This week’s challenge at I Heart Faces is “A Touch of Sun”.

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This week’s challenge at I Heart Faces is “Back to School”.

The beginning of the school year has been rough. Another year out of the classroom. Not because I choose to stay home, but because there aren’t any teaching jobs. Zip, zero, none.

I loved teaching. I loved my students, the parents, my principal, my colleagues. Every day I walked into my classroom and I was happy to be there. It was hard work, but it was the best work. I miss seeing their proud faces light up when they “get it”. I miss getting my lesson plans ready and thinking of how I can teach something and make it awesome. I miss coming home with stories about my students, whom I loved. Every. Single. One. Most of all I miss my students, who still call me on the phone to tell me about their school day and to ask if I can be their teacher again.

There’s a lot of us. Fresh out of school, eager and excited and happy to be teaching. But we’re home. Not because we aren’t good teachers, but because there aren’t enough jobs. Hopefully things will turn around someday, and I’ll be spending my days in a place that feels like home.

So that’s the inspiration behind my photo. A self portrait of myself, thinking about better days to come. Hoping that someday soon, I’ll be back in the classroom.

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