thompsonblog

Sunday, January 07, 2007

Decisions, Decisions...

Well, we've reached January, and I have to start making a decision about what to do next year. One of my assistant principals asked me the other day what I planned on doing next year. At this point, there are several options to consider:
First, I might stay at Wingfield next year. This option would give me the chance to be a second-year teacher at the school. Since I came from a different school last year, I haven't really had the chance to experience being a veteran. I have no real problems with my school, but I would like to see other parts of the country.
Also, I have considered moving to another state to teach for another year or two. Among the top possibilities are Miami and New York City. I have always loved Miami, and it seems like a paradise. I realize that teaching in the Miami-Dade schools would be a challenge, but I think it would be an enjoyable one. The biggest issue is cost of living. Teacher salaries are higher than in Mississippi, but from doing a bit of research and talking to people who have taught in the Miami area, it appears to be too expensive.
New York City is probably the option most worth considering. If I moved to NYC, I would be able to leave the South and see what it's like to live somewhere else. In addition, many of the graduate schools that I am considering are in NYC or in the region. While it would be expensive, teacher pay is much higher than in Mississippi.
These are just possibilities, and I have yet to make a final decision. I do need to make the decision in the next several weeks. I guess we'll see what happens...