The past few months have been quite busy with lots of changes for me on the job front. In May I applied for and was offered a job at Sylvan Learning Center. It's been a great part time job for the summer; however, the overall experience has not been what I expected and I don't plan on continuing my work there in the fall. I also applied for and was offered a job as a W-A-Y mentor through the main branch of our local school district. Though much of my previous work in the field of education has been with very young children, I'm looking forward to trying my hand at helping at-risk teenagers as a welcome change of pace. I start training for that tomorrow, and I'm excited to see where the job leads.
This past week was particularly busy as I interviewed for a position at East Washtenaw Multicultural Academy in Ann Arbor. The interview went well and I found out on Friday that I'll be working as a preschool teacher for them this coming school year. While I don't see myself teaching preschool for the long haul, I do want to work with young children and this is a way for me to get my foot in the door and get some valuable experience under my belt. The program for which I'll be working is a state funded GSRP program, which means I'll be servicing low income families who might not otherwise have the chance to send their children to preschool. I'm looking forward to the coming week, when I'll be able to meet the families with whom I'll be working for the 2011/2012 school year. In considering this job and my future, I've decided that if money and this horrifying economy were not an issue, my true ideal job would be to teach second or third grade in a public school setting. Unfortunately, this job market is not one which lends itself to any sort of cherry picking--a job is a job after all. Still, I think it's good for me to have some kind of idea of what I want for my future. I'm pretty broadly qualified, educationally speaking, which was an intentional choice on my part. It's not that I wouldn't be happy teaching other grades/ages, or, for that matter, using my reading endorsement and teaching language arts to middle school students, but at least if I have an area upon which to set my sights, I'm more likely to make intentional choices toward that goal.
Time will tell. There are several other jobs for which I've applied, and I haven't heard anything about any of them. I'm not exactly sure what that means...I suppose it could be good or bad. It's August now though, so I would imagine most schools will be conducting interviews and making their decisions very soon. Unless something unexpected happens in the very near future, I'll be teaching preschool for the foreseeable future. A job is a job, after all!
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Sunday, August 07, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
The Search is Over...
Quite a long time ago, I wrote A POST about church and my {rather conflicted} feelings on the matter. I did attend the church I referenced in that post for about six months, nearly every week. I even went to Sunday school, and I met some people there that I still remember fondly now. For reasons I won't bore you with here, I fell off the bandwagon. Life got very complicated for a time, and then our son was born.
Life got even more complicated. Everything changed.
One thing that didn't change though, was that my spiritual existence felt very unformed. Any time I thought of God or church or religion at all, I pictured a mental image of a blank screen with a little cursor flashing in the corner. Like those old Compuware 486 computers used to do when you first turned them on. Like, "Come on already will you please DO something?" When our son turned two not that long ago, I started talking to my older sister about how I was feeling. I told her that I really wanted to start taking the little one to church because I wanted him to have a moral foundation upon which to grow and learn. We talked about how we can teach our children morals but we really want/need a moral community within which to raise our children so that those lessons we teach can be reinforced by the broader "community" if you will. We also talked about how many of our closest relationships over the years blossomed as a result of our shared experiences at church. Call it divinity or whatever you will, but my sister had a lot of the same feelings I did regarding church. Though we hadn't previously discussed it a lot, we had both been wrestling with it privately and wishing for a solution.
That was it then, we had to start going to church. We enlisted the support of our younger sister, who has also been wanting to find a church she can attend. Three sisters strong, we started church-hopping to see what was available. The first church we attended, chosen by me, had an excellent children's ministry but left us all feeling a little uncertain in other ways. We decided we would each choose a church per week until we (hopefully) found one about which we could all feel good. The next week, my younger sister chose for us to try Unity Church of Ann Arbor.
As it turned out, neither of my sister's made it to church that week, which left me attending services alone with my little one. Despite the slight, inevitable awkwardness of attending church alone, and despite the fact that I didn't know children's services were only available at the 11:00 service, meaning I had to entertain my two-year-old the whole time, I loved the church. I found myself thinking that I really hoped my sister's would like this church too because I was pretty sure I wouldn't be looking any further. I left there that Sunday feeling spiritually full, like I was ready to face the world and all it's complications. My mind wandered back to points from the sermon several times that following week. I felt not only like I wanted to be a better person, but also like I could be a better person. I felt the way I always imagined my church would make me feel. Since that time, my sister's have also attended--and become very fond of--the church. We all sort of feel like we belong there, even though it hasn't been that long since we started attending. The things I like best about this church are:
There are other reasons I like this church too but they can all be summed up by saying that I feel that I can truly be myself here. I can come in with my questions, my doubts and openly seeking a stronger connection with God and that will be supported. I can teach my son the things I believe and know that his spiritual journey as he grows will also be supported and nourished. That is profound, and so far, so is the Unity Church of Ann Arbor.
Life got even more complicated. Everything changed.
One thing that didn't change though, was that my spiritual existence felt very unformed. Any time I thought of God or church or religion at all, I pictured a mental image of a blank screen with a little cursor flashing in the corner. Like those old Compuware 486 computers used to do when you first turned them on. Like, "Come on already will you please DO something?" When our son turned two not that long ago, I started talking to my older sister about how I was feeling. I told her that I really wanted to start taking the little one to church because I wanted him to have a moral foundation upon which to grow and learn. We talked about how we can teach our children morals but we really want/need a moral community within which to raise our children so that those lessons we teach can be reinforced by the broader "community" if you will. We also talked about how many of our closest relationships over the years blossomed as a result of our shared experiences at church. Call it divinity or whatever you will, but my sister had a lot of the same feelings I did regarding church. Though we hadn't previously discussed it a lot, we had both been wrestling with it privately and wishing for a solution.
That was it then, we had to start going to church. We enlisted the support of our younger sister, who has also been wanting to find a church she can attend. Three sisters strong, we started church-hopping to see what was available. The first church we attended, chosen by me, had an excellent children's ministry but left us all feeling a little uncertain in other ways. We decided we would each choose a church per week until we (hopefully) found one about which we could all feel good. The next week, my younger sister chose for us to try Unity Church of Ann Arbor.
As it turned out, neither of my sister's made it to church that week, which left me attending services alone with my little one. Despite the slight, inevitable awkwardness of attending church alone, and despite the fact that I didn't know children's services were only available at the 11:00 service, meaning I had to entertain my two-year-old the whole time, I loved the church. I found myself thinking that I really hoped my sister's would like this church too because I was pretty sure I wouldn't be looking any further. I left there that Sunday feeling spiritually full, like I was ready to face the world and all it's complications. My mind wandered back to points from the sermon several times that following week. I felt not only like I wanted to be a better person, but also like I could be a better person. I felt the way I always imagined my church would make me feel. Since that time, my sister's have also attended--and become very fond of--the church. We all sort of feel like we belong there, even though it hasn't been that long since we started attending. The things I like best about this church are:
- There are many different skin tones, both among the congregation and among the clergy members.
- They teach based on the foundation of the bible and Jesus but they relate it to today, to real life.
- They practice meditation and mind calming techniques.
- They teach based on a set of principles that leave room for different interpretations.
- They don't have a "my way or else" philosophy.
- The church is not tiny but not huge. I'm already beginning to know people and I don't feel lost in the crowd.
- They are open to questions and individual interpretation of their teachings.
- They love my little boy and have welcomed us with open arms.
There are other reasons I like this church too but they can all be summed up by saying that I feel that I can truly be myself here. I can come in with my questions, my doubts and openly seeking a stronger connection with God and that will be supported. I can teach my son the things I believe and know that his spiritual journey as he grows will also be supported and nourished. That is profound, and so far, so is the Unity Church of Ann Arbor.
Saturday, March 05, 2011
42 Days...
...until I GRADUATE!!! I know not everyone will understand but this is HUGE for me. This is a lifetime goal that I've always held and it's been a loooong time coming. My educational path has been non-traditional in nearly every way. My journey has included many twisting, winding, sometimes bumpy roads. I was definitely not the girl who graduated from high school knowing exactly what she wanted. There was a time when, despite my knowledge that it was important, I wondered if I would ever earn my bachelor's degree. That was actually a really big factor in my decision to go back to school at the ripe old age of 32 - the knowledge that having a four year degree was something that really mattered to me in the grand scheme of my life.
There's a song by the Avett Brothers that I really love right now. My favorite line says, "Decide what to be and go be it." I love that! It speaks to me in the deep. The song also talks about, "...a kid with a head full of doubt" and I feel somehow that the kid is/was me. I wish I had been able to make those decisions when I was younger and I wish (sometimes) that I had just gotten all this done years ago. But then...if that were the case, I wouldn't be who I am and I wouldn't have had any of the rich and rewarding experience along the way either. Those twisting, turning roads have not been bad, just long at times. For the most part though, my former educational and career experiences have been value added to the person I've become.
I wonder what the next chapter holds? I wonder when/where/if I will find a job? I wonder who my future students will be? Which of those children will have "a head full of doubt" to which I may be able to add a ray of hope? Although it took me a long time to get to where I am and although the uncertainty of being a job-seeker in the worst economy since the Great Depression is, to say the least, daunting, I can say for sure that my decision to be a teacher was absolutely the right one. Gone (but not forgotten) is my head full of doubt. Although fear is definitely in the mix too, I'm now able to look ahead with pride and confidence in how far I've come. I'm also able to look ahead with hope that I may be able to make a difference in the future by influencing the people who will live in it.
There's a song by the Avett Brothers that I really love right now. My favorite line says, "Decide what to be and go be it." I love that! It speaks to me in the deep. The song also talks about, "...a kid with a head full of doubt" and I feel somehow that the kid is/was me. I wish I had been able to make those decisions when I was younger and I wish (sometimes) that I had just gotten all this done years ago. But then...if that were the case, I wouldn't be who I am and I wouldn't have had any of the rich and rewarding experience along the way either. Those twisting, turning roads have not been bad, just long at times. For the most part though, my former educational and career experiences have been value added to the person I've become.
I wonder what the next chapter holds? I wonder when/where/if I will find a job? I wonder who my future students will be? Which of those children will have "a head full of doubt" to which I may be able to add a ray of hope? Although it took me a long time to get to where I am and although the uncertainty of being a job-seeker in the worst economy since the Great Depression is, to say the least, daunting, I can say for sure that my decision to be a teacher was absolutely the right one. Gone (but not forgotten) is my head full of doubt. Although fear is definitely in the mix too, I'm now able to look ahead with pride and confidence in how far I've come. I'm also able to look ahead with hope that I may be able to make a difference in the future by influencing the people who will live in it.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Three Weeks In
Well vacation came and went, school started, routines changed, tears fell, summer ended...and that brings us to now.
I've been officially student teaching for three weeks now. So far things are going well. I am more exhausted than I've ever been, perhaps with the lone exception of the weeks prior to being diagnosed with hypothyroidism, several years ago. In case you didn't know, keeping pace with 24 six-year-old children and then coming home to a 16-month-old toddler on a daily basis has a tendency to deplete your energy!
Overall my placement is good. I mostly enjoy my time at school and am happy to (finally) be applying some of the knowledge I've been spending the last few years accumulating. Today I got to do some real teaching, which consisted of reading the children a book and going over some math and grammar worksheets with them as a whole group. Up to this point, I've been feeling rather like a (slightly) glorified secretary. Not that I mind doing some of the prep work when that's needed but it was becoming quite excessive for a minute. There have also been some scheduling issues, which are completely out of my control.
There's been a lot of stress surrounding the time of day the children are slotted to go to their "specials," which are subjects like art, gym, music, technology and media. They go first thing in the morning, which means all the academic subjects have to be crammed into one long afternoon...NOT a good arrangement for first graders! Since I'm required to do two student teaching semesters--one for elementary education and one for early childhood education--I'm currently at the school for three full days and two half days each week. These (along with daycare arrangements, my husband's work schedule and our car sharing arrangements) have been in place since late August. It's not logistically feasible for me to make any major changes to my schedule at this point, which basically means I end up missing out on a big chunk of the academic schedule with the children on two days of my work week. Granted, this is a bummer but it's not something that will be detrimental to my placement and my learning this semester. I'll still have plenty of opportunities to observe and teach all of the subjects, not to mention the fact that I will be working five full days during the two weeks when I'm teaching my unit. There has been so much stress surrounding all this and it's very frustrating, for all parties involved. With the support of my college supervisor, I finally had to directly state that a schedule change was not possible for me. It was tough for me to speak up like that, since I want to shine in my role as a student teacher but it was essential. Once that conversation was over, some of the stress eased. It's still a daily challenge but the stress is no longer directed at me and my schedule, which is a huge relief.
Whew! That was unintentionally long-winded. I'm required to keep a paper journal as part of my student teaching experience and of course, I've been writing about all this (and then some) in that. I didn't expect to have so much to say about all this here but it just kept coming. Stream of consciousness I suppose. In any case, I'm done for tonight. Time for me to go get ready for tomorrow and then get some much needed sleep. All the stress and exhaustion aside, I do love getting up in the mornings, knowing I get to spend my day with youngsters. I feel that my time is valuable and purposeful now, in a way that it really never has been before. I can't imagine how great I'll feel when I reach the point where I'm actually getting paid to do something I love so much...hang out with children. First graders are so very sweet!
I've been officially student teaching for three weeks now. So far things are going well. I am more exhausted than I've ever been, perhaps with the lone exception of the weeks prior to being diagnosed with hypothyroidism, several years ago. In case you didn't know, keeping pace with 24 six-year-old children and then coming home to a 16-month-old toddler on a daily basis has a tendency to deplete your energy!
Overall my placement is good. I mostly enjoy my time at school and am happy to (finally) be applying some of the knowledge I've been spending the last few years accumulating. Today I got to do some real teaching, which consisted of reading the children a book and going over some math and grammar worksheets with them as a whole group. Up to this point, I've been feeling rather like a (slightly) glorified secretary. Not that I mind doing some of the prep work when that's needed but it was becoming quite excessive for a minute. There have also been some scheduling issues, which are completely out of my control.
There's been a lot of stress surrounding the time of day the children are slotted to go to their "specials," which are subjects like art, gym, music, technology and media. They go first thing in the morning, which means all the academic subjects have to be crammed into one long afternoon...NOT a good arrangement for first graders! Since I'm required to do two student teaching semesters--one for elementary education and one for early childhood education--I'm currently at the school for three full days and two half days each week. These (along with daycare arrangements, my husband's work schedule and our car sharing arrangements) have been in place since late August. It's not logistically feasible for me to make any major changes to my schedule at this point, which basically means I end up missing out on a big chunk of the academic schedule with the children on two days of my work week. Granted, this is a bummer but it's not something that will be detrimental to my placement and my learning this semester. I'll still have plenty of opportunities to observe and teach all of the subjects, not to mention the fact that I will be working five full days during the two weeks when I'm teaching my unit. There has been so much stress surrounding all this and it's very frustrating, for all parties involved. With the support of my college supervisor, I finally had to directly state that a schedule change was not possible for me. It was tough for me to speak up like that, since I want to shine in my role as a student teacher but it was essential. Once that conversation was over, some of the stress eased. It's still a daily challenge but the stress is no longer directed at me and my schedule, which is a huge relief.
Whew! That was unintentionally long-winded. I'm required to keep a paper journal as part of my student teaching experience and of course, I've been writing about all this (and then some) in that. I didn't expect to have so much to say about all this here but it just kept coming. Stream of consciousness I suppose. In any case, I'm done for tonight. Time for me to go get ready for tomorrow and then get some much needed sleep. All the stress and exhaustion aside, I do love getting up in the mornings, knowing I get to spend my day with youngsters. I feel that my time is valuable and purposeful now, in a way that it really never has been before. I can't imagine how great I'll feel when I reach the point where I'm actually getting paid to do something I love so much...hang out with children. First graders are so very sweet!
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Sweet Sisiters
I did this photo shoot for my friend back in late October. Hard to believe it's taken me this long to get these photos finished, but it's true. These girls are so sweet, and so photogenic...I always love the resulting images of them.
Monday, July 28, 2008
And I Miss You
Well this is it. I just got home from my last dinner at Los Amigos with my best friend, Molly. This eatery has been Molly's all-time favorite here in Michigan, and she and I have frequented the joint many a time over the past couple of years. Molly leaves for her new home in Maryland on Wednesday and I will miss her dearly.
It's funny - you never know when people are going to make such a huge impact on your life. If someone had told me a few years ago that I would meet Molly and her family, and that we would (almost instantaneously) develop such a strong bond with one another, I never would have believed them. I've loved her little girls so much these past few years...and I've loved her friendship more than I can explain. Actually I can't imagine what in the world I did with my time before I met Molly & Co. They've become such a regular part of the fabric of my existence that now I don't know what I'll do without them. Of course we'll still see each other, and we'll be able to stay in touch (thanks to this lovely little Internet thingy,) but things are simply different from a distance and there's no real way around that.
My heart feels heavy and sad tonight. I cried myself all the way home after dinner. I'm happy for my friends and all the new beginnings that await them in MD, but I'm going to miss them tremendously. Even though I know it's not exactly fitting, the song "Missing" by Everything but the Girl keeps coming to mind. I've always liked this song, and somehow it seems appropriate for the way I feel right now. "...And I miss you, like the deserts miss the rain..." seems to be a very good summary for today.
I also recently got some shocking news that my nephew, Nick has decided to move ~250 miles away to a neighboring state to live with his dad and his dad's new girlfriend. This has a long, detailed story interwoven into it that has no business here on my blog, but I am completely taken aback by this turn of events. I have always been very close to my nephew and I really don' know what to to with the idea that he's no longer going to live close by. I'm still processing my feelings about all of this, and I'm not really even sure I can do justice to any of that at this point in time. I've spoken to him, and we had a rather intense conversation. I'm left with feelings of anger, sadness, confusion, disbelief, and, despite my own negative feelings, love for the kid. I can't fathom how this is going to impact our family...and what a difficult change this will be. Everyone is hurting, especially my sister and that makes me so sad. Yet again, I know I will still be able to see Nick, but it just won't be the same without him here in Michigan. Again thoughts of deserts and rain spring to my mind. What can you do?
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Sick again...
Lately I feel like I've been sick more than I've been healthy. This has been a hard winter. Yesterday I was throwing up again and it wasn't fun. My tummy is still jippy today so I'm not eating much but I'm feeling a lot better than I was. It seems like everyone I know has had more colds/flu/whatever this year than in years past. I'm SO ready for spring but we got another huge 5-inch snow storm last night!
I had a day off today because Ava's sick (throwing up too) and Becca is visiting with her grandparents. and so far I've used it very productively. First I caught up on my sleep, which was much needed and then I put the finishing touches on all our adoption paperwork and got that all printed and ready to go. Now I'm about to go start my Educational Psychology research project, which is due this coming Saturday. Who knows - I might even have some extra me-time later today! :)
It feels good to be getting things done!
I had a day off today because Ava's sick (throwing up too) and Becca is visiting with her grandparents. and so far I've used it very productively. First I caught up on my sleep, which was much needed and then I put the finishing touches on all our adoption paperwork and got that all printed and ready to go. Now I'm about to go start my Educational Psychology research project, which is due this coming Saturday. Who knows - I might even have some extra me-time later today! :)
It feels good to be getting things done!
Friday, December 07, 2007
Highlights
I was just looking through some photos I took for a friend over the summer. These are two of the little girls I care for, the daughters of my good friends, Molly and Lee. They are so sweet and I just wanted to share a couple of the highlights of my life.
Monday, November 12, 2007
It's freaking cold in here!
OK so I'm trying to be an adult and not complain too much but this house is absolutely frigid! Michael and I are making a huge effort this year to reduce our carbon footprints, and also cut down on our home heating/energy costs. We run a program on our thermostat so that the house will be warm when kids are here but that's about the only time. Overnight and when we're not home it goes down to about 60-62 degrees and then when I'm here alone we keep it at 66. Right at the moment I'm wearing three top layers, jeans, socks and slippers but my feet are still cold. I really don't want to change the program because I know it's going to make a big difference when that bill comes in but...BRRRRRR!
No babies will be here today. Baby Ava is sick, which I feel really bad about. Becca isn't coming until Wednesday. In terms of timing this is good since I have an Earth Science exam tonight and two huge projects due later this week but it's never good when they're sick...plus I always miss those girls when they're not here...
MSL
No babies will be here today. Baby Ava is sick, which I feel really bad about. Becca isn't coming until Wednesday. In terms of timing this is good since I have an Earth Science exam tonight and two huge projects due later this week but it's never good when they're sick...plus I always miss those girls when they're not here...
MSL
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Phantom Baby Cries
Sometimes after all the kids go home I still hear babies crying. I guess it's down to the simple fact that no matter what I'm doing I always have one ear tuned into what the babies need...even when they're not there? Like tonight, alone in my home after everyone left, I was doing the dishes and I could have sworn I heard crying from the room where the kids take their naps. It makes me a little sad I guess.
Cold November Days
Well November is upon us and the weather is doing its part to serve as a reminder of what time of year it is. Today when I got up the heat hadn't kicked into its program yet and our house was only 61 degrees, brrrrrrrr!
For some ODD reason I've been feeling the Christmas bug already this year. Normally I can't get into the spirit until at least after Thanksgiving, if even then but this year (though I haven't yet) I could even go for some Christmas tunes! Purely for principle reasons though I REFUSE to turn on 100.3 or any other radio station that's cramming Christmas down our throats already...I simply cannot partake in that nonsense. Besides...even though Americans no longer know what it's like to want for something or to wait a while to have their desires met...maybe deliberately leaving my quench for Christmas unanswered will make it all that much sweeter when the time does come. :) Here's hoping anyway.
Today looks to be busy. Right now it's just me and little Ava, who is napping. Becca will be here any minute and then Owen comes at 11:30 and Rachel at 3:30. I won't be alone again until after 7:30 tonight at which point I have to study, gees!
For some ODD reason I've been feeling the Christmas bug already this year. Normally I can't get into the spirit until at least after Thanksgiving, if even then but this year (though I haven't yet) I could even go for some Christmas tunes! Purely for principle reasons though I REFUSE to turn on 100.3 or any other radio station that's cramming Christmas down our throats already...I simply cannot partake in that nonsense. Besides...even though Americans no longer know what it's like to want for something or to wait a while to have their desires met...maybe deliberately leaving my quench for Christmas unanswered will make it all that much sweeter when the time does come. :) Here's hoping anyway.
Today looks to be busy. Right now it's just me and little Ava, who is napping. Becca will be here any minute and then Owen comes at 11:30 and Rachel at 3:30. I won't be alone again until after 7:30 tonight at which point I have to study, gees!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
