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Whenever I have even a small amount of downtime, I inevitably start forward thinking. Usually when this happens, the future seems very far off and my choices seem endless. But I am now at this interesting place where the future is NOT that far off, where I will need to start applying for jobs relatively soon and, in just five months, will be graduating. The future isn’t here yet, but it’s coming, guys. As lovely as Christmas was, as much as I enjoyed hanging out with family and simply being in the present, I knew that when I came back to Chicago I’d have to start making some choices. Choices about how to move forward, about where I want to teach, about how I want to put myself out into the world. It’s intimidating, but exciting. I’m a post-holiday nervous bundle of energy!

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Here are some of the things I know for sure:

I am meant to be a teacher. I had an “aha” moment, so to speak, very recently. At my very core, I am the kind of person that feels compelled to share the things I love with others. When I am passionate about something, I want to help ingrain the roots of it in the people around me to see how it will grow. I am passionate about community building, about collaborative processes, about active citizenship.  These are BIG ideas that I want to share with kids, so that they’ll move forward in their education considerate of the world around them and all of its potential. I know I’m meant to be a teacher because I can earnestly share a love of the world around me with kids, and kids need adults in their lives who are earnest and excited to share what they know with others. It just seems really essential to me.

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I also know that I am meant to work in a neighborhood that has been under-served in some way. I’m not exactly sure whether that will mean that the neighborhood has a low socioeconomic status or that the school lacks the funding for an art department. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I want to find a school that is missing something that I can very clearly and thoughtfully bring to the table. I’m not sure if it will be a public school, a charter, or a magnet. I don’t know if it will be in Chicago. I do know that wherever it is, I’m going to put my whole heart into it. The hunt for that school is almost on. The future is almost here. I’m getting ready!

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