Ok, well....scrap that.
Today I was told I will be moving to Kindergarten.
I am unbelieveably frustrated/sad.
Not that I don't love Kindergarten, because I do...and had even hoped to teach it at some point...But I have spent countless hours (and lots of money) working on my 3rd grade classroom and my 3rd grade plans. And now I have to start all over. Plus, I was just starting to get settled in and I was really forming a bond with my students.
But I will do what I must.
More to come...
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
It's Already Been a Week!
Alright....so my last post was very hastily-written because everything happened so quickly. Here's the rundown:
-On Tuesday, July 28th I went to a job interview about 2 hours away from where I was living. After the interview, I was offered a job contract.
-On Friday of that week, I went to the school to sign my contract and to look at several apartments in the area, since the school was so far away. Luckily, I also found an apartment that day and put down the deposit.
-Later that day, I left to go on a vacation with my best friend's family (which had been scheduled since march or april)
-On Tuesday of the next week, I returned home and began packing.
-The next Friday, August 7th, I moved into my apartment, but went back home to celebrate my birthday, which was August 8th, with my family and friends.
-Then, on Monday, August 10th, I began my new job with a full week of in-services and classroom preparation.
-Finally, after countless hours preparing, school began on Tuesday, August 18th...and here I am, after one week into it, and I'm finally able to sit down and relax enough to write a post.
So, needless to say, I have been super busy trying to get everything ready for school and relocating to a big city I had only ever visited a handful of times before now.
As for school, I am loving it. I am teaching 3rd grade science, social studies, and reading and I have a very small homeroom class of 15 students. Things are going very well so far...the first day even went super smooth (as compared to my expectations!) and I have had no *major* issues with students yet.
I think that I am finding the hardest part of all this is planning and getting everything organized. It is so incredibly difficult to start from scratch and decide what you want/need to do in your classroom. I thought I was a pro at this because of college and student teaching, but for those I had a little bit more guidance. Now, it's just me. It's definitely going to take some getting used to and extra time on my part.
Speaking of extra time, I swear all I ever think about is school. It is consuming my life (in a very enjoyable way). I guess you have to expect for it to become a huge part of you when you start teaching. It is not at all like some other job where you come home and it is totally separate from your life at work. It's not. I spend most of my time at home thinking about or doing something for school every day.
And I have to say, this truly doesn't feel like "work" or a "job"...so I must be on the right track. :)
I'll post more soon with pictures of my classroom! Hooray!
-On Tuesday, July 28th I went to a job interview about 2 hours away from where I was living. After the interview, I was offered a job contract.
-On Friday of that week, I went to the school to sign my contract and to look at several apartments in the area, since the school was so far away. Luckily, I also found an apartment that day and put down the deposit.
-Later that day, I left to go on a vacation with my best friend's family (which had been scheduled since march or april)
-On Tuesday of the next week, I returned home and began packing.
-The next Friday, August 7th, I moved into my apartment, but went back home to celebrate my birthday, which was August 8th, with my family and friends.
-Then, on Monday, August 10th, I began my new job with a full week of in-services and classroom preparation.
-Finally, after countless hours preparing, school began on Tuesday, August 18th...and here I am, after one week into it, and I'm finally able to sit down and relax enough to write a post.
So, needless to say, I have been super busy trying to get everything ready for school and relocating to a big city I had only ever visited a handful of times before now.
As for school, I am loving it. I am teaching 3rd grade science, social studies, and reading and I have a very small homeroom class of 15 students. Things are going very well so far...the first day even went super smooth (as compared to my expectations!) and I have had no *major* issues with students yet.
I think that I am finding the hardest part of all this is planning and getting everything organized. It is so incredibly difficult to start from scratch and decide what you want/need to do in your classroom. I thought I was a pro at this because of college and student teaching, but for those I had a little bit more guidance. Now, it's just me. It's definitely going to take some getting used to and extra time on my part.
Speaking of extra time, I swear all I ever think about is school. It is consuming my life (in a very enjoyable way). I guess you have to expect for it to become a huge part of you when you start teaching. It is not at all like some other job where you come home and it is totally separate from your life at work. It's not. I spend most of my time at home thinking about or doing something for school every day.
And I have to say, this truly doesn't feel like "work" or a "job"...so I must be on the right track. :)
I'll post more soon with pictures of my classroom! Hooray!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Answered Prayers
For the past few months I have been praying, wishing and hoping to be able to tell you this news: I GOT A JOB! a real one. with a contract. and medical insurance. Someone pinch me.
This school year, I will be teaching third grade. Specializing in science and social studies. Which is somewhat new for me since when I had my long-term sub position I taught math. But I am super excited.
I had always planned on teaching younger kids...so my Carson Dellosa animal-train alphabet is going to have to go back. And my collection of hundreds of books (which happen to be picture books) is not going to come in very handy with children who are starting to read chapter books. But, nonetheless, I am super excited.
I don't have much more time to write at the moment, so I'll update with a little more info later...but I just wanted to let you all know that I have finally found a job and that I am so grateful that this has happened.
:)
This school year, I will be teaching third grade. Specializing in science and social studies. Which is somewhat new for me since when I had my long-term sub position I taught math. But I am super excited.
I had always planned on teaching younger kids...so my Carson Dellosa animal-train alphabet is going to have to go back. And my collection of hundreds of books (which happen to be picture books) is not going to come in very handy with children who are starting to read chapter books. But, nonetheless, I am super excited.
I don't have much more time to write at the moment, so I'll update with a little more info later...but I just wanted to let you all know that I have finally found a job and that I am so grateful that this has happened.
:)
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Keeping The Faith...
Well, a few days have passed and I have applied for several more jobs. Still no word. I just wish someone would give me the chance. I am telling you, once I get a job, my life will become nothing but that job. I will arrive early and stay late, volunteer for any and everything extra, go out of my way to help the school/district however I can...heck, I'll even buy a school t-shirt and sport it proudly all the time.
Essentially, what I'm saying is that no one would be a more dedicated teacher than me. I love teaching; it is truly my passion. It's funny- when you're actually in the classroom the day-to-day routine can get stressful and make you want nothing more than a break. But when you're not in it- when you're not actually teaching- it feels as if your world is incomplete...like you don't know what to do with yourself because ALL you want to do is teach. That's how I feel now. All I want to do is teach. My world is incomplete. The job search consumes every waking moment of my day in one way or another.
Today, though, a glimmer of hope came out of nowhere. Granted, I am still very, very hopeful that I will get a job within the next month, but today, I learned some amazing news: the school where I student taught and did my long-term substitute position MAY have an opening this school year...which seemed nearly impossible at the end of last year. However, some people are shifting around with new administrative positions opening, leaving a possible spot open to teach 2nd grade. I feel like I definitely have my foot in the door with this school, too, since they called me to sub almost every day. In learning this news, my heart began to race, I got butterflies in my stomach, and I got uncontrollably excited. What happened next cannot be blamed on me...
I went to walmart and bought a bunch of school supplies.
I can't help it; Back-to-School sales always get me. ;)
Essentially, what I'm saying is that no one would be a more dedicated teacher than me. I love teaching; it is truly my passion. It's funny- when you're actually in the classroom the day-to-day routine can get stressful and make you want nothing more than a break. But when you're not in it- when you're not actually teaching- it feels as if your world is incomplete...like you don't know what to do with yourself because ALL you want to do is teach. That's how I feel now. All I want to do is teach. My world is incomplete. The job search consumes every waking moment of my day in one way or another.
Today, though, a glimmer of hope came out of nowhere. Granted, I am still very, very hopeful that I will get a job within the next month, but today, I learned some amazing news: the school where I student taught and did my long-term substitute position MAY have an opening this school year...which seemed nearly impossible at the end of last year. However, some people are shifting around with new administrative positions opening, leaving a possible spot open to teach 2nd grade. I feel like I definitely have my foot in the door with this school, too, since they called me to sub almost every day. In learning this news, my heart began to race, I got butterflies in my stomach, and I got uncontrollably excited. What happened next cannot be blamed on me...
I went to walmart and bought a bunch of school supplies.
I can't help it; Back-to-School sales always get me. ;)
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Hello, Old Friend
Well, as you may have noticed (assuming anyone is still out there) I have had a serious lack of blogging over the past few months. I've been SUPER busy and SUPER stressed. But it's time for an update.
Let's start from where we left off, shall we?
My long-term substitute position ended in mid-May. It went very well. It ended up being a very enjoyable experience overall and I have to say it really helped to prepare me for having a classroom in the future. I administered their state achievement tests, so that was great experience also. I had a very strong bond with the students. It was almost sad to leave.
In my most recent post, I said, "...I guess we will see where I am at come July..."
Well, here it is, July, and guess what?
No job.
At least not a real, full-time, have-my-own-classroom teaching job.
I am currently working as a summer preschool teacher in a very urban location. I enjoy my job, but some of the students have very, very severe behavior problems. Problems I've never seen before. I get kicked, punched, scratched, and cussed at on a daily basis. So, needless to say, my current job is very difficult, but I manage.
I am continuing the job search on a daily basis. I have applied to over 50 places and still, nothing. One of the jobs I applied for had over 536 applicants. And the districts always find someone internally.
I had an interview at a charter school, but it seemed our views did not really align. I personally do not believe a Kindergarten student should be doing 2 hours of homework each night. The school did. I am actually glad that it ended up working out that way; I would not have felt comfortable working in a place that required me to carry out things I do not agree with.
All I want is for someone to give me a chance. One chance, and I will prove to them that I can contribute significantly to their school, to their district, to their children. I am more than willing to go above and beyond 100% to be the best teacher I can be. I just need that one chance.
So, as you may have guessed, posting probably won't be as frequent as I would like it to be without a real job. Or any interviews. Or anything to report in regards to teaching really at all.
Last year, on my birthday, the boyfriend got me this book:
It hurts so much to look at it now because all I want to do is read it and have a reason to be reading it.
Some people (me being one of them) are a little worried that I haven't found a job by now. Many others, though, keep telling me that no school districts hire people until August anyway, so there is no need to worry.
I truly hope August comes with the promise of a job.
Pretty please.
Let's start from where we left off, shall we?
My long-term substitute position ended in mid-May. It went very well. It ended up being a very enjoyable experience overall and I have to say it really helped to prepare me for having a classroom in the future. I administered their state achievement tests, so that was great experience also. I had a very strong bond with the students. It was almost sad to leave.
In my most recent post, I said, "...I guess we will see where I am at come July..."
Well, here it is, July, and guess what?
No job.
At least not a real, full-time, have-my-own-classroom teaching job.
I am currently working as a summer preschool teacher in a very urban location. I enjoy my job, but some of the students have very, very severe behavior problems. Problems I've never seen before. I get kicked, punched, scratched, and cussed at on a daily basis. So, needless to say, my current job is very difficult, but I manage.
I am continuing the job search on a daily basis. I have applied to over 50 places and still, nothing. One of the jobs I applied for had over 536 applicants. And the districts always find someone internally.
I had an interview at a charter school, but it seemed our views did not really align. I personally do not believe a Kindergarten student should be doing 2 hours of homework each night. The school did. I am actually glad that it ended up working out that way; I would not have felt comfortable working in a place that required me to carry out things I do not agree with.
All I want is for someone to give me a chance. One chance, and I will prove to them that I can contribute significantly to their school, to their district, to their children. I am more than willing to go above and beyond 100% to be the best teacher I can be. I just need that one chance.
So, as you may have guessed, posting probably won't be as frequent as I would like it to be without a real job. Or any interviews. Or anything to report in regards to teaching really at all.
Last year, on my birthday, the boyfriend got me this book:
It hurts so much to look at it now because all I want to do is read it and have a reason to be reading it.
Some people (me being one of them) are a little worried that I haven't found a job by now. Many others, though, keep telling me that no school districts hire people until August anyway, so there is no need to worry.
I truly hope August comes with the promise of a job.
Pretty please.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Spring Break!
Well, third grade is going pretty well so far. This week I am on Spring Break and really just not doing much except for being lazy and lounging around. It feels VERY good :) When we go back, I will be starting multiplication with my students and shifting into hardcore test-prep mode. They take their math test in a little over 2 weeks. I am nervous for them, so I cannot even imagine how they must feel. I do not remember such stress being put upon me while I was a third grader. Hmm...Gotta love those standardized tests!
Last Thursday I went to a Teacher Job Fair. I ended up having two different interviews that both seemed to go pretty well. It did make me slightly discouraged, though. I feel like I am never going to get a teaching job in Ohio. Especially not in Northeast Ohio, which is where I would like to stay for the time being. I just want my own classroom! Subbing is not terrible, but it would feel so much nicer to have my own classroom where I can do all of my own things. I guess I am going to just keep applying and see what happens. I am still considering moving to North Carolina, but I'm not sure if I want to just haul off and move to a place where I know NO ONE. Not a soul. It's a scary thing to think about...but at the same time I feel like it could be strangely adventurous and exciting. I guess we will see where I am at come July and then it will be time to take any job I can get that seems halfway decent.
I don't know. This job search process is incredibly frustrating. How come no one in college prepared us (us being myself and my fellow teacher friends) for the extensive post-college job search process? I mean, sure I have the college's career center, but I almost feel like I should have taken a whole class on this kind of thing. It is exhausting and overwhelming just to write about on here. It almost feels hopeless...like a lost cause...I wish I would just see a *poof* of smoke and a magical job contract with a decent salary and good benefits would just appear in front of me, with a pen floating next to it to sign with.
Hey, a girl can dream, can't she!?
I plan on using the remainder of this break to continue applying to school districts and getting my name out there. There has got to be SOMETHING I can do...
I'll keep you posted.
Last Thursday I went to a Teacher Job Fair. I ended up having two different interviews that both seemed to go pretty well. It did make me slightly discouraged, though. I feel like I am never going to get a teaching job in Ohio. Especially not in Northeast Ohio, which is where I would like to stay for the time being. I just want my own classroom! Subbing is not terrible, but it would feel so much nicer to have my own classroom where I can do all of my own things. I guess I am going to just keep applying and see what happens. I am still considering moving to North Carolina, but I'm not sure if I want to just haul off and move to a place where I know NO ONE. Not a soul. It's a scary thing to think about...but at the same time I feel like it could be strangely adventurous and exciting. I guess we will see where I am at come July and then it will be time to take any job I can get that seems halfway decent.
I don't know. This job search process is incredibly frustrating. How come no one in college prepared us (us being myself and my fellow teacher friends) for the extensive post-college job search process? I mean, sure I have the college's career center, but I almost feel like I should have taken a whole class on this kind of thing. It is exhausting and overwhelming just to write about on here. It almost feels hopeless...like a lost cause...I wish I would just see a *poof* of smoke and a magical job contract with a decent salary and good benefits would just appear in front of me, with a pen floating next to it to sign with.
Hey, a girl can dream, can't she!?
I plan on using the remainder of this break to continue applying to school districts and getting my name out there. There has got to be SOMETHING I can do...
I'll keep you posted.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Third Grade, Here I Come!
For at least the next five weeks, I will be substitute teaching in a third grade classroom. It will be nice to work with some children that I am actually licensed to be teaching (my license is Age 3-Grade 3)...however, as of right now I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. I guess this is how every brand new teacher must feel when he or she gets a job two weeks before the new school year starts...that is, being thrown into a new job without any real warning. I am feeling this way because I was informed today that not only would I be subbing, but I would also be responsible for planning all of the lesson plans over the next month or so. Coming up with the plans is really no problem. I like being planned so that things go more smoothly...and if I get to create the plans, I will be more familiar with the material that I am teaching and therefore will probably be able to teach it better. I guess I just wasn't expecting a teacher to actually hand over the reigns so fully. Plus, today was Day 1, so I have to get used to the way the classroom runs. It is nice because this thrid grade is departmentalized, so I will only be teaching reading and math...and will also have 3 other third grade teachers to help me get into a groove.
Tomorrow night I also have to stay at the school for a concert in the evening, so I am hoping that during the 3 hours between the end of the school day and the time when students begin arriving for the concert that I will be able to get at LEAST next week's plans done and ready to go. I will be stuck at the school so I may as well try. I guess that makes me feel much less stressed because I will have some time where I am forced to get them done and none of the distractions of home.
I am actually pretty excited to be taking on such a large position...and it could end up being for ten weeks (until the end of the school year)...depending on when this teacher is able to return.
So I am diving into this head-first, a little weary, but ready...and I will do my best.
Tomorrow night I also have to stay at the school for a concert in the evening, so I am hoping that during the 3 hours between the end of the school day and the time when students begin arriving for the concert that I will be able to get at LEAST next week's plans done and ready to go. I will be stuck at the school so I may as well try. I guess that makes me feel much less stressed because I will have some time where I am forced to get them done and none of the distractions of home.
I am actually pretty excited to be taking on such a large position...and it could end up being for ten weeks (until the end of the school year)...depending on when this teacher is able to return.
So I am diving into this head-first, a little weary, but ready...and I will do my best.
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