Classroom Mgmt Series: Why Routines Aren’t Just for Elementary School (And How They Reclaim Your Class) Part 1

You need a plan/routine for vital parts of your classroom. Not everything. Your class will move organically in certain situations. The tricker parts are the transitions. 

This school year I didn’t start off strong, TBH. I had some things under control like my cute classroom rug, color coded table numbers and table bags of supplies. What I didn’t figure out until after winter break was that my kids needed consistency and routine. Heck, so did I! 

I would find myself frustrated that they didn’t follow my exit directions on the board, they didn’t come into class and immediately start their warm-up, that they didn’t know when it was appropriate to ask to go to the bathroom. 

But, it wasn’t on them to read my mind. I needed to give them deliberate specific instructions on what to do, how to do it and when to do it. 

I truly didn’t hit my stride until after spring break when I really felt in control of my classroom environment. 

And now as I look toward the next school year I feel like I need to write this all down so I don’t forget. So I am happy to have you come along for the ride for this series about the non-negotiable classroom routines in my classroom that just might help yours run smoother. 

As always, I preface this as these are things that work for me, while I will be giving you specific instructions and ideas I want you to find what works for you. Because every classroom is different, every group of students is different and every teacher is different. 

I started doing research on why routines matter, because truthfully I thought it was more of an elementary school thing. Things that 10 year olds and below need to just figure out how to behave in a classroom. While this is true, routines are also vital for middle and high school students even adult learners. 

Think about yourself, what happens when your routine is interrupted. Like you stayed up too late watching the World Cup games, or your significant other is out of town for the week or you are on a field trip with students. Everything (can) go haywire. You can experience increased stress and anxiety, you may get frustrated more easily, your body will fatigue faster and you may even become neurologically overloaded.

Kids have similar reactions to changes in routine. And in your classroom things change often, we know that. But, there are some repetitive things that happen daily that could use consistency.

When students can come into class knowing what to expect it has some pretty significant effects on the learning environment. 

Reduce Cognitive Load (if they know what to expect they don’t spent brain energy wondering what is going to happen therefor they can focus on the learning) 

Reduce Anxiety (we have an anxious generation, whatever we can do to lower anxiety is helpful, if we have consistency in our classrooms we can provide that and lower that anxiety)

Maximize instruction Time (instead of spending precious class time on instructions changing daily, you have decreased the amount of time you need to tell students what to do. They know automatically. So they can spend more time learning. 

If you are like me and want these kind of results for your students, you are going to love this blog series. In the next part of our series, I have mapped out SIX vital transition times in the classroom that need routine. I will provide the reasons why and examples of how you can build your routine.

If this sounds like something that you want more than just a blog post on, consider checking out our newly updated  Green & Growing Facilitation Menu. Our team travels across the US (anyone abroad need facilitation?) to provide instruction on these strategies. We would love to some to your school system or teachers conference to provide workshops on these techniques.

Beyond the Teacher Toolbox: Practical Fixes for Every CTE Teacher

I truly believe that if a regular education teacher stepped into a CTE classroom on a random lab day, they would be baffled by the amount of controlled chaos that is happening. As CTE teachers we are required to juggle not just the content and curriculum but the mass amounts of supplies. Skill specific labs and real-life skills students are learning makes us basically a circus performer. 

I don’t know about you but I tend to feel like a lot of the tips and tricks that are shared at professional development or even on social media just doesn’t hit the mark for a CTE classroom. 

While CTE teachers are hugely creative individuals who can problem solve these issues, we wanted to compile some of our favorite tips that might help you solve one of your unique CTE problems. 

I also will be the first to say, teachers really don’t need more tools in our teacher toolbox. In my district, if I log into our online teacher toolbox it has 22 tabs and each of those tabs has even more tech tools. We don’t need that much. 

We need to find the tools that make our days run smoother. And sometimes those tools are low tech and sometimes high tech. 

Every classroom is unique and every teacher has their own special sauce for classroom management. Remember to take the tips that you want to try and leave the rest. It doesn’t hurt our feelings if you only use one thing we share. If that is something that changes the way you are able to teach, hallelujah, heck yeah!

Now, let’s take some time to dive into how we can solve some unique problems in the CTE space and find some low tech and high tech upgrades

PROBLEM #1: Large Spaces, Small Voices

A lot of CTE spaces are the largest in the school. I mean could you imagine a welding shop in the size of an English classroom? It just wouldn’t work. But, these large spaces make it hard to communicate effectively to our students without damaging our vocal cords on the daily. We need some tools that make it easier to get our student’s attention and keep it so they know exactly what to do, when to do it and how to stay safe. 

Low Tech Fix

Utilize physical task boards and visual cue cards posted around the lab to clearly map out exit directions and daily expectations. By keeping routine instructions written down in high-traffic areas, you drastically cut down on the need to yell over machines. Here is an example from Cassidy’s greenhouse so her horticulture students know exactly what to do every time they are in the greenhouse.

High-Tech Upgrade: Invest in a wearable voice amplifier headset (Sarah loves using this one daily) so you can speak at a normal volume while still reaching the back corners of the shop. You can also pair this with a central projector screen to display digital countdown timers, exit directions, and live visual noise meters (like Bouncy Balls). Below is a set of exit directions Laura used for her middle schoolers in the lab for modeling flower parts. If you have never made exit directions, check out this blog with more information.

Problem #2: Can Everyone See This?

Demonstrating intricate, hands-on skills becomes a major challenge when thirty students are all trying to crowd around a single workstation. The students in the back inevitably miss the subtle hand placements or safety nuances, leading to mistakes later on. If your students are constantly straining their necks or complaining that they can't see the demonstration, you need a better way to scale your view.

• Low-Tech Fix: Use angled mirror tables suspended above your demonstration station (use your Perkins Funding or see if there is one available in your district before buying!) A free way to fix this is to  break the class into rotating small-group demos while others work from printed photo guides. A past teaching partner did this in her Vet Science class. One station would be her demonstrating the new skill like suturing, and the other groups were cleaning the lab, working on notes or completing a project. This keeps the physical crowd small by you and ensures every student gets a clear, line-of-sight view of the technique.

• High-Tech Upgrade: When you have time, record your demonstrations from a first-person perspective and post the videos directly to your LMS for easy student access. You can also print out QR code posters and tape them directly to the lab equipment, allowing students to instantly scan and watch a close-up tutorial right when they need it.

Problem #3: A Million Questions

When a lab gets moving, a teacher can quickly become the bottleneck as a line of students forms just to ask a quick question. I absolutely know you want to foster independence, but instead, you end up repeating the same troubleshooting steps twenty times in a single period. I know I can feel like a broken record on lab days if I am not careful. Finding a way to streamline these inquiries allows you to focus on critical safety interventions rather than basic logistics.

• Low-Tech Fix: Implement an "Ask Three Before Me" rule. It is exactly what it sounds like, have students ask three classmates before they ask you! I recently saw the idea to designate a knowledgeable student to act as the official "Ask Siri" helper for the day on Instagram. I love the idea of elevating a student to a classroom leadership role to help lessen your load. You can also use a deli-style queue system where students grab a physical number and keep working at their desks until their number is called. This doesn’t have to be an actual deli system. In my class, I printed numbers on card stock, laminated them, punched holes and added a binder ring to them. They live on my whiteboard and students can grab when they need it. I use my voice amplifier and rally my inner robotic voice and say “now serving number 5” to find my next student.

• High-Tech Upgrade: Set up a dedicated class discussion board or group chat on your LMS where students can crowd-source answers from one another in real time. You could also use a digital queue app like handraiseapp.com so students can virtually line up for help without leaving their workstations.

Want to bring these strategies to your school?

This is just a tiny sneak peek of what we cover in our signature professional development sessions! 

If you want to help your CTE teachers tame the chaos and streamline their lab management, we would love to partner with you. Contact us today to see how we can help facilitate a custom workshop or presentation for your teacher group!

Stop Putting Yourself Last: How to Curate Your Best Teacher Summer Yet

Your expo markers are barely making streaks on the board but you can almost count the school days left on your hands (and maybe toes). 

You are almost to the finish line. 

Time to Curate Your Summer

If you are new around the G&G community you might now know our soapbox about focusing on you first and teaching second. 

A lot of times we are thrust into the notion that we are teachers first. 

We call bull. 

We truly believe the best teachers focus on themselves first and then their career second. This can sound a little “woo-woo” and maybe you need some specific examples. Well I aim to please. 

• You choose your school based on the pay so you can support yourself/family

• You leave at contract hours even when the to-do list is lengthy

• You take sick days/personal days for anything you dang well please

• You choose what FFA events you want to do not based on what your alumni/past advisor did

• You plan your summer first and then fill in extended day/year requirements after

To help you curate the summer YOU want and need, we suggest working your way through 4 steps: me, you, us, school. Particularly in that order. Why? 

Because I know you. I am similar to you. I (tend to) put everyone else’s responsibilities and needs above mine. Including my kids, husband, family, friends and students.

But, YOU need the break just as much as the kids. So we make sure we treat ourselves first, not last. Remember what they say in the airplane “put your mask on first before assisting others.” That is your summer mentality. 

“Curate something for me, and then I will curate something for you”

4 Steps To Curating Your Best Teacher Summer Yet

ME

When I think about my summer I want to ensure I have an activity in each of my personal 3 circle model’s. iF you have no idea what I am talking about check out our blog You Are More Than Just a Teacher: How to Use the Three Circle Model Outside of the Classroom. 

My personal 3 circle model includes adventures, growth and relationships. So, before I start worrying about who is going to what camp, what work events I need to go to, or if I really want to make it to that family vacation, I carve out time to ensure I pour into myself. 

When I have activities in my three circle model, I show up better as a wife, mother, friend and teacher. And I am willing to bet when you do activities that align with your core values you do too. 

Here is what I am planning this summer:

Adventure: (Half) Cross-country road-trip with lots of stops with family and friends!

Relationships: Going to see an off-Broadway play with a friend, hosting a crafty night with friends, having day dates with my kids and learning to bake sourdough with my sister

Growth: I am participating in a Summer Half-Marathon program with a local running community. My race will be in September! 

These are BIG audacious things that I had penciled into my 2026 Yearly BINGO board but I also know that little sprinkles of joy throughout the weeks will help me enjoy summer as well. So, I plan to sprinkle little joyful (free/low cost)  things throughout the summer like getting my favorite McDonald’s crispy coke zero, going thrifting, and reading outside. 

What are some of the BIG and little things you can plan for yourself this summer? 

SCHOOL

This is the category that will be different based on your contract. Some of you might work 45 days in the summer and some will have no contracted days. 

Regardless, you will want to or need to do some school work in the summer. Maybe it is just cleaning the classroom, doing a few CDE practices, or a full fledged summer calendar that’s booked and busy. 

The thing I want to stress is to only do what is necessary and will fill your cup. 

This summer I have no contracted time. But, I do have the ability to take some time for some paid professional development after Germinate. 

Once I reviewed my schedule and my family schedule I was able to book some classes where I get to learn something I WANT for the new year. 

Summer school time doesn’t have to just be about checking boxes, it can be about leaning into learning new tools to help the next school year. If you aren’t sure what you need, check out our Germinate Tracks Quiz to help you figure out what sessions to prioritize at Germinate. 

When you commit to something this summer, actually commit to it. 

Put your required things on the calendar and carve out time for the things you want to do. 

Treat it as a meeting/event and actually put it in your Google Calendar or paper calendar. 

That means if you want to get coffee with a friend, block out those two hours. Or if your classroom needs your undivided attention, block another two hour block. 

This will remind you that it is IMPORTANT to you!

YOU 

This “you” category could include spouses, children, family members, roommates, friends etc. This is when you need to plan something FOR them, not WITH them. That is the next category. 

For me it is childcare. Once I know my work and personal schedule, then I can figure out where I need support for family things like childcare or where I want to do bonding events like vacations.

Personally, we are in the season of camps not daycare and my kiddos basically like all the opposite things. I feel like a Jedi master trying to curate their summer schedule. But, good news is I have already scheduled my summer so I can fit their plans around mine. 

I live by my family shared calendar and make sure that everything is accurately depicted so everyone knows exactly where we need to be and when.

And since I already know what I want to do for myself and what I need to do for my contract, I can easily see where I need to find support for the other people in my life.

If you are out of the daycare phase and have school aged kids I would HIGHLY advise you look at your local city/town/county recreation summer camps. My kids have gone to camps like skateboarding and flag football to chess camp and cooking camp. And usually for a MUCH cheaper rate than privatized camps. 

I also am a huge supporter of high school camps. As an ag teacher, we ran Vet Camps and that paid our FFA chapter’s bills throughout the year. I loved those weeks in the summer and it feels good to give back to the high schools in my area now!

SPACE

Once you complete the me, school, and you categories you might realize that “gosh, this summer is FULL.” And that isn’t necessarily a bad thing especially if you are leaning into things that light your fire. 

But, I also am a firm believer in a good dormancy day. Some people call it “rotting” but that assumes that the end result of a peaceful, no plan day is a bad result. 

I vehemently disagree. When you take a step back and provide space in your calendar you are giving yourself time to recover and recharge for the next activities. 

Just like trees have a dormancy period. They know they need to lay low and save energy in the winter so they can bloom in the spring. 

So, now that all your required activities are on the calendar make sure to pencil in some dormancy days to conserve energy and prevent summer burnout!

Being able to have some summer time off with my family is something that I truly missed when I was out of the classroom. Even my husband is sad he is missing out on the simple low energy activities we have planning for our days off. 

I hope with these suggestions in mind that you curate a summer that fills you up and serves you and yours well! 

While we’re on the topic of teacher burnout, let it be known that here at G&G, it’s our goal to help you avoid that allll year long, not just in the summer time. 

Here’s some more good reads and resources around this topic:

• A Simple Exercise to Redefine Your Identity as a Teacher

• A 4-Step Strategy for Asking for Help as a Teacher

• How to Rediscover Life Outside the Classroom

Feeling Overwhelmed as an Ag Teacher? A 4-Step Strategy for Asking for Help

Something has seriously changed in my teacher brain once passing the decade mark in the classroom. 

My to-do List will never be done. And that’s ok!

To be honest, I am not one who needs to check boxes to feel accomplished. I would much rather vision cast and brainstorm new ideas, however I fully understandI that many of my teacher friends (and even my husband) need to get tasks done to finally relax. 

Regardless if you are a Type A check box teacher or a Type B go-with-the-flow, you may have felt the pressure of those tasks needing to get done. And maybe you have even worked yourself to the bone trying to make all the things happen on your own. Why? Because you might think…

• The only way to get it done is to do it myself

• I am the only one who can do this right

• I don’t have time to train someone, so I have to do it

I have BEEN THERE and I’ll be honest it took me a while to realize I didn’t have to feel this way. I didn’t have to feel alone in my classroom, as an advisor, and most specifically with all the tasks on my to-do list. 

If you actually did all the work on an Ag Teacher’s plate by yourself I think it would be a 24 hour/7 days a week/365 days a year job with more work to do. 

But it doesn’t have to be this way if you implement one thing into your career: 

Asking for help. 

But, you might be saying…

• What do I even ask for? 

• What can I even ask for help? 

• What if people say no? 

Those are very valid questions that we have crowdsourced the answers to. Because we get it, asking for help is an acquired taste that a lot of us overachievers hate more than the taste of Vegemite or Robitussin. 

I have suffered alone many a times. 

We all found ourselves at this place…we hit our breaking point of searching through Facebook Groups, TPT, Pinterest Boards and TikTok.

Our turning point was when we decided to SHOW UP. When we decide enough is enough and it’s time to show up for ourselves by seeking the help we need. 

And showing up for yourself and asking for the help you need is vital because SUPPORT ISN’T SENT, IT IS SOUGHT. 

Those good natured teachers, community members and admin  who have said to you “I'm happy to help” “just shoot me a text if you need me.” or “I’m always here to help” don’t know you need help unless you tell them. It isn’t on them to check in on you constantly asking if you need support. It is YOUR job to stand up and say “it’s time, I need help.” 

In this blog post, we’re sharing four steps that you can use as you start utilizing your community to get the help you need. 

4 Steps to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed as an Ag Teacher

Step 1: What do you REALLY need help with?

First things first, what is the monkey on your back right now. What is that thing that you cannot stop thinking about even though you aren’t at school? What is that thing that no matter how much time and effort you put into problem solving you cannot find a solution? You need to name that exact thing before you can ask for help. 

One of the biggest problems with asking for help is the CLARITY of your problem. When we are clear on what we need help with we can be strategic about who we are asking for help. Which leads us to step 2. 

Step 2: WHO Can Help?

Now that you know your problem, start brainstorming who could help you with that problem. Who do you already know that could help you find a solution? 

Here are some ideas to get you going, but remember that during this step you are starting with a name, not a solution.:

• A teacher

• A former mentor

• An administrator

• An ag teacher friend

• An industry contact

• “That person I always text”

Step 3: Can THEY help?

I can already tell that some of you might be stumped on step 2. You might be thinking “if I knew who to ask I would have already done it.” Maybe it is truly you don’t know who could help. Then we need to start thinking about GROUPS of people that might be able to get you connected with the right person. 

Remember for this step you don’t need the exact person to help you solve, just a door to get you to that person. Here are some ideas that might help:

• State Ag Teachers Association

• FFA Staff

• Extension

• Direct support team in your school

• The G&G Team/Community

Step 4: WHAT do I need to ask?

OK, hopefully you have a person or a group that you feel confident asking for help from. Now, we need to get to asking the question. We as ag teachers tend to have our own vocabulary and ways of saying things that might not make sense to others, so this step is imperative so we clearly share our problem. We know that vague problems get vague help BUT specific problems get solved. 

Here are a few sentence frames  that might help you get those specific details out to your identified solution person/group:

• “What’s overwhelming me is ___________. I think this because_______________”

• “I am finding______________ very difficult because______________”

• “I am stuck on _________________ because____________________.”

Once you have completed Steps 1-4 you are READY to reach out to the person/people you want to get assistance from. We absolutely know as teachers ourselves that asking for help can seem daunting. But, what we also know is that you might not be alone in this. Someone out there knows the solution and just doesn’t know you need it. 

Teachers don’t always lack support, they lack clarity about who to ask and what to ask for. This 4 step strategy is your ticket to getting closer to solving your complex problems. As you step into asking for help remember that asking for help isn’t about being less capable, it's about being more precise. 

And if you are looking for specific help in the Agriculture Education space, your first stop to getting connected to experts in our very specialized area is the newly revamped and launched G&G Specialist Roster. You can even add your name to the roster in areas you are an expert to be a help when someone else is in need.

Why My Current Teaching Role Feels Different Than Past (and What I’d Pay Attention To Going Forward)

I kept on getting the same question over and over again at our holiday events this past year. 

“How is teaching?” Usually made with a slight crinkling of the face and timid nature to their tone. 

Thankfully, I am able to say “Things are going great. I know this was the right decision for me.”

And after all of these conversations, I wanted to figure out what the underlying reason is. What is the “thing” that is making teaching feel awesome when less than 4 years ago I thought I was leaving it behind forever? 

And to be honest, it isn’t just one thing. 

It is a combination of a variety of things that deeply matter to me. And yes that includes my compensation. It made me think that I wish I had a road map of how to make a decision about accepting a teaching position so I could have avoided some bad moves in the past. 

So here you have it.

Why My Current Teaching Role Feels Different Than Past (and What I’d Pay Attention To Going Forward) 

The Commute

If you have ever driven a commute more than 30 minutes you know. You know that taking an hour plus in the car is absolutely no fun. Now, don’t get me wrong I LOVE a decompressing moment. Those sacred moments when it is quick after a long day hearing your name a minimum of 187 times, where you get to choose if you want complete silence, an audiobook, a podcast or your favorite music. That time is awesome. But the car time gets excessive after 30 minutes. 

The Pay

(Caveat: I understand that some of you live in rural areas with limited education opportunities. Skip the first part of this and think about the second!)

Part 1: School Districts Pay Differently

As I was in the process of deciding if I wanted to go back to teaching I immediately pulled out the teaching salary schedules. I was really thinking about going back to my old district until I looked at that salary schedule. I would be taking a pay cut. Not worth it. My whole goal of changing my job was to find a better suited role and that ABSOLUTELY includes pay.

Now, I totally understand there isn’t much we can do with set salary schedules. But you CAN shop around if there are districts closer to you. I am in a more urban area and have 5 county/city districts within a decent commuting distance. 

So, I pulled them all up based on my experience and education and there was a CLEAR winner. I was able to get an immediate 17k pay raise just by taking a job at a district with higher pay.  

Now, pay is JUST PART OF THE PUZZLE! If you are commuting 2 hrs both ways to a higher paying district you might lose all the increase in pay with car depreciation, gas and maybe tolls (not mentioning your mental health from being in the car that much). 

Part 2: Other Paid Positions

If you don’t have the luxury to shop around districts (believe me I know it is a luxury), there are other ways to increase your pay. 

The obvious ones are getting a higher degree, taking a leadership position in your school, or even moving to an administration job. 

There are other ways to also increase your pay by coaching a team or advising a club (based on your system’s rules). I think it is important to know that you can increase your pay if you are willing (and able) to think outside the box. 

Content

If you have ever been out of your depth teaching a subject you better believe that content matters when choosing a teaching job. 

If you are applying for a horticulture heavy teaching position and you hate plants, that might not be the job for you. If you have to manage a show team and you have no livestock experience, that might not be the job for you. If you love middle school and you apply for a high school job, that might not be the job for you. 

Now, I get it that going out of your comfort zone is important for personal growth. But I also know that there is a sweet spot when learning something new. It’s called the Zone of Proximal Development. Where the learning isn’t too easy it is boring, and not too hard it is out of reach. 

As a teacher entering a new school/district you are ALREADY on a learning curve. You have to learn about the LMS, the student management system, grading policy, discipline policy, and not to mention the intricacies of the staff and admin relationships. 

Throwing yourself in the deep end with that heavy load on top of learning a new content (or multiple) might just be the perfect combination for burnout. 

Try to make sure you are applying for positions that align with your strengths and passions when it comes to content. Experienced teachers all know that it is much easier to teach the classes that you know and like. And anything to make the job a little easier is a win. 

The Duty Times

At the last school I taught at, I had to leave my house before 6 a.m. to arrive almost on two wheels before my duty time started. No buffer for picking up coffee or extra planning before 1st period busted through my classroom door. 

It was ROUGH. I didn’t get to see my children or husband before school as they were peacefully sleeping as I tip-toed out the door. And that took a HUGE mental health hit for me. I felt like I was always rushing. And when you start your day before 6am feeling behind, it is really hard to turn that negative feeling around. 

Knowing those expected duty times for teachers is essential before signing your contract. In conjunction with your commute and your family/personal responsibilities that could really make or break your relationship with your job. 

Maybe you gotta get your kids to before care.

Maybe you have to walk your dog who is going to be alone all day.

Maybe you have to get to the gym for a workout in the a.m. 

Whatever it is, that needs to be part of your decision. 

When I took my current position, I knew I couldn’t get my son to his bus on time. So my husband had to take on that role. Thankfully we are still able to all enjoy the morning together, we just go separate ways as we walk out the door. And we will reevaluate every year as things change. 

The Staff/Admin

The people you work with matter. I have been at four different schools and two different companies outside of school. And let me tell you, when you have toxic people around you it makes the job more difficult. When you have great people working with you, it makes the job more fun. 

If you get a weird vibe from the admin in the interview, it might be a sign. If you realize 6 months in that the staff is caddy and drama filled, it might be time to brush up your resume. 

You are spending 8 hours a day with these people. It is an awesome feeling that I know when I walk into 1st period I will have a great interaction with my fellow teachers/paras. I know that 3rd period will include a fun discussion with the teacher down the hall. It makes the days more enjoyable. 

We know that humans are wired for community. Your work community matters. Now, some people live their lives as robots and could care less about the people they work with. I am not that person. The people matter and twice in my working career I KNEW I had to get out and I did. Even if I wasn’t sure what was next I took myself out of the situation. 

Protect your peace, your mental health, your sanity. 

Feeling Accomplished

When trying to grapple with my feelings about teaching now, I realized that accomplishment is part of my puzzle for feeling content in my job. 

I was talking to an old friend who was also a teacher and spent many years in education adjacent careers and she asked me how that classroom was. And it finally clicked. 

I told her that in other jobs outside of the classroom when I finished the work day I felt relieved. That was my dominant emotion. These days when I leave my school I feel accomplished. 

Every. Single. Day. 

And it isn’t from winning awards like Teacher of the Month or having my students all pass a quiz. It is from the little things. Having my class laugh with me as we do interpretive dance to model a complex concept. It is when students talk to me in Spanish so I can improve. It is when I have kids asking to have lunch with me. It is when I get a kid to laugh. It is when I get to be the person who makes that kid feel valued. 

Every day I get to feel accomplished. Regardless of how the day actually went. And that means something to me. Personally, I need to feel that. Maybe it’s the way I am wired. 

All of this to say, everyone's situation is different. I know that some of you reading this won’t connect with some of the points, and that is OK. 

The overarching point I want to make is that the decision you make when you sign your teaching contract isn’t one to be taken lightly. It is more than just picking the school with the best FFA chapter, best pay, closest to your home. It is finding the best combination that works for you in your current situation. 

That might change. I left a job I absolutely loved because my family situation changed and we needed to move. I wish I had a blog post like this to have helped me avoid a bad job situation when I moved. I am hopeful this is that thing for someone else.