What a week!

How quickly things change...

On Monday morning I was still jobless, but by the afternoon I had received two phone calls requesting interviews from two of those swanky schools I applied for.

On Tuesday, I subbed in the morning at Woodbine and got to see "my" third graders. I got LOTS of hugs!! :) In the afternoon, I went to an interview at a school called Crocker-Riverside (2nd best school in the district) and then to another interview at Hubert H. Bancroft (one of the top 10 schools in the district). Whew! It was a long stressful day and I didn't feel so great about either of the interviews. At Crocker they were really intimidating and I felt like my answers were pretty good but they just didn't seem impressed. At Bancroft, I felt like I was in and out the door in 15 minutes. It went by so quick, I figured they already had someone in mind but were going through the motions to give me my interview.

On Wednesday afternoon I noticed a missed call on my cell phone. It was from a secretary at Bancroft. I was thinking, "If I got the job, wouldn't the principal call me?" So I stopped being paranoid and just called....and was promptly offered the job. I, of course, accepted and I start this Monday.

On Thursday, I signed my one year contract. For the first time in forever, I have medical, dental, and vision benefits. Yahoo!!! I will get 1/6 of each paycheck taken out and set aside so that I will get a couple paychecks over next summer. Yahoo, no waiting tables!!! Also, if I croak sometime soon, Michael gets a big ole whopping 7000 bucks!

On Friday, I went and visited the class that will be mine. The teacher that has been teaching this class apparently retired last year but offered to help the principal out and start this class until he could get someone hired. I don't know why it took so long but that person is ME! The kids all seem nice but the room is bare and I am going to have A LOT of work to do in the next couple weeks to get it looking like home. The class is also, quite ironically, a 2nd grade/3rd grade split...so, basically the situation some of my kids at Woodbine got thrown into when I had to leave. I have 18 second graders and 2 third graders. I don't even know where to start on how teach 2 grades!

This school is SOOO much different from what I am used to. For starters, it is in a really nice, safe, quiet little neighborhood. The kids don't have to wear uniforms or "freeze & take a knee" when the recess bell rings. It is like they get to be "real" kids. I am used to prison yard rules because that is the structure that some kids at tough schools need. I am used to kids who only get their two meals a day at school (free breakfast and lunch). I am used to kids who are transient and disturbingly sad or neglected. I am not saying all of the kids I have ever worked with have been like this but I certainly feel like I am going into new waters. I almost wonder too if I'm a little less important to these kids than I would be at a tougher school. Sorry, I know am having a hard time putting into words what I mean. Don't get me wrong though, I am incredibly happy to get to teach and have a job. Also, because my new school is quite a bit farther away from Michael's and we have different start times (8 am at my new school- ouch!), we went shopping this weekend for a new car. Yippee, I haven't had my own car in a long time! I am the proud new owner of a snazzy black Honda CRV. I had no intention whatsoever of getting this size of a vehicle when we decided I needed one, but I saw the 6 cd player, moon/sun roof, and power locks (something we are relentlessly picked on for NOT having in the Corolla) and I was smitten. It is going to be perfect for trips up to Oregon or to Reno since we always seem to go during snow and will be a blast to take camping. Okay, I should stop blabbing and start getting my things together for tomorrow. Will keep you updated on how the first week goes....