a full time mom, take care of my house, and be at all of my kids functions and commitments. I dream about going back full time to be able to provide more financially for my family because obviously with a part time job comes part time pay, but I am also savoring the spot I am at now! Everyone I talk to when I tell them my hours is constantly jealous because I can still have a career but it is not consuming my entire life. Who knows where next year will take me as I will have all three boys in elementary school at the same time. Maybe a full time position will come into play or maybe I’ll stay at my current role, but for now I am content knowing that I can be a working mom as well as a stay at home mom.
Where I struggle
A struggle that I have been going through is having a large gap in my resume due to staying home with my kids and only working part time. However, I try to overlook that technicality and realize that the job will come and I still have another 30-35 years to work and fulfill myself in having the career I always dreamed of. If it comes in a part time capacity for now, so be it! Some may think I am a little crazy in wanting to go back to work but I am a doer and a mover and always wanted to be able to be a wonderful mother but also fulfill my own desires to have a career to look back on where I made an impact.
Whatever position you are in, good for you! Whether it’s part time, full time, kids, no kids, etc. Do what makes you happy and do it well!