Here Comes Middle School or How You Know Your New Job Is Going To Be A Good Fit

I’m sure no one out there would associate the words “middle school” and “good fit” but hear me out.

I have been sharing with my email subscribers about my job search since returning from my vacation to the United Kingdom with my son at the end of summer (already a month and a half ago!). I left my job of 18 years in June and had planned to spend some time soul searching my next direction. Well, taking an unplanned vacation has necessitated going back to work a bit earlier than I had anticipated but I think it will turn out to be a very fortunate thing.

My Job Search

In my heart, I wanted to do something different than what I was doing before. But when I begin the process of writing my resume and applying for jobs, I found that there were some definite perks to what I was doing previously. I have to admit, I have become very spoiled in the last 13 years. Even though I long to do something different, I have some criteria for employment that makes that a little difficult.

I am accustomed to a teacher’s schedule. It’s very hiker friendly.

And now, I want to work part-time to allow me to pursue other avenues. So, needless to say, I have been a little picky about where I have applied and my options have been a bit limited. But there are still bills to pay.

So, at the end of September a job was posted with a school district for a student support advocate that had me super excited. Basically, it helps connect at risk students with resources in the community to help them to succeed in school. It is part-time and conditional, which means that it is grant funded and could end at any time. That is what they have to tell you, though. My last job was grant funded and I was there for 16 years before they laid me off. And in addition to being part-time, when I did the math the salary came out to more per hour than I had been making at my management job.

But I have never been about the money and now is no exception. Let me tell you the real reason I was so excited at the thought of taking this job.

My Turning Point

This last year as part of my old job, I spent a lot of time out in the community that the program I worked for served. I had an opportunity to meet and get to know individuals, families and agencies doing some pretty amazing things together to help kids and parents succeed. Collaborating to build a community everyone could be proud of.

But unfortunately, where I was working was not one of those agencies. There are several examples I could give you but here is the one that was a turning point for me as far as knowing it was time to move on:

The community was working towards building a centralized hub. A hub that offered a place for classes, child care, outdoor events, etc. They had the space but it was currently being leased by several community agencies. One of those agencies was the one I worked for. The main agency spearheading the project and holding our lease was, also, housed there but was already looking to move out to make room for the hub. They had approached our agency and let us know that when our lease was up, it would not be renewed because of the projected community hub. They, then, let us know that if we chose to move out sooner, they would help pay for the moving costs.

I sat in a management meeting where our executive director talked about how during the meeting with our landlord that she had purposely not told them that we were already thinking of moving out due to needing more office space so that they would think that moving out was an inconvenience and thus pay the moving costs. Basically, she was planning to make it as hard as possible on this other agency. This other agency that was trying to collaborate with the community.

I was embarrassed and horrified. And I knew I could no longer work for the agency I was at and have any pride in my job. It was hard to continue to work there as this knowledge tainted everything I did or saw from then on. I wanted to be a part of the great things that were happening in the community and it wasn’t going to happen where I was with a leader like that.

What Does It All Mean

Fast forward to now. When I saw the job ad for this position at a particular middle school, I couldn’t believe how excited I became! During the work around this hub and other activities in the community, I had met people associated with the school and knew that they were dedicated to collaboration and wanted to be an integral part of the community and help it reach its goals. They had so much heart and enthusiasm. Back then, I had thought that I would love to be a part of that.

Maybe my desire to do something different was less about what I had been doing but more about doing it in a different environment. With people who know what it means to be part of a community rather than just serve it.

So Here I Am In Middle School

Today was my first day at this middle school and I really have no idea what I am doing yet. My sister has reminded me that I didn’t really even go to middle school. I went to parochial school through 8th grade, my classes were never bigger than say 20 and I think I had like 12 kids in my graduating class.

I had lunch with about 900 6th, 7th, and 8th graders today. Just imagine your first day of middle school and the lunch room and you might have an idea of what it was like. Except you are an adult and no one really wants to talk to you.

I did survive and there are two things I have been telling friends and family about why I am excited to go back tomorrow. One, everyone was so thrilled I was there and kept telling me so. And not only that, the faces-light-up and eyes-get-big kind of thrill. My job must be pretty important, I guess.

And two, when I arrived and was shown to my new office (which is twice as big as my old one), I had a little rearranging to do to move in. It had been used by several people in the last year and had collected some clutter. But as I was moving things around on the desk, this was one of the first things I saw.

And I am taking it as a good sign that this job, for however long it lasts, is a good fit for me now.

Editor’s note: I had planned to have some recipes out this week but well, they’ll be coming soon. Meanwhile, here’s some pumpkin recipes because, well, it’s pumpkin season!

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