I just realized how long it's been since either of us updated the blog. I think I was just wanting to update it with some really exciting news, so I've been holding off in hopes that the news will come soon, but it hasn't quite yet.
For the third consecutive working day, I might find out if I have a job today! I got an email from FreeLife International last Monday letting me know that I am the candidate they want for the job. Since it is the end of the year and the budget, they have to reevaluate all new positions. In the email I was told that they should know by the end of the week and to give her a call if I hadn't hear by then. I hadn't, so I gave her a call and left a message figuring that I would find out on Monday. I called on Monday and found out that they don't know yet, but they have a meeting today and hopefully they will have the approval at the end of the meeting. So maybe just maybe they will call me today and tell me that I've got the job. So, it's news that doesn't really tell us anything but I'm grateful to have it. If nothing else, I'm at least who they want for the job.
I had a job interview yesterday with Macayos's Restaurants wanting a contract graphic designer. The interview moved at about 100 miles an hour going between my application, my resume, the story of me, my resume, my story, my application, my portfolio, my resume, my story, ext. By the end, I think the interview went well, but it's only a good option if I decide to do just freelance work. I would have less than part time hours, but they would want me to come in during the day during working hours on occasion to work on stuff. I don't think I could do this if I had a full time job. It is nice to have another prospect our there anyway.
I had my first substitute teaching assignment on the 6th. I taught preschools special ed. It was actually really fun. I got to run circle and sing songs do crafts with the kids. I had my second sub job on the 7th and 10th. It was to teach the Emotionally Disturbed kids over at a special school over in Mesa. I was terrified out of my gourd on Thursday night. Since I haven't had any sub experience to speak of in the past, I was nervous of whether or not I could control ANY classroom and now I was supposed to teach a class of students that are in that class because they act up - sometime violently. I had James give me a blessing before I left for the school. I wanted to get there really early, but I ended up running late so I only got there 15 minutes before class started. I was scrambling trying to find the lesson plans and get a handle over them before class started. I was relieved to find that the class had an aide who was a great help throughout the day. She handled most of the discipline of the children and I could just teach. I panicked when it came time to teach math because we were adding, subtracting, and multiplying fractions. Since I haven't touched math class in 7 years I wasn't sure if remembered how to do that stuff. Just in time I found the teacher's edition of the math book that had all the answers in it, so I at least knew I had the right answers. To my relief for the last half of the day we just watched movies.
On Monday I got to do the whole thing over again and I thought it would be easier because I had done it already and knew the kids. It wasn't easier. During language the first hour I had one student refuse to sit down and take of his hat and sunglasses just because he was looking for ways to act up. During reading I had to take away the pencil of a boy who kept beating it on the desk to annoy me and the other students after I asked him three times to stop. When I took his pencil, he threw back his chair and screamed F@#$% You! Then he tried to rip the book in half and kicked the wall. Oops. The assistant got him to relax quickly and after I got him to promise not to take the pencil away again I gave it back to him.
Things went smoothly for a while after that but in Science the same kid who refused to take off this had and sunglasses got into an obscene yelling match with one of the other students calling him gay in very colorful language and hand gestures. The class aide eventually put him in the time-out room (which is a closed off area in the classroom) but he was still so loud that not one could concentrate. Since there was only five minutes left of class we all just had to listen to the disgusting remarks and try to talk the victim of the verbal abuse to not go back there and kill him. Needless to day, I was happy when that day was over. In the end the class aide really liked me and is going to refer me to be the sub every time the teacher is out. I guess if I can succeed as a sub there, I can succeed anywhere.
I will keep you posted of what I hear about the FreeLife International job.
Megan