After ten years of teaching middle school, it’s time to embark on a new adventure. When I saw that the Anaheim Union High School District had an opening for a high school history teacher position at John F. Kennedy High School—including the chance to teach AP classes—I figured I had no shot. After all, I’ve been pidgeonholed in middle school a majority of my academic career. Still, I took the risk and applied anyway. I walked out of the interview convinced I did horribly… but apparently, it was the best one out of seven. And so, in the words of Bob Dylan, the times they are a changing.
But you’re probably asking, WHY?
It just felt like the right time to mix things up. Since my life has already gone through so many changes already with the birth of Kai, I might as well change my professional career as well. As much as I’ve loved working with certain middle schoolers over the years, they can be… a lot. I want to see if high school can bring the same kind of joy—or at least a different kind of chaos. Middle school energy is real, and while I’ve managed it for a decade, with Kai now taking up the rest of my energy at home, a small shift might make a big difference. I don’t want to be one of those teachers that gets burnt out, or worse yet jaded to the point where I literally stop trying to make a difference.
Opportunities to teach AP classes don’t come around every day, and so I figure I should seize it now to maximize my experiences if I ever end up switching to administration. If it turns out I hate high school, well, middle school will always be there waiting. But from what I hear, most teachers who make the switch never look back.
Of course, leaving the Dale staff and the Dale family I’ve grown with over the years is bittersweet. I’ll miss the camaraderie and all the memories we’ve built together. But I also know this is the right move for where I’m at in life, and I’m hopeful that high school will give me a fresh jolt of purpose as I begin my final 28 years in education.
In the words of JFK himself: Ask not what your school can do for you—ask what you can do for your school.
