A New Goal Every Year

As a teacher, I'm dedicated to the idea of creating life-long learning. I believe that you're never more alive when you're learning something new. It could be a new skill, or maybe something as simple as learning whether or not you like a new restaurant or discovering a new TV series. Learning rocks.

Also, if you're not growing, you're stagnating. Maybe even dying. Everyone needs rest periods, but trying to live in stasis is an unattainable goal in an ever-changing world.

Here's where I segue into my title about goals.

I try to come up with a new goal every school year. It's something to grow myself outside of the "go to work and then come home to rest so I can do it again" doldrums. I came up with this when I realized there's really no "career advancement" in the teaching field.  Once you're a teacher, you're a teacher. Hopefully, you will become a better teacher as time passes, but unless you transfer into a different section of the schools: a teacher is always a teacher.

Previous goals:

2004: Substitute teacher. Goal: Finish my degree!

2005: Substitute teacher and then Instructional Assistant.  Goal: Become a full teacher!

2006: First year teaching with provisional license. Goal: Survive!! Also, work on my attaining licensure.

2007: Second year with provisional license. Goal: Finish my Masters program.

2008: Third year teaching with Masters and license. Goal: Move out of parent's house and find a woman.

2009: Fourth year teaching.  Goal: Adjust to the married life and become a first-time home owner.

2010: Fifth year teaching. Goal: Adjust to being a parent!

That leads up to the present. What goal should I have for this year?

There's a lot going on.
-Shane. ('Nuff said.)
-Evaluation year with the new AP (oh joy)
-My license is going to need to be renewed either this year or next (I think it's next)
-Tutoring job opportunities have been springing up (as have baby expenses)
-I have a blog (that I'm not updating enough)
-I'm also wondering if I can really survive being a teacher up until retirement.
-I don't really spend much time with friends anymore, because it feels like there's always some sort of work to accomplish or I'm tired. Maybe I could join some sort of small group with Carrie so it's a joint activity?

Some goals I have in general at this point:
-I want to teach at all three levels of school (elementary, middle and high....though elementary scares me)
-I want to eventually have a house with a yard that Shane and I can play in. It doesn't have to be fancy or even in this area, but it would be nice to not share walls.
-I wonder if I should go back to school so that I can try teaching at the college level one day.
-I want to start up the SCA again or some sort of fun and physically active activity. I even looked into Judo, but there's no clubs close by. I'd do BJJ again, but that's too expensive.

There's definitely a million things going through my head in addition to my normal goals of maintaining my sanity and the sanity of those around me, being a blessing to others, growing my own personal faith, and the eternal pursuit of goofing off. I beat Shogun 2 on V. Hard and now Legendary is next! (I wonder how large of a dork the future me is going to find that comment.)

So far, this is the goal I've decided on.

2011: Sixth year teaching: Go all out! I want to kick so much butt on my evaluation that the new AP can't find any fault with substance. Also, I want to keep up the tutoring throughout the school year to see if that's something I should keep up in the future (the extra money is nice).

On the side: I'm going to try to get prepped for my license renewal next year too!


Edit for the author:

Note to self: KEEP UPDATING, MORON!

There have been many days I've thought this, but maybe seeing it in all caps will imprint it upon my psyche.  I need to do an ESY update.