I've been on the ultimate emotional roller coaster, and to the edge of Texas and back.
I had a sub job on Wednesday, the teacher I am long term subbing for had a doctor's appointment. I left school, and went back to my apartment expecting a call from a school in Houston. We had scheduled a phone interview since I had to sub that day and they needed teachers. I thought I fumbled my words too much, and was on conference with lots of people. But they called me back and said, "Well we've decided we like you. Would you like to come in tomorrow and teach a 30 minute lesson to 3rd graders on the Comprehension strategy of your choice?" So I said, "YES!"
I called my mom to let her know the news and we thought I would go alone. I quickly changed my mind and decided I wanted her to take me so I could prepare for my lesson in the car, plus I am 1,000 miles past my need for an oil change (whoops).
I was frantically packing my clothes, and trying to get a hold of my mentor teacher. Finally got a hold of her, so we chatted and I headed back to school. She gave me a great lesson idea, and let me borrow 16 books for it! Hooray! I have been so blessed to have that woman in my life! Interesting twist happens while we were planning my lesson. I got a call from an old friend from high school. She was a senior when I was a freshman and had already established herself as a teacher, and I thought she was responding to my plea for help on a lesson I put on facebook. She actually wanted me to come out to the charter school where she works for an interview... In Georgetown! Yeah, okay I'll just swing by there on my way back. no big deal.
Got back to my apartment, my mom was almost there. I finished packing, we had a quick dinner, and left for Houston around 7:30PM. We arrived to our hotel in downtown at midnight. The reason we stayed in downtown was because I thought I had to go to Houston ISD HR to do some sort of test and video thing the principal told me about. Luckily, I checked my e-mail early that morning, and he had told me that HR was booked for the morning and to go teach the lesson first. It was nice to sleep a couple extra hours in our hotel that we had just arrived at. I woke up and prepared for my lesson some more.
PS We had to pay $9.95 to use the internet in our hotel for 24 hours. LAME. What is extra lame, is that I went to the business center to print out a copy of my lesson for the principal to look over as I taught, and that cost $9.50 to use the computer and print out 3 pages! Can you say, "Rip Off!"
Mom and I headed to the school to check out the area. This is when things started looking shady.The school itself looked like a nice facility. However: 1.) There was a 12+ foot fence wrapped around the teacher parking lot. 2.) We counted about 7 sad looking, starved, stray dogs walking around the area. 3.) There were bars on all of the glass windows and doors of the houses and businesses in the area. 4.) The safest looking place to pee was in a McDonalds 5.) Everyone was speaking spanish in McDonalds. . . The list went on and on. I don't even think there was an area for the kids to have recess because the area was so unsafe. Not somewhere I want to be if I'm teaching and have to come home late.
I went into the school. It was nice. Everyone in the office was talking in spanish.. I don't know spanish.. I met the principal. A REALLY nice guy. He has been very persistent with e-mailing me and a really cool dude. On our way to the classroom I was going to teach in, he got onto some kids for talking in the hallway. I didn't like how he handled it.
I walked into the 3rd grade class, he introduced me to them all, and as I set up my area, he played a trivia game with them. He was asking them questions like, "What continent do we live on? What Country do we live in? What city do we live in? What state do we live in?" They didn't know the answers to these questions! They are in 3rd grade!!!! My kindergarteners know that our state is Texas and the city they live in is Frisco.
So I taught my lesson and totally rocked it. They didn't know what the word, "text" meant. They didn't know what velcro was. I had to find a kid in the group who had velcro on his shoes, and show them what velcro was. They were respectful and listened to my book and my lesson, and actually completed the activity I asked of them to do. (Read a book with your partner and find a connection you feel in the book. Write it on a post-it and share). They were really excited about the post-it notes... The kids were super sweet and I think they liked me....
I did my lesson within 30 minutes so my time management was good and I think I actually taught them some stuff! I left the school and the principal told me to watch my e-mail. This is where my emotional melt down began. I was afraid he was going to OFFER me the job. I realized that I didn't want to start my first year teaching in that school, in that area. I started stressing out. I have been dying for a teaching job all summer and here I was hoping he wouldn't offer it to me. What would people think of me? I didn't want anyone to think I was a snob for not wanting to teach in an inner city school my first year. I just felt intimidated and didn't feel like I would be an adequate teacher my first year for those kids. My mom and I were waiting around for his e-mail and just decided to head to Austin to explore my options there.
Of course he called me 5 minutes after our decision to head to Austin, asking for some references. I gave them to him and informed him I was on my way to Austin for another interview. He said, "oh okay, well if you don't take a job there, do you think you could come back tomorrow?"
I was in tears for most of our drive to Austin. Talking on the phone to my mentor, talking to Jager, talking to my mom. I was so torn and just didn't want to be a grown up right then. So I cried. I was thinking of my kids at Frisco that I would be leaving, and the wonderful team and support that I would be giving up. Taking that job would be like jumping into the ocean without knowing how to swim, and staying in Frisco would be like jumping into a pool with floaties on. Which was more appealing? Frisco, duh! But then again, this was also a $40,000 decision. My mentor called me and told me he had contacted her and told her he wanted me but wanted to hear her recommendation. She gave me rave reviews and he told her he wanted me.
10 minutes before arriving at our Georgetown destination, he called me and offered me the job, but understood if I wanted to take a job in Austin. Thank goodness I told him I was going to Austin!
We decided I just needed to chill out, fix my make-up and concentrate on this Austin interview. We rolled into Georgetown country and this charter school was in portable buildings. I interviewed with the 2 fourth grade teachers and the principal. I would have a lot of freedom in this job. The people were nice, and it would be 4th grade self-contained. I love 4th grade. Oh! and I would only have 18 kids in my class. They were asking me how quick I could relocate, and according to my friend who got me the interview, I am the only person they have interviewed for the job so far. I haven't been offered a job there as of today.
When all is said and done, my gut was just telling me that I need to stay in Frisco this semester and take it easy this year. I will be happy and that is what's most important. Who knows, I may find a job at a school I feel is a good fit for me in the middle of the year. So the principal e-mailed me asking if I would take it so he could plan for a different teacher to be in there by Monday. I turned it down, and was able to sleep at night.
We stayed the night in Austin last night and completed our tour of Texas today on our way home. I look forward to going to my Frisco school on Monday to observe my class and not get paid.
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