Member-only story
After my retirement from the fiasco that was my last DBA job — things like being told to download data that we had specifically been told not to (and that’s a legal thing), told not to put things in writing, and the whole EN-DASH crazy, I headed back to teaching. Officially my retirement would allow me to start drawing, but there was a question about my health insurance — so I need to wait until I’m on my husband’s insurance for a year. We both draw from the same retirement system, and insurance is a lot cheaper through his plan.
I do enjoy teaching, so that was no hardship for me. Officially we can afford to live on just my husband’s retirement, but any extra money is always nice to have. I’m convinced though I spend a lot of it on work clothes, delivery and other extras that I wouldn’t get if I was home all day. There is also my chicken hobby which is easier to justify if I’m working.
Navigating the chaos of teaching middle school math can be quite an adventure, especially when you’re thrust into the role with little preparation. This semester, I found myself in that very predicament. Having agreed to teach at the last minute when the school was in dire need, I was prepared for a challenge but nothing quite like what awaited me.
Typically, my classes are small, with no more than 14 students. However, my first-hour class turned out to…
