I've been a full-time substitute teacher since I graduated in 2017. In that time I've taught every grade and every subject k-12. I've developed a strong ability to win students over, to quickly recognize and fill gaps between curriculum and student understanding, and to gracefully delegate or be delegated to, as the case requires. Good substitute teaching requires willingness to admit your own ignorance, as well as to hunt for answers. It's a combination of humility and resourcefulness that is the virtue of every lifelong learner.Despite a natural rapport with students and a passion for learning, I finally decided a career in education is not right for me. It's bittersweet to contemplate leaving, as the problems are institutional, i.e. they would be "easy enough" to solve if only national spending priorities were reevaluated. But I can't spend my whole life waiting for a cultural sea-change. Things may very well continue to trend in exactly the wrong direction.Now I'm branching out into a career in software development. Though it's an about-face in terms of a career timeline, it makes sense for me. I've long nurtured a personal interest in pure math and number theory, which mesh nicely with computer science. If money weren't an acute concern, I might go back to school for a whole second degree. For now, I must content myself with a boot camp.