Where Have You Gone, Joe De Maggio?

My apologies to my variety of fans and supporters. Shortly after my last post I had to deal with my third heart attack and a simultaneous bout with pneumonia. My recovery was slow and I lacked the energy to blog, or do much else until recently.

The process of my education is now complete. As of December 2007, I am a certified teacher in Elementary Education with a Master's Degree in Education from Lincoln Memorial University. My hospitalization and recovery cause a one year delay in the completion process and allowed me to pursue the Master's. Now all I need is employment.

Education is a lot like real estate. Location, location, location! We have all heard the loud screaming for qualified teachers. Headlines blare that there just aren't enough teachers in the system to fill the demand. The demand, however, is large, urban, predominantly black, decrepit, and dangerous schools where only liberals with the idealistic vision of a social utopia would venture. There are plenty of teachers seeking employment among the various suburban or rural education facilities in more desireable locations, such as the Great Smoky Mountains regions of East TN and Western NC.

And so, I wait, networking to various principals, substituting when I can, proving my worth, and waiting for the next hiring cycle in March and April. Because I am otherwise idle, I find myself with the time and energy to make more regular contributions here. Like a bad penny that keeps turning up, or the poltergeist that simply won't be exorcised, I'm back!