What A Year

Last year at this time I had recently quit a job that had been making me miserable more often than it made me happy.  I quit via an email sent from my phone in the middle of the day and never looked back.  I felt immediately better. I had no job lined up and was finishing my last two classes of grad school but I somehow felt totally calm about the situation.

I took last summer as an opportunity to figure out if teaching was really it for me.  I have worked in only high stress teaching environments: a high school for at-risk youth, a school for cognitively delayed children with emotional disturbances, and an urban charter school who was not making it's state mandated goals.  I applied to teaching jobs for high schools but more selectively than in the past.  I even applied at a non-profit as an event planner.  I looked into editing and writing jobs.  I scoured job search sites for anything that remotely interested me and came up largely short.

As I completed my MA in English I came back to the idea I'd had when I first started it; I could teach at the college level.  I started applying.  Mostly to proprietary schools but to others as well.  Finally, I got a call, and by the end of the interview I was being handed the books for the courses and sample syllabi.  I taught four courses last fall and while I still was teaching a stressful population I loved it.  I met awesome people and I really bonded with several students.  Unfortunately they had to tell me they couldn't offer me four courses again.  I felt a little panicked.  Someone was looking out for me though and the school I really wanted to teach at offered me three classes at a significantly higher pay rate.  And that is where I remain.  I have reclaimed the joy that teaching is to me.  I love it.

Sure, I still have moments of stress but everyone does at their job.  Largely though I feel reinvigorated.  I am trying to learn as much as I can about teaching at this new level.  A part of me still really really wants to teach high school in my old school district.  But now, I know that even if I never get to I can still be very very happy.  I am finally on a path that I feel incredibly confident about and that excites me.

I have so much other stuff on my plate right now as I enter this next phase of my life, my thirties, and I can't wait to share it with the people that matter to me.

Reflecting

The other day a few people on my FB newsfeed posted this link to an article on The Huffington Post's website entitled How to Get Flat Abs, Have Amazing Sex and Rule the World in 8 Easy Steps (Kudos on the title btw, definitely encouraged people to read!).  Anyways, I went and read the article and a couple of things really resonated with me: 1. Stop believing your bullshit and 2. Be happy now.

The author's point with number 1 was that we all make excuses for ourselves.  We give ourselves reasons to not break out of comfort zone, to be satisfied with the status quo and not challenge it.  We believe we are capable of less than we are.  

If I'm being really honest with myself this can be a major issue for me.  "I have asthma I can't run a 10k." "I'm not smart enough for THAT career" and so on... The fact of the matter is I don't really know whether I can do these things or not because I have never ever tried.  I need to start trusting in myself that I have greater potential and reach out for more.  

The second step mentioned is "Be Happy Now."  I've written about this idea before... As people we often are waiting for our next step to happen before we allow ourselves to fully enjoy where we are.  

I think I'm getting a little better about this.  Dating casually this summer was part of that for me.  I decided to be happy with where I was right then and not worry about the future too much.  I think the bigger issue for me comes in my professional life.  I mean, I'm not going to lie, I'm not working my dream job right now.  BUT, I've actually been so much happier the past three weeks than I remember being in the past at my other jobs.  I've definitely been more consistently happy.  I need to let go, just a little bit, of the idea that I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing, because maybe I am.

This school year I am teaching four college research and writing classes at a career college in the late afternoons and evenings and substitute teaching for a local school district during the day.  I have never taught adults before.  I had never even taught college.  So far it's been pretty good!  My classes are small, the maturity is higher (for the most part) and I feel like the students are really responding to me.  When I see students in the hallway outside of class they greet me, they ask how my day or weekend was, and they actually seem genuinely interested.  My students have commented to me that I am "fun," that they can tell I "love" teaching.  They have even, wait for it, THANKED me for helping them.  I feel appreciated and respected (despite being young enough to be their child in some cases). 

By the same token I am having a great time substitute teaching.  I've done one day at an elementary school and the rest have been at the high school which is ideal.  I'm getting to use my brain whether it's for English or re-learning Algebra, or trying to recall Spanish vocabulary words from well over a decade ago.  There is almost no stress.  I grade papers from my night classes during my off periods and go home without extra work at the end of the day.  Even these students are starting to recognize me and say "hello" in the halls.  Today I saw a former student that frankly, often butted heads with me.  He was working at the school and we had a really nice, mature, conversation.  He showed an interest in what I'd been doing for the past several years and updated me quickly on his life.  It felt good.

I guess my point is this... I'm in a good place.  I may not technically have a full time job (sure wish I had benefits!) but I do have two jobs that are, most weeks, giving me a 40 hr load and, more importantly, are FULFILLING me.  So I choose to be happy with where I am and to stay happy.  It's time I refocused again and paid attention to all the good in my life because it so outweighs the bad.

How I look For Jobs... Systematically

I've become a pro at searching for jobs.  I go through this list at least once every 10 days but often try to do it every 3 or so.  Here's my breakdown:

West Side:
Bay Village
Brooklyn
Cleveland
Fairview Park

Lakewood

N. Olmsted

Parma

Rocky River

Westlake

Far West Side:

Avon

Avon Lake

Elyria

Olmsted Falls

Strongsville

East Side:

Beachwood

Bedford

Brecksville-Broadview Heights

Chagrin Falls

Cleveland Heights

Cuyahoga Heights
E. Cleveland
Euclid

Garfield Heights

Independence

Maple Heights

Mayfield

Orange

Shaker Heights

Solon

South Euclid

Warrensville Heights

Far East Side:
Mentor
Richmond Heights
Wickliffe


Where am I missing?  If you leave me links in the comments I'll add them to the list.  Happy Job Hunting!  Also feel free to correct my geographic categories- I did it from memory!

Life Changes

I wrote this post several weeks ago but apparently forgot to post it... so here it is now.

I made a big decision official on Wednesday.  I informed my workplace that the next 17 days are my last, and I will not be returning next school year.  I believe whole heartedly that this is the right decision for me.  However, it was a far from easy decision to make.

I LOVE my coworkers.  I really do.  They are dedicated and intelligent and so good at what they do.  Not just the ones in my classroom, but throughout our entire building.  I have made many friends and have people every day checking in on me to see how I'm doing and asking to help.  I enjoy many many aspects of the job I have, but unfortunately for me, there is no real room for growth for me unless I get a counseling or special education license, and neither makes sense for me currently.

6 weeks from now I will be 50% done with my Masters degree coursework.  By attending John Carroll full time next year I can finish by May.  My schedule will be such that I can substitute teach several days a week and get my face into districts I really want to work in.  Upon graduation I can apply to adjunct at local community colleges as well as continuing to apply for full time High School English jobs.  This is the path I have to take.

The sense of relief I have from making my intentions known is great.  My leaving may open up opportunities for others in my school.  But I am still sad.  And, I can admit, scared.  What if this doesn't work out the way I want.  What if I don't get enough sub jobs and can't find a decent part time job that works with my schedule?  I have to trust my gut and stick with the choice I've made.

To any Phoenix people reading this- I appreciate each and every one of you and will miss you greatly.  Don't be surprised if I come and visit.

2011 in Cleveland- The Good Stuff

Every year is filled with hits and misses, positives and negatives, successes and failures.  But today, the last day of 2011 I want to reflect on what went right this past year so I can enter 2012 on a positive and cheery note. (And, I guess not all of these things happened in Cleveland, but they all happened to a Clevelander!)

In 2011 I...

• partied with and made new friends when I spent NYE in Las Vegas
• was recalled to my job
• met a guy and had a fun couple of months going on unique dates
• went on a road trip to IKEA with a coworker
• got my first coach purse
• saw my cousin get "hooded" as she finished veterinary school
• went to Missouri and spent a week with some of the best people in the world with www.familysummits.com
• partied with my ladies on Kelley's Island for an awesome bachelorette party
• attended a rocking wedding at the House of Blues
• travelled to St. Joseph Michigan to see my big cousin get hitched
• was the maid of honor in my lil cousin's wedding
• witnessed a friend of 16 years marry the love of her life 
• attended my first professional conference in Chicago! NCTE 2011!
• shared a family holiday with a boyfriend for the first time
• applied for and registered for grad school
• maintained three blogs
• went completely dairy free
• performed twice in front of my entire school as part of the all staff group "the pepettes"
• helped my special ed students perform and film Hamlet
• got a Droid
• adopted Titus (my adorable new kitty!)
• read 14 books!

What went right for you in 2011?  

Sara Thinks...

For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin—real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. ~Souza

 

 A few days ago I was reading a post on Wedding Bee and saw this quote.  It struck me, because several times lately I have told friends that I feel as if I'm in "limbo" and am "waiting for my life to start."  As I've searched for a steady job in my chosen career and for a steady relationship I've felt that when I find these things I will finally be an "adult."  My life will begin.  

This, is stupid. 

The random jobs I've had, if even for a year have been a part of my life.  They have helped form my life.  

The numerous first dates?  The short term relationships?  They've taught me a lot and have provided me with some pretty fun experiences.  Movies, plays, music, restaurants all that I might not have seen.  

I need to stop waiting and just enjoy what my life is now.  Of course I will keep pursuing my things, but I can also be satisfied with where I am now.  I can at least recognize that this is my life- imperfections and all, and THAT is O.K.  

Enjoying life, in the moment, on my last day at my first school of the year.

March- My Goal Progress

First of all I must apologize, I never fully recapped my February of happiness.  So I'll leave you with this there were only 7 or 9 days that I didn't do anything outside of work or hanging alone that I didn't do anything the entire month.  Some days I did two or three things.  I found myself quite happy at the end of the month- and am still writing down what makes me happy every single day. 

This brings us back to my March goal of preparing for Job Search 2011.  Today I decided I had to stop postponing things and requested letters of reference from a ton of people I work with.  I'm still at a loss as to what to do about my cover letter and resume.  I need a basic body for my cover letter that can be tweaked if there are any major differences in my job.  But how do I show how AWESOME I am at teaching in a short letter or on a one page resume?  Is it possible?  I know I'm good, great even.  I LOVE teaching, it's important to me, and I cannot wait to find myself in front of my own classroom again getting kids to learn and maybe even like literature- from the classics to new inspiring young adult lit. 

It's been hard to be inspired about teaching as I keep hearing acquaintances, some friends, and the media talk about teachers in a somewhat negative way.  There are perks to being a teacher too- but there is a lot of things that we do that no one ever recognizes.  The extra hours before and after school, the original worksheets and assignments that we create specifically for classes, the hours and hours of grading on the weekends, the money we spend so that our students have pens, pencils, and paper.  The general public doesn't know that even when I'm sitting on my couch watching The Office, I'm also googling lesson ideas, printing out worksheets, researching teaching methods and more.  At my current job I get spit on, cussed at, and am at risk of injury daily.  In fact one of my coworkers recently got a concussion.  This isn't to complain- I like my job a lot, it's to point out that we go through a lot more than people realize, and I think deserve to be treated with a bit more respect because we are well educated professionals, just like private sector employees. 

Anyone with any ideas on how to translate my passion into words and put it into a cover letter please let me know.  Even as an English teacher I sometimes struggle with finding the right words to get my point across. 

Are you searching for a job too?  Any tips or tricks?

March- A New Month, A New Goal

I will do a final recap of my February goal soon, but today is the first day of March so I feel the need to get a new goal down in writing. 

While at work today I thought about this a lot... what do I need to change in my life.  I came up with several thing I think I could work on, but I think some are more pressing than others.  So here is my goal for March:

Prepare for Job Search 2011

Unfortunately this has to be a more serious goal than perhaps my last two have been.  Yet the reality is my job is in jeopardy for next year, and right around now is when job postings start popping up for area school districts, and I have to be ready.  I'm tired of searching for a new job every spring.  I graduated college five years ago, and this certainly isn't where I thought I'd be career wise.  So this time I'm coming out "guns blazing."  I'm starting from scratch. 

Instead of just updating my resume I'm redoing it now.  After last year and this year's positions I have a lot more real world experience to highlight.  I'm rewriting my cover letter from scratch. (Does anyone else find cover letters super awkward?)  I'm creating a website that highlights my experiences and skills as a teacher- an online portfolio if you will. 

I know that I am good at what I do.  Now I just have to convince everyone else of this.  If any of you have creative ideas to make me stand out from the crowd please let me know.  Any tips, tricks, and suggestions are very very welcome!

Do you have your dream job?  If so how did you find it?

Teaching

Last year when the levy was on the ballot for my school district there was a lot of discussion about teachers being paid too much money.

This year, I am working as a teacher's aide*, am making 11k less and working more days out of the year.  Oh, and I get spit on.  Unless you get spit on at your job I don't want to hear anymore of this non-sense about teachers and school employees getting paid too much.

Also, I'm going back to Cozumel tonight- I will do my best to bring back some photographs and perhaps some opinions of my friends to have a more comprehensive review!

How was your Wednesday?  Did anyone spit on you?


*in a different school system

Product Review: Scrabble Flash

I love Scrabble!  It is one of my favorite games of all time.  I have Scrabble Deluxe, Scrabble Slam, and Scrabble Scramble to Go already.  I also play Scrabble against my friends on Facebook as well. Recently, as a going away present from my team at work I received Scrabble Flash!

Source

Scrabble Flash comes with 5 electronic squares that you set side to side to create words for a variety of games.  There are three modes of play to choose from and the cool thing is the tiles can tell if you've made a word or not and score it for you!  I was not sure how the tiles would react to each other but as long as most of each side was touching another tile they seemed to communicate just fine. Tonight I've just been playing by myself, but I can't really see how it'd be as fun with other people as you have to be very patient and take turns.  And, unlike the traditional scrabble game there isn't anything for you to be studying or looking at as you wait.  I really enjoyed it myself however.  Oh, and I love that it really ends up needing very little storage as the box you keep it in is approximately 4in by 2 in by 2in. 

As an English teacher, I can see this being used in the classroom.  It is very tactile and would allow students to have the opportunity to use their vocabulary and interact with words.  The game, retailing at approximately $30, might be a little pricey to purchase for a class, especially if you'd want more than one for the kids to use.  I could really see it in a tutoring or one-on-one setting.  I would also like to see them come out with a version where a teacher could choose the letters that show up on the tiles, or extend the amount of time that the player gets to find words, as many students would find the minute or so given to be quite limiting. 

Overall, I'm glad I have this game to add to my collection of Scrabble products. 

Do you like Scrabble?  What is your favorite Scrabble game?