Hello all! It is bittersweet for me to announce that the 2016-2017 school year was my last year teaching art. I definitely can't say it's my last EVER, because I just love art education too much! It was my original plan to start my own business, a community art studio (kind of like wine and paint places, but more family-friendly). But as you all know, sometimes life gets in the way of our plans. My grandmother passed away, my school flooded and the school year was abruptly cut short, and I was thrown smack-dab in to not having a job! I didn't get to say goodbye to my students, some of whom I'd been teaching for 8 years. (Luckily, I live in the general area of the school and get to occasionally run into them in the store!) Long story short, I fell into depression and many of my days were spent in bed, just because I couldn't muster up the energy to do anything else. Finally I perked up and began the search for my art studio space.
     Again, no luck. I had a very specific idea of what I wanted my business to look like, and I just wasn't finding a suitable place here in my small town that was affordable enough for a starter business person. Just as I was thinking that I'd better give it up and start applying at schools, I found VIPKID!
     VIPKID, if  you have never heard of it, is a company that contracts with teachers to teach one-on-one to Chinese students in an online, English-immersion class via video conference that resembles Skype, but with an area for slides to show for the lesson. The hiring process was a bit exhausting but went quickly, and I am now happily teaching English to sweet little Chinese students every morning! This has given me the opportunity to work from home, have more free time, and make enough money to pay my bills. I couldn't be happier! If you have teaching experience and are interested in finding out more, please click here! I don't think you will regret it! Your degree doesn't have to be in the field of education to apply. I get to set my own hours and days, and YES, I wear my pajama pants while I work. Business on the top, PJ's on the bottom. 😁
     So, that being said, this is the last post I will be making here on my Art Teacher Lady blog until I find myself in the art classroom or studio once again! It's been a pleasure!
     Please join me over on my new website, where I will be sharing posts about online teaching, minimalism, travel (and travel/art journaling), and living a simpler, slower life.