Substitute Teaching Is a Great (Not Easy) Volunteer Opportunity

I highly recommend it

Photo by on

Last summer, I was facing total burnout. Professionally, I was wrapping up my third year of 60+ hour work weeks after accepting three new roles at two different companies. I was in a senior leadership position at a high-growth company — effectively in my dream job scenario. But I was miserable. Every day was the same tortured routine. I woke up at 6 am, got a little work in, taxied the kids to school, caught my first call by 8:30, dealt with problems all day long, logged off to pick up the kids, make dinner, take them to practice, work a little more, and go to bed only to do it again.

I was fighting a war on too many fronts. Thankfully, I had the financial security from my husband’s partnership in an accounting firm to declare a sabbatical. I had two simple goals for my sabbatical — improve my health and spend more time with my kids.

My kids were in 7th and 5th grade — no longer babies and not yet young adults. I missed them so much. I stayed at home with both of them when they were born and did not return to work full-time until the oldest went to kindergarten.

As tweens, they are at a critical developmental stage where they are beginning to form their own identities outside of the family, and I didn’t want to miss any of…