Report Card Season

I’ve been MIA the past week, due to report cards at school.  It seems like when that time of year rolls around, things just get crazy! For every category on the report card there’s a test that I have to give my kids, it’s exhausting for them and for me.  It has been a very long week full of math and reading testing, but today will hopefully be the last day! Hallelujah! And after all this testing and since St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow, we’re going to do a few fun little activities with Lucky Charms today!

In other new, I feel like I’ve been a little boy crazy in the last month in my posts. Sorry! Not meaning to be, just something that’s been on my mind, and so it comes out here. :0)

I had an interview for another part-time position on Tuesday (when it snowed!).  They only interviewed me and one other candidate, but I haven’t heard anything yet, so I’m thinking that they decided to go with the other person.  Which is okay, disappointing but okay.  The principal at my current school also offered me an additional part-time job, as a small group tutor essentially.  So, however it works out I’ll have more work which is such a Godsend!

Oh Happy Day!

I got a JOB!!!! When I didn’t think it was possible, after all the interviews and calls where the principals told me I was the runner-up and they wished they could hire me too, I got a job! A month and a half into the school year and I got a teaching job!!

What a blessing! I went into the interview thinking I had a small chance of landing the job, and knowing that this was probably my last opportunity to get a contract this year, and God totally provided. When I got the call this morning, I could hardly believe it and was expecting to hear, “Thanks for coming in to interview, we’re offering the job to another candidate.” And instead, “We would like you to come be our new kindergarten teacher!” eeeeeee!! Squeals of joy!

This is going to be a challenge and I know my hands will be full, but I am so looking forward to working with this classroom of kids. Yay, yay, yay!

It’s conference week so I’ve been sitting in on conferences so I can meet parents and some of the kids. My first official day of teaching will be Monday, which just happens to be Halloween! It’s going to be a crazy November!

Breakdown Here

Alright so two posts in one day, that doesn’t happen often with me especially not lately. I just found out the possible job opening at the school I’m currently subbing at, which I was hoping would be like a fallback if the interview Thursday morning doesn’t work out. Mom and I were on the phone and I totally lost it. I just feel a lot of pressure about the interview and it’s hard to feel relaxed about it. And everyone is like you’re such a great teacher, they’d be lucky to have you…which just builds up this pressure and if things don’t work out it makes it even harder. Goodness, I just need to go into this with a clear head and know that if it’s meant to be and part of God’s plan everything will work out. I hate interviews and this whole process. I’ll be glad when this is all over and hopefully there will be happy news!

Ch-ch-changes

Lots has been going on since lease day! Beth got married!! It was a beautiful ceremony and a wonderful weekend. We have been living in the new house for about a week now, and most of it is all put together. We’re needing to get a few last things for the downstairs but it looks like a real house!

I started my part-time long-term subbing job on the first day of school, and it’s been busy and exhausting. We have 28 second graders and it is crowded! All the other classes are at overload as well so they are going to add a new second grade class. So there may be a job opening for me!

And…I have a job interview Thursday morning!!! For a continuing contract!! It’s a 4th/5th split classroom, and it sounds like I have a pretty good chance of getting it! I’m trying not to be overly hopeful but we’ll just have to wait and see what God’s plan is.

Year in Transition

I’ve been slacking lately on posting regularly, but I’ve returned on this gloriously rainy Labor Day. First things first, I had an interview this morning (3rd time of the summer at this school – ugh). Anyway, I think it went well, I felt really good about the lesson they asked me to write at the end, a writing lesson my specialty! Hopefully, I’ll hear either way by the end of the day since school starts in 2 days!! I’m not really sure how I feel about this particular job, I would start the year as a sub and then depending on enrollment, etc. it could go away or change or a number of different possibilities. I mean I’ll take it if I get it but things are would still be up in the air at first.

Beyond all that, with this job opportunity, I just feel like this is a transitional year for me. I think I want to move out by the end of the school year or before the next one starts. I’ve been feeling that way for a while lately, I’m just ready to be out of my parents house. I love spending time with them, but I’m just ready to move on, not to mention I’ve totally outgrown my childhood bedroom as far as space is concerned. :0) (My love of shopping and thrifting hasn’t really helped that problem either.) I don’t know if moving is the plan or not but it just sounds nice to have a change of scenery. I’ve been thinking about whether I would stay here or move further away and at this point each option has its Pros and Cons. Moving away would mean leaving my YL family and mentors, but I can always get plugged in with YL somewhere else and we would still keep in touch, and being away from family, and the school district I know, among other things…I still have a long time to think and pray over this whole idea but it’s been on my heart lately.

More than just moving though, I feel like changes are coming my way. I have no idea what but it seems that God’s been preparing my heart and I’m ready for whatever is ahead. When I was driving over to Kim’s last week I was listening to the radio and this Christian singer was on talking about his songs and he said a couple of different things that completely resonated with me.

Life is not a snapshot.

He was talking about how so often in life we only see a snapshot of what life really is and that there is a bigger picture that God can see and we just have to trust him with what we can see and the things that are out of sight.

If we can trust God with our eternity, we should be able to trust him with our now.

Ahhhh…exactly what I needed to hear :0)

Waiting Game

Well, this interview went better than the last one…at least that’s how I’m feeling right now. I spent quite a bit of time preparing and then it seemed like the potential questions I thought would be a sure thing at the interview were not included. Which is totally fine, and I felt fairly confident about what I said, but there’s always the doubting that comes after, and my mind racing as I feel like I’m rambling on to answer a question.

Now it’s time to wait it out…for the dreaded phone call,  the bottom of my stomach drops when I see a school number flash on my phone and don’t know what to expect. It seemed to end on a positive note, the interview that is I haven’t gotten a phone call yet.

There’s a possibility I’ll have to go back later this evening to teach a model lesson on shared reading with some kids – my LEAST favorite part of interviewing. It sounded like the committee was unsure if they were going to do this or not, but gahh…I hate this nervous feeling and wish I had something to distract myself, I can go make brownies for Summer Life tonight that will be a small distraction, but at least it’s something…

Praying for God’s will in this situation…and peace about whatever the outcome is.

Interview Round 2

Hallelujah, I finally heard – I have an interview for a half-time kindergarten job on Monday!

This all feels very deja-vu, last minute interview for a job I don’t know if I’m qualified for…but just because of those similarities I’m not counting it as THE job. Because it’s so close to the start of school it sounds like Monday is it, I should know sometime on Monday if I got the job or not…which makes me anxious and excited (especially that I don’t have to come back and teach a model lesson). 

I’m trusting God to lead me through this experience and if this is the right job things will work out and if not, then things will still work out.

So, prayer would be amazing and…I’m off to try to relax and learn as much about kindergarten as I can in the next two days!

Yes, Still More Butterflies

The interview was this morning. And in all honesty, I’m not quite sure how it went…I’m feeling nervous but trying to remember that it’s over and I can’t do anything about what I did or said now.  There wasn’t any major disaster but I’m still like “gahhh! I could have answered that question better, why did I ramble on, did I even answer the question that was asked…” Hindsight is always 20-20, although my mind is such a jumble right now that I don’t think I accurately remember what happened. 

What will be will be. It’s all in God’s hands, and I’ll find out how things went by the end of the day. Boy do I need a distraction…

Butterflies

After yesterday’s novel, this will be a short post. I have an interview for a job on Wednesday morning. The nerves are starting to kick in and I’m already trying to come up with ways to keep myself busy and not obsessing (that don’t all involve me going shopping for designer jeans), and coming up with all the possible interview scenarios.

Praying that God will guide me and give me peace.

arrrgghhhhhmmmppppffff…

…is my current mood right now. Here’s the synopsis of my day:

Interview #2 Like I said, it was at the same school where I interviewed at on Friday.  And I’ll be honest, it wasn’t my first choice as far as places I wanted to work. But still a job’s a job, and I need a job.  So I went in and felt really good about how I answered their questions and that whole thing.  Then there was a written portion, where you had to write a 20 minute reading lesson.  I didn’t feel quite as confident with that, but I thought I came up with a pretty solid lesson. Well, to cut to the chase, I didn’t get the callback for second interview, last year when I interviewed for a first grade job there I did. So it’s disheartening…you know I don’t know if I could have answered something better, or if my lesson wasn’t up to their standards or what but it leaves me wondering what I could have done. 

All along I prayed that it would be clear if this was the job for me, and clearly it wasn’t so I can make peace with that but there are only a few more job opportunities left for next year and time is starting to run out.

Disastrous Phone Call So, after I found out I didn’t get the job, I was out and about with Mom. And once I heard from the principal I made the calls to let parents know. Then I called my sister, who was a brat on the phone and just set me off into an even worse mood. When I got home I was in no mood to talk to her and things kinda blew up.

So, I’m tired, fighting with the sister, sorta freaking out about next year…and just mentally done for the day.