When Mowing The Lawn Becomes A Career Goal

Becoming an assistant baseball and softball coach (the basketball court still has no grass) has made mowing grass a viable part time job. Like everything that I do, I want to do be the the best so I can fulfill those MLB grounds crew fantasies.  My coaching experience quickly grew from sitting on the bench for JV basketball to head freshman basketball coach and assistant softball and baseball coach.

Naturally, I have maintained all my other obligations as a teacher and department chair.  I am teach three different courses this year, including AP Calculus.  The chair gig has become tedious, exhausting and demoralizing. Our school district cut the time allotted to chairs to do the work and our principal has provided more to do.  My belief is that my boss wants to do the work that used to be my responsibility.

I am no longer responsible for showing teachers different teaching strategies, explaining curriculum issues or helping the department get better.  I do have responsibility for sending email meeting notices, posting templates, ordering office supplies and ironically hiring a teaching in mid-school year.  Some believe that I am no longer suited for the job, including me.

Fortunately,  I am goal oriented.  I wanted to become department chair and I reached that goal. When situations change, goals change.  When I met coach a few years ago and began to talk baseball, I knew that I eventually wanted to become part of his coaching staff. Now, I am working on a new set of goals and my new title will be Mr. Coach Mathman.