Friends,
2020 has been the worse episode out of the Simpson's yet. Going through multiple quarantines and lock downs has been the down fall in my epitome. Bangkok lock down went into full effect back in February. National wide curfews in place, temperature check screenings everywhere. And then the slow phases of opening. Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and other neighboring countries have fully reopened and kept a 0 case infection rate for more than the past 100+ days. Which is so incredible, that lower developing countries, in Asia, are handling this deadly virus better than Western countries. Countries that cannot provide proper guidance and sustenance to their own people, is caring for them and implementing policies that in fact, saving their people. So, why can't America do the same thing for us? As a teacher in 2020, I have been teaching remotely online since February, as it is almost October, it's been 8 months of virtual and online instruction. 8, long, dreadful, eye wrenching, worrisome, complicated, technological, months of my entire existence. Not only that, but with the challenges of teaching online, having the outside world switching to lock downs, shut downs, and travel bans, normal life disappearing within the blink of a second; COVID stopped life. Covid has be stilled and engraved in our minds that other human beings, who we use to interact with; meeting a basic Maslow need in our hierarchy of human connection, touch, emotion; no one is safe doing that. How can we switch our life back to our normal reality, when every uncovered, unmasked face, is a ticking time bomb of infection that can lead to death? And during all this, the fear of the unknown, the fear of others cleanliness around you, I was moving. Out of Asia, where it is THE SAFEST continent in the world right now preventing this horrible virus, to America. Where I was under the impression that my country would TAKE care of me. Would provide me aid, like Italy forgiving all rent, other countries postponing electricity bills. What did I get for leaving a safe place during a pandemic? I thought I would be safer as a citizen back in my own country. And I'm not. During this entire monstrosity of 8 months, I was also completing my graduate degree. You may now call me Master teacher; a master in education. During all of the stress, the moving, the quarantining, searching for a job, applying to over 48 different schools/child care locations, but I graduated with a 3.97 GPA. Do you hear that? A 3.97 GPA in a graduate program for teaching. Yet, I can't get my highest level of education to go towards my salary rate. I was magically able to find a job on my favorite Island in the Hawaiian chain; Kauai. I moved to Kauai from Thailand/Oregon, within 30 days, while moving and finishing online graduate degree classes. Moving your life from Asia, to a tropical jungle, to start teaching in America, following different rules, systems, protocols, and trying to memorize 1000 acronyms, while learning a new curriculum, but then switching from in person school at half class, 6 feet apart, on a A and B day rotation, to switch to an AA BB day, to switch to COMPLETELY online to now again switch back to in person instruction, while the island is opening up to tourist, and resort "bubbles", that OUR students parents work at. This is all going to be brought back to campus from those children, and those families who have been out of work for so long. Yet, the fear. And even more pressing, I won't be getting paid for having a masters degree, due to a dead line, that I missed by 30 days of program completion , because covid pushed my classes from July to August, I won't get that deserved, and hard worked for masters degree to go towards my career. It is as if I never attended a masters program in my life. My hard work, my blood, sweat, tears, stress, anxiety, eye strains, were for absolute nothing. My years and experiences teaching abroad, to multiple ethnicities around the world, is absolutely worthless in America. . THE CHERRY ON TOP Although I am a master degree, certified, 3rd year teacher, who is not getting master salary level pay like I so deserved and worked very hard for, the DOE is doing a 40% budget cut to all teacher salaries. So my small salary, is going to go even smaller, by 20% this year, which is 1/5 of my total, before taxes. And I was only able to secure a job, in the most expensive, remote/jungle state in all of America. And now I am forced to teach in person, to families that are around tourist from all over the world. If I don't die by teaching and contracting covid, then it will be because I can't afford to put food in my mouth. _______________ So far living in Kauai has showered me with generosity and kind individuals. There are always ups and downs when moving to a different state, starting a new job, my situation was just existential given my move was out of Asia, during a national pandemic, while finishing up my masters. I was able to make some really good friends so far, find a house, buy a car, and now I'm starting to decorate with furniture, like a couch... finally. I am a new volunteer for a sea scout club, we are learning mariner skills and our first cruise will be for 5 days out at sea in a few short weeks. Establishing yourself, and starting lives over and over again is exhausting. You lose yourself along the way sometimes, and it takes will power to establish the same routine's and find out who you are here. Getting into the habit of things. Thanks for listening guys, hope all of you are saying safe and healthy with your loved ones. Be nothing but humble and blessed. When you manifest something, great things will come.
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AuthorMy name's Mykayla. I'm from the beautiful state of Oregon. Archives
November 2019
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