Speaking of Uncertainty...

The saga continues. It is a tale full of sorrow, laughter, joy, and aggravation. This is the story of a girl, five classrooms, and no sink. And there is no sink on the horizon.

As most of you know, I teach art and English at a really nice private school here in St. Louis. When the school president called me up last May to offer me a job, I was ready to kiss his feet. Stability! I got a job! But from the beginning I knew two seemingly contradictory statements held true: 1. If I could not survive teaching at this school, I would not survive anywhere. 2. If I could survive at this school, I could survive anywhere.

That's because the fundamental truth about my school: everything is flexible and can change. I won't go into the details of my current position, but I find myself as the filler person in two departments. (Why else would I be teaching in 5 different classrooms, including a math room? Art in a room with carpet and no sink anyone?) Well, between the economy contracting, changing class sizes, and a key faculty change, my position is, well....Here's basically how my contract renewal interview went down:

Principal: Well, I have kind of a strange interview for you.
Me: I thought you would....
Principal: You've done a good job, and we want you at our school long term.
Me: This school is great.
Principal: So, we want you to come back next year, but we won't know what you will be teaching until at least April, maybe the summer.
Me: Yeah....

You see, the private schools do not have the same licensing requirements that public schools do. Currently I teach English, but there's no reason (other than sanity and common sense) that I next year I couldn't be singing and dancing for physics students instead. And right now, the principal doesn't even have a clue what they'll have me do. At least I have a job.

For the current time all I can do is cross my fingers and hope that I will get my own classroom. Or maybe only teach in two. But I know I won't get a sink. *sigh*