And so Another Summer Begins...

Yes, the signage is correct. Tomorrow school is officially out, at least at the school I am teaching at. One might think, "Ahh (sigh of relief), the life of a teacher, what a perfect life. No work for 3 months, no stress, just relaxation, catching up on books and movies missed while grading hundreds of essays; or perhaps they are dreaming up all the exotic vacations us wealthy (cough cough) teachers can afford to take for 6 or 8 weeks over our unpaid summers. Ahh yes, this is the good life....until you wake up!

My summer: Find a job for next year, find a home that I can afford, is near a Jewish community, and who will accept my two kitties, move 125 miles away, get settled in, make new friends, all the while trying to make ends meet because I have no real income from June until September (provided I get a job). Yes, there are some very small job opportunities so far for the summer, but I'll be moving too so I can't take a long term job. I will officially be subbing for my school and maybe my district, but very few teachers are absent during summer school and it's up to the school who they call to sub, so that's not guaranteed money. Tomorrow I meet with someone about a 3 week job in July teaching writing to English Language Learners.

And so, yes, this is the life of a real life, first year teacher, trying to squeeze the wallet for 3 months. Isn't life grand?