I haven’t talked much about Karl lately. I thought I’d give you latest update. Some of you might remember that our son Karl went to Texas in August to student teach in Houston. He was there a couple weeks and Hurricane Harvey hit. In advance of the storm, Karl decided to leave Houston and stayed with a dear blog reader, Cheryl in Dallas.
I was so happy that Cheryl took him in and watched over him…and according to Karl fed him amazing meals.
From there Karl came home to Iowa a few days and then back to Houston again.
In October, our other kids all went down for a visit.
Karl completed his student teaching just before Christmas. His plans since August have always been to join his girlfriend Renae in New York City once the student teaching was finished. Well, things don’t always go as planned….what’s the saying, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans”??
Well Renae broke up with Karl on Christmas Eve. Karl was at a loss. All of his plans suddenly changed. As he said, he was basically homeless and girlfriendless all at the same time.
He stayed with Kayla for a couple days and then decided to move home here until he can get things straightened out. Hubby and I are good with this. To be perfectly honest, we knew he would likely have to. It’s hard for a teacher to find a job mid school year.
He’s spent some time regrouping and trying to figure out priorities….he needs a vehicle. His had died and him and Renae had decided they couldn’t have two cars in NYC so he didn’t get one. He needs a job.
Sadly sub teachers around here don’t get paid a lot….and there is no guarantee of employment….and student loans will be starting soon. So what’s a guy to do? It looks like he will likely take a factory job through July and will look for a teaching job for fall in the meantime. It’s not particularly what he wants but something he’ll have to put up with. It’s the hazard of being a teacher and graduating mid-semester.
He did get an offer to teach in Houston for the fall but, he needs time to regroup. As hard as factory work is I think it will give him time to think a bit and that’s what he needs now.
We’ve had tons of conversations about “who” you want to be as well as “what” you want to be. The who part, to often is sidelined. He’s found he really enjoys Carver. In Texas it’s hard to be a fun uncle.
He’s got a few more decisions to make. In the meantime, Hubby and I have a house mate. It’s not bad at all. Karl manages all of his own stuff…laundry, dishes, mess. He makes supper some and is super helpful. I even have him helping with this…. TAXES and book work…UGH.
So that’s the Karl update.
We’re happy he is home but welcome the decisions he makes on deciding where he goes from here.
Good luck to Karl! Sometimes it takes a bit of time to figure out what we want to do, what’s the right situation, etc. But the person you want to be, that is something we get to work on every day. I expect that will also help him land that first teaching job.
Wishing Karl all the best in the next chapter, hope a teaching job lies ahead for him, we need good people to take up this profession. Our children bounced back to live with us between college and jobs and we always enjoyed there company.
I agree that substituting doesn’t pay much, but it’s also a good way to get hired as a teacher in the fall. It worked that way for me!
Your children are all so amazing thanks to you and your husband for raising the kind of young people we need more of today. Im sure things will all work out for Karl just the way he wants them too.You are what i
call a real family. It makes me so happy to read your blog and here about your children and grands.
I’m with Carolyn…substitute teaching is the way I got a contract with the school district. It gives the principals a chance to see who you are and how you handle a class. Enjoy your time with Karl home and I hope he enjoys playing Super Uncle!!
Oh, no. That’s a lot of upheaval for Karl. And his parents. While he makes new plans, I hope Karl enjoys a lot of fun times with his nephew.
Sorry Karl’s life is in a bit of an uproar- my son went thru a Christmas Eve breakup about 30 yrs ago and the regrouping was a bit tough on him. Good he was able to come home and be with family. The time home helped my son. Good wishes for all.
Good luck for Karl! Even though substitute teaching may not pay much, it often opens door to permanent teaching jobs. Many schools and principals prioritize jobs for excellent substitutes. It also wold allow him the opportunity to see schools and where he would want to teach permanently.
It’s tough for a young adult these days. My 23 year old son, who graduated college last year, is applying to grad school and currently living at home. I adore having him home, but I know this won’t and can’t last because he needs to fly the nest and move forward. While your son’s breakup right now feels awful, she did him a huge favor by not waiting until he resettled in NYC. Life is full of lessons and curveballs. How fortunate our “kids” are to know that no matter what happens, family will always be here to offer a hug, a warm meal or more until you get back on your feet.
Best wishes to Karl. Many school districts hire in April, so flood the area with resumes!
Jo – If Karl does not find a lucrative factory job, he might consider substitiute teaching as a second choice. The pay is not the greatest, and it is not a sure bet. There is a tendency though, to call the substitutes that do a really good job over and over again, so if he can go in and do a stellar job, he will get alot of work. Two other things to consider – substitute teaching is a super way to practice, practice, practice the teaching art and will give him abundant confidence in his first full time teaching position. If there are not a huge # of teacher openings in your area, subbing with a good record will give him a much better chance to be the teacher who is hired. I have seen it happen over and over. Principals would rather hire someone whose work they have had a chance to see and evaluate over time, instead of someone who is only a name on an application. Food for thought, anyway…I am sure he will do fine whatever he ends up doing; he sounds like a terrific young man!
Who breaks up with someone on Christmas Eve? That’s horrible! I graduated in December of 1985; returned home to my small town of 2500 and started substitute teaching. I was only paid 35.00 a day!!! It’s was a start though! Good luck to Karl! The world needs great teachers!!!
Tell him not to feel bad about needing a roof and a place to re-group. My son did that after the Marine Corps, and he didn’t have student loans hanging over his head.
In addition to substitute teaching, have him register with a temp agency for office jobs. He might be able to cobble together more hours that way.
Good luck to Karl. I am a retired teacher and I can tell you that subbing is a wonderful way to get hired if you happen to put in your application and it’s not the beginning of the school year. Maybe he could supplement his pay from a second job to help pay the bills….like a TRUE TEACHER. Pick a school he really likes and go and meet the principal and let them know you’d like to work at that school. When schools need subs they appreciate ones that specify and let principal know that they are ready to go every day needed. When an opening comes guess who gets the first ask on employment. I’ve known many teachers who started that way. In my career I can’t tell you how many ready to go subs got hired and when they showed up to work their new job we all knew them and their dedication. Also being a man helps too. I taught elementary and they LOVE male teachers. The students can’t believe it. They are like ROCK STARS…ha. Just be persistent and keep checking.
Unless Karl wants to stay close to home, he might consider following the Palm Beach County School District’s website and social media. There always seems to be a teacher shortage here. Some years they do round-up type hiring–get the teachers looking for jobs and the principals who need teachers together and let them interact for a couple days. Good luck to him!
I am sorry to hear of Karl’s woes, better he learn what a jerk she is now than after a wedding/children. I agree with the others, he just has to get his resume around everywhere and take any sub job that comes along and ace it! He will soon be getting more calls than he can handle. It will also work into something full time, I’m sure. I have 3 children, and all 3 are teachers. My son graduated mid-year and went everywhere and ended up with a job in our home town. Hang in there, this too shall pass.
We have a shortage of teachers here if Karl is interested. Best wishes to him!
mary in Az
Tell Karl to consider Maryland. Teacher pay is really high and lots of young singles in area around D.C. Lots of temp work in this area also.
Good suggestions here. From similar experiences, Karl, I wonder how you feel about getting too far away from your family! That has been HUGE for me in being so far away from mine. Being a substitute is the biggest education any teacher can get. As the sub, you can be ignored or welcomed. Every staff is different. Classroom management is vital and makes for super impressions on whoever is lurking outside the classroom door in the hall! Keeping the class busy and interested lowers the chance of behavior problems unless you get a few wise guys. Try visiting with the staff lounge people, secretaries, principals, to chat about the school’s reputation, history, goals, parent involvement and whatever interests, personalities, experiences of the people and yourself take you. Sometimes a teacher desided to take maternity leave around Feb. 1!! And it’s true districts like to start interviewing, etc. once they are told who will be retiring. Districts get serious about hiring in August. Good luck, Karl! Gloria