So, it has been a while since I posted an update (about 6 months, to be exact). With work and other life stuff, I haven’t been able to post in a little while. But, with summer, I have a little more free time, and that also means more time for projects.
School ended for us here in Louisville at the end of May. And with it ended one of the more interesting years in my teaching career. I switched schools after last school year for various reasons (change of scenery, stress, the commute, etc.). So when a former colleague of mine let me know of an opening at another school and how much she loved it, I took the chance. And I got to say, it was worth it. The grass is sometimes greener.
I started the year teaching a 6th-grade Social Studies class. I was happy in that spot, realizing that 6th grade is where I thrive as a teacher. The kids are usually still eager to learn; they get my humor, and discipline is much more manageable. I also got to face the new challenge of having a lot of students who are English learners; while it was a struggle on both sides, they are some of the hardest-working kids. I told my wife, who I know was worried I would leave the profession after they previous year, that I loved teaching again.
However, I was not going to stay with my 6th-graders for long. We ended up being short-staffed in the 8th grade, and since I could teach English and Social Studies, I was asked to move and teach those two subjects with two other teachers. I was not thrilled after the nightmare that my 8th-graders were last year. There were multiple fights, getting cussed out, and always on their phones; it was a terrible time, and I was worried it would be the same.
And in some ways, it was similar. The kids were not engaged and often got on YouTube instead of working. But that could be a whole other story about the younger generation’s work ethic. But discipline was way better. The kids were hardly on their phones, as they weren’t allowed in class, and if they got caught, most of them gave them up willingly (they got them back at the end of the school day). I only got cussed out once by a student, and they were suspended for a week. Fights happened, but they were rare. I was funny how many of my colleagues would mention they were our worst group, and I would tell them I would take them over my previous group in a heartbeat.
The good news was that, by teaching two subjects, I got out of having to cover classes. Of course, if they needed me, I had no problem doing it. And, true to his word, my principal moved me back to the 6th grade for the next year.
Outside of work, I have also been pretty busy. As I mentioned a few months ago, the freelancing gigs have dried up. The company I was doing some projects for has not sent me anything since last June, so I am cutting my losses. I still check some Freelancer posts, but most look like scams, so I haven’t tried any of them. The good thing is I treat these gigs as supplemental income, and I am not dependent on them.
On the other hand, I have been pretty successful on Medium. Since I started with them a couple of years ago, I have contributed a few hundred articles and have a decent following (I broke 400 this week!). I have found a few niches I enjoy writing on, and a few have been fairly popular. While the income fluctuates each month, it is some decent extra income every month.
One publication on Medium I have had a lot of success with is Kraken Lore, a fiction publication. It has been a great spot for my to put out some short stories I wrote that maybe didn’t cut through a traditional publication. It is also a great way to receive some feedback and interest in my characters and ideas for bigger projects.
One short story I was delighted with the reaction to is Physics and Mystics. It started out as an entry for a writing prompt contest years ago, and I then sat on it for several years. I liked the idea, and it looks like there was some positive reactions to it. So I am going to try to build and expand on this idea in the near future.
Speaking of works in progress, sadly, I have not made as much progress on the next novel I am working on. Many of it was due to long work days and exhaustion when I got home. However, I will admit I let myself get sidetracked with other projects and ideas (the curse that a lot of my fellow writers can understand). There were also those days when I sat in front of my computer and could not think of what would happen next. However, I am still aiming to be done with a draft to send out to possible publishers by the fall and see it that is a route before going the indy route again.
While on the topic of other projects, I also released a podcast back in January. It is called History Under the Radar. It is a short, weekly podcast that talks about some little-known facts about history. I have a modest following right now, so I am pretty happy with it. Much like the restaurant business, it is hard to make money with a podcast and many often fail. I plan on keeping doing the podcast until it stops being fun; again I’m not making a living off of it.
Finally, speaking of things that keep me busy, in a couple of weeks, I will do my yearly student trip. This time around, we will be visiting Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. I will be able to knock off three countries off my travel list. So, while I won’t be getting much writing done in those days, I will hopefully have some great ideas for new content.
Until next time, stay awesome!