I was admittedly in a bit of a rut for the past few months. Maybe "crossroad" is a better term. In any case, I was definitely lost, but I'm happy to say that I'm much less so than I was before.
A huge part of me longed to be back in the classroom after the Japanese-American summer camp gig ended last summer. Even though I knew I'd be returning this year (and I did!), I kept an eye out for interesting-looking teaching jobs, and was super lucky in finding employment at a Japanese-language preschool back in January as an assistant teacher. The students aren't allowed to speak in English, and I have to correct them and tell them the Japanese equivalents of the words when they do. At first, I wasn't used to working with such small children, but I've grown to really love it, and recently quit my bookstore job to be an after school teacher for kindergarteners and first graders while continuing at the preschool on the side. I've also moved out of my dad's place and into one of my own with a wonderful roommate and her adorable cat. August has been a month of moving and changes and I've been quite busy with it all, but being back in the classroom and living on my own again have been nourishing for my spirit.
Much earlier on in the year, I was rejected by the only grad school I bothered applying to for a Master's in TESOL. It's not hyperbole to say that I was reaching for the stars; my top pick was an Ivy League school. But what appealed to me about the program was that I could simultaneously earn a degree in TESOL and a K-12 teaching certificate. The charm of going to a school all the way on the other side of the country was another reason why I applied as well, and even though I figured from the very beginning that I wouldn't be accepted, I couldn't help feeling at least a bit hopeful. However, getting that preschool job back in January made me realize that I really do enjoy working with kids, especially young ones. So perhaps this is the universe's way of telling me that I should start down the path of Early Childhood Education instead of ESL, at least for now.
I've grown to become the kind of person who doesn't like to rush, so I think I'll give it a go and apply for my top pick grad school again next year. For the time being, I'll be plenty occupied with my two teaching jobs, taking ECE classes at a local community college, assisting at my old ballet school every now and again, translating in my spare time, and possibly being a Japanese and English tutor. Oh, and Pokémon Go :] (go Team Instinct!)
