When Life Gives You Lemons . . . Buy a Watermelon Instead

Wow! So, 2013 will be known as the year that just didn't work out. Oh well, I'll just chalk it up and move on. Through some unpleasant experiences (lemons) I decided that teaching isn't for me, and I'll just transition into something else (watermelon). Here's the story . . .

So, one day I thought things were going pretty decent, I was adjusting to my new job as a middle school teacher, and the unending confusion that is "Common Core," and BAM! I'm told I no longer have a job. I thought I was doing everything that was asked of me, and yes my classes were rough, but was it so bad that I had to be demoted? Apparently. So, I decided "forget being a teacher, I can mold young minds some other way.  What has it really done for me?" . . . Well. . . some stuff, but unrelated to the actual teaching part. Looking for jobs is the pits, and sometimes I feel like I'm only qualified for one thing--TEACHING--but then I remember "I have a Bachelor's degree!" Enough of the lemons, they really are making me sour right now.

On a side note, before all this happened I contemplated quitting, I didn't have a contract, I wasn't obligated to any school, I'm a free agent, or as my Employment Law class would say "Independent Contractor."

I bet you're wondering why I'm using such legal terms, well, I am now a paralegal student. Yep, that's right! I've been contemplating it for a few years now, and I decided this is my opportunity. Being let go was a good thing, a sign, if you will. I am now taking online classes, and I can still work part-time. It's not as great as a full-time job, but I think I've settled on a gig that will work with my schedule, and still pay well. Having a Bachelor's does have its perks.

I'm not as angry or cranky as I used to be. I'm not worrying about my students, making lesson plans or grading papers at home, or answering to the Common Core. I just decided to take a step into the dark, and the light grew. Opportunities for employment opened up; were they the best choices, maybe not, but they filled time and space until the right one came along. Believe me, I still doubt sometimes, but I hold firm to the choice that I made to go back to school because I've never felt like it was a bad choice (my doubts are how am I going to pay for this?).

 My Classes are cool! I'm learning a lot about employment law. I love watermelon!

**Note: I was let go on September 30, and started school October 14--yeah, that fast!

Again with the Last Minute Hiring. . .

Well, this is crazy! Once again I get hired right before school starts with little to no prep time. I'm still taking it in. I still am shocked and amazed everytime I hear "you're hired!" I thought all the hiring was done for the 2013-2014 school year, but I guess not because there was one spot left... for me! (Imagine the scene in Legally Blonde when everyone is standing around the board to see who the interns are, and the only spot left is for Elle Woods and she says "ME!" with that "triumphant in your face tone," yeah that's my life). I almost didn't get it because of some state technicality, which doesn't really qualify a teacher for being good or not--really, English Language Learners, that's what was holding things up?

Last week, I randomly get called by the HR department at Bakersfield City School District, and they ask me about my license and CLAD (the California version of ESL certification), and I explained to her about the classes that I took in Arizona, and how I am getting that worked out through the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) and the California Teacher Credentialing (CTC). Well this started back in June, a week later I went to Utah, and other stuff came up that I forgot to follow up with KCSOS. After I hung up the phone with BCSD (saying they were interested in me, but needed to figure out what to do with the CLAD), I immediately emailed KCSOS to see if they found out anything, and the certification adviser  emailed me back saying she hadn't heard anything, and that she would resubmit the information, and blah blah blah. So a day goes by and she emails me back with the sad news that California will not accept my Arizona credits because of a technicality (working in California is such a hassle, and it really isn't that much better than anywhere else, they just like to make people's lives difficult). So, I didn't think I would hear from BCSD again. Then, on Monday August 5 (wow! a magical day my nephew and cousin's birthday, and the day I was hired at SLHS), BCSD called again to set up an interview, and that they'll work something out once they make the decision.

The interview was really nice and pleasant. I enjoyed talking to the principal of Stiern Middle School. I explained the situation with CLAD and she made it sound like the school/district would work with me, so that was hopeful. Right off she said that one of the reasons she was interested in me is because of my experience working with English language learners (SLHS, Boys and Girls Club, Thailand, etc.).  One question seemed really vague and hard to pin down, but she said I gave a really good answer (and she's not supposed to tell people that in the interview), and the last question about classroom management she said "I hit the nail on the head" with a keyword: consistency. (I can tell you that is a hard concept for me, but it is something I "consistently" work on.

At the end I asked when I would find out, and the principal of SMS told me she would be making her decision today, I didn't expect it an hour after my interview. I barely walked into the door, ate my bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit from Carl's Jr., went upstairs to change before I got the call (my nylons were still on), 49 minutes after I left BCSD.

Not that this interview came out of nowhere, but once again it was a miracle. There were signs along the way that told me it was right. I get nervous in interviews, but in the back of my head I felt that they wanted to hire me no matter how horribly I answered all 10 questions. So, maybe I am supposed to be at BCSD this year, whether everything with CLAD and my license status works out or not. The district called me twice, and CLAD was a concern, but they were looking for a way to make it work. Again, another answer to my prayers, another door is being opened up to me, and I am suppose to go through. People want to know all the details and all I can say is "uuuuh. . . I don't know. They just offered me the job, and I said 'yes.' Sorry I didn't ask for the details."