Bittersweet Symphony
I have been going back and forth trying to decide whether to focus on going back to school for another Masters (and eventual Doctorate) or to apply for teaching positions in London. There is one school in Ireland (Trinity College) where there are two possible programs I'm very interested in and one school in London (University of London) with an interesting program. I have decided that there is no need to limit my choices just yet. So I'm going to apply to these schools once the applications are open (November) and continue to look for teaching positions in London.
As far as teaching goes, I'm having kind of a renaissance in my career this year. I have tried new things with this class and have refined other activities. It's no secret that last year was, as good Queen Elizabeth II said once, my Annus horribilis" (horrible year) as far as my motivation and love for teaching went. So no matter what, this year was going to be an improvement, and it really has been so nice to be able to teach and not be interrupted with constant fires breaking out. This year's class is so much better balanced and really is what a typical second grade class is like: joyful, chatty, and still eager to learn. But even with this near ideal situation, I find myself ready to say goodbye. I just don't know if I have many years of teaching left in me. However, I realize that teaching in London might be very different and that it may spark a resurgence in my love for the act. So, I'm not going to cut off that possibility.
When it comes to my academic career, getting a doctorate in Literacy has been a long held goal of mine. Another dream entails finally being able to study Irish literature and get a degree in that. Trinity College has two programs which really appeal to me. One is a MS in Children's Literature and the other is a MS in Irish Literature. Both can lead to a doctorate so they are equally as attractive on that count. Both programs have entire libraries dedicated to the study of their respective topics. In fact, Trinity College is known throughout the world as one of the foremost leading universities on those subjects. I'm torn between which path appeals to me. I could choose the Children's Literature path and then perhaps the doctorate on W.B. Yeats and his interest in mythology for children or I could choose the Irish Literature path using the same dissertation topic. I guess it all comes down to what I want to build my knowledge base in: the history of children's literature or the history and connection of Irish Literature to the history of Ireland.
The University of London program puts me on a much different trajectory. Although it does offer English Literature, there is no program specifying the literature of Ireland. In fact, the program I'm considering doesn't have much to do with education either. It is called The History of the Book and as its title suggests it's more geared to learning about how the book has changed through the years as a form in which to consume literature. It also explores the recent changes into digital forms. This Masters also leads to a doctorate but it more geared towards the publishing world, which I have always found fascinating as a writer myself. Now I would be near sixty when I attain the doctorate and might not want to actually "use" this degree but I'm not ruling it out either. I could easily see myself teaching in an English department at a university with this kind of specified knowledge.
I know there are some people who may think that if they were in my position, they would just retire and do some part-time work to subsidize the pension. Many of my friends are doing just that by substituting in my district which pays very well. However, they all have children and/or spouses to whom they are devoted. Being single and childless has been an unwanted burden in the past but is my ticket to selfish freedom at this stage of my life. Anyway, I really feel such toxicity in teaching at this district that I can't imagine coming back to it as a sub. I'm also intuitively sensing that his is a time of transition for me. Living overseas is pulling me like nothing has ever attracted me before so doing anything where I stay in the US just seems counterintuitive to my spirit. The song "Bittersweet Symphony" really encapsulates my feelings at the moment.
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