This week has been difficult.
Not only has everyone in my family gotten the cold, myself included, but I found out the school I was planning on student teaching with could not take me due to the inflated covid numbers.
While it was rather irritating that the school decided to inform me of this decision the week before I was set to start up the last learning module before student teaching, I kind of felt it coming. The way in which the government has been handling restrictions, the increase in case numbers, the requirements of the school board have all been volatile and unreliable. By nature, I expect the worst. The glass is half empty. But that has spared me from false hope, dashed excitement, and disappointment.
I was pretty disappointed nonetheless.
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” – Serenity Prayer
Now, my option is to get placed with a virtual school and do my student teaching online. This is ideal since I want to focus on teaching online in my future career, but living in Korea and the virtual schools being based in the US means I will me working through the night.
Meanwhile, I am getting my paperwork in order to get paired with a teacher and school, hopefully soon. I need background check to do this and that is a whole other hurdle to jump, especially while abroad. Will it me a month? More? I have already put my program on pause for six months, I just want to be a licensed teacher!
It’s easy to be angry, to blame and lash out. But as I’ve gotten older I find it much easier, and more beneficial, to just accept things as they are and calm work around limitations and barriers. Everything in today’s world seems to be taking more time to get through, let alone complete. My extra nuance of getting paperwork completed and handling business affairs while abroad is the price to have live relatively unaffected and in comfort while most the world has struggled and suffered these past two years. It is a price I accept and I am thankful for what I have and where I am in this process and all processes of life.
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius