TL;DR:

• The past few years have left me exhausted and lost, seeking other work.
• But I found my fuel—the kids.
• Keep looking for your fuel, and keep your fire burning.

I am nearing retirement.  Six years away.

It seems like forever away after the past few years.

A past few years that included the most challenging years of my nearly 24 years in education.

I was nearly broken in the past few years.

So much so that I started looking.  I looked and found two other jobs.

One was a job that is tied to what I did in the past before I became a principal. I was hired to teach at a local university.

A dream come true.

I’ve always been recruited by an education software company to join their company in a small capacity.

Another dream come true.

These are both things I’ve always wanted.

I should be overjoyed.

I should be thrilled.

And I am, but it doesn’t feel the way I thought it would.

It feels restrained.  Subdued.  Like something is missing.

I have realized that the fire just needed more fuel; that fuel came in seeing the best of what we do. Click To Tweet

The past week has been busy.

Appraisals.

Hiring.

We had our Teacher of the Year banquet.

We held our Amazing Shake competition.

Both were wonderful.

They were also a reminder.

A reminder of my why.

A why that couldn’t be replaced.

A why that still burned deep in me and hasn’t burned out yet.

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I have realized that the fire just needed more fuel; that fuel came in seeing the best of what we do.

Celebrating our teachers and celebrating our students.

My guess is that a lot of you feel the way I did.

Exhausted.

Lost.

Wondering if you can do another year.

Maybe, find something that reminds you of why?

Find your original motivation that brought you here to begin with.

The fire is there.  Find a way to fuel it again.

Oh, those jobs?  I’m doing both—under the condition that I don’t take away a minute from being with my students.

Because my why.  My fuel.  That all comes from the kids.

That’s why, maybe six years from now, I’ll be looking forward to another year.

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About Aaron Else

Aaron Else is an enthusiastic optimist entering his 22nd year in education. During his time in education, he has taught 1st, 2nd, and 5th grades. He has worked in administration for the past 14 years with the last 8 as principal at Hosp Elementary in Frisco ISD.

Aaron is married to Heather, and they have five kids combined and two dogs. He loves to read, work out, and watch sports.