My goal is to try and get caught up with what's been happening the last month or so. Bare with me as I recall what has taken most of my time...work. Life has been very busy with a minimal amount of extra time. Work has been occupying most of my thoughts, actions, dreams, and time. I was blessed to get a job the first week I moved here. While I was still in WA, I could not get a break. I applied to the district that my house is in but did not hear from any principal despite sending several e-mails. I was a little (ok, a lot) nervous that I would not get a job.
A few days after I arrived to Utah, I had a meeting with Canyons School District to have a pre-application interview just to make sure I was good enough to be put into their application pool. I found an outfit from a half unpacked box, slept in my new house for the first time and got up to drive to an unknown location hoping I wouldn't get lost. The interview went well and I was pleased with how well it went. The lady was so incredibly nice and said some very nice things to me. She immediately e-mailed all principals in the district who were hiring and recommended they interview me. Within an hour of leaving the office, I had three messages on my phone. By the end of the day, I had several more. The next day, I had two interviews and another lined up a couple days later. I actually turned a couple down because I wasn't interested in 1/2 day Kindergarten. Talk about a huge shift from my experience with the other district of never hearing from anyone! I was so overwhelmed but grateful for the experience to interview and show people what I could do.
My first interview was for a 1st grade job. I would have been so excited about it, except it was for a gifted and talented class. That turned me off. Smart kids? I wasn't sure they were really for me. I was used to the opposite. Self doubt came quickly and I was concerned they would know more than me, that I wouldnt' be able to answer their questions, that the parents would see through me and know I wasn't very smart. The interview went well. I was nervous but the first grade team seemed great. The principal was a little older than me and he had an excitement about him. I told them I had two more interviews and went straight to my next interview down the road. During the next interview, I received a voicemail from the previous principal offering me the job. Within 30 minutes, I had a job. Kind of made the next interviews easier. :) Despite the whole SALTA (gifted and talented) class, I knew I loved first graders and I had a great feeling about the interview. I made the choice more on the people I would work with than the program I was working for.
After accepting the job, I had to wait a couple weeks to get started since I was heading home to Seattle for a week then attending our family reunion at the end of July. School started the 3rd week of August so I had 2 weeks to move in, set up and prepare for a new year with different state standards, curriculum and requirements to meet the needs of gifted kids......while knowing NOTHING about gifted kids. Nothing. Fear set in and self doubt came to the surface.
The other fear I had was setting up my room by myself. I moved rooms almost every year for 7 years. My family was always around to help in some way. Especially my dad. He always did so much and saved me so much time, energy and stress. I was bummed he wasn't there to help. So, on one HOT Friday, I loaded up my cousin's suburban three different times and moved all my stuff into my new room. Seeing my room for the first time was depressing. I could have broke into tears. It is so small and has no windows. I know I'm the new person and didn't think I would have the best room, but still.
The next stab was finding out the school closed at 3:00 every day. No exceptions. Doors locked, alarm on and everyone had to leave. Not open on weekends, no keys or codes to give to teachers. You do what you can do before you're kicked out. Stress ramped up even more...how am I supposed to get all this done in two weeks (really 1 1/2 since we had meetings) before the kids came. Days blurred together, restless nights came and stayed for awhile, fear showed up but didn't slow me down because there was no time. I was lucky to have Tami and the girls stop by one day to help me. It was so nice having an extra pair of hands. Have you tried to put a bulletin board up by yourself? It should be an Olympic sport. The girls were adorable and colored, read books and when the A/C broke, relaxed on pillows and watched some videos while we were sweating while finishing up for the day. I must say, I was so excited to see my girls that day. I missed having my dad's help, but seeing my girls in my classroom and letting them see apart of my life was special to me.
I know I'm at the right place at the right time. I know I am supposed to be at Sunrise Elementary. I know I am supposed to work with the ladies I do. I know I am supposed to be the teacher to the 19 "gifted" kids I have. Although there are many times I feel lost and have more work than time has to offer, I know this is going to be a great year.
