Going Back to Teaching After 15 Years
Trying to balance work and family.
The door to the classroom opened, and instead of a chalkboard or whiteboard that I was used to, two large wall-mounted screens projected the desktop from the computer I was supposed to use. Moments ago, I said goodbye to my daughter, who said, “I love you, and I’ll miss you.”
Last year, I returned to the in-person classroom after a decade of juggling writing and parenting. After the semester ended, I reflected on my reintegration into academia and the evolving dynamics of parenting.
Looking back
When I last entered a brick-and-mortar classroom as an instructor, I was a stepparent to my now young adult son. He was with us for relatively short periods. This schedule allowed my husband and I not to think much daily about how to juggle different parts of our lives.
I had to balance teaching and parenting when I returned to the writing classroom. My daughter is an elementary-age homeschooler with whom I have stayed home since birth. This change in dynamics caused me to feel excitement and anxiety, and the contradictory nature of these emotions was stressful.
For me, going back to teaching outside the home meant missed opportunities to be with my daughter, such as a Taylor Swift-themed library…
