I should be studying for the GRE.

I just got back from a poetry reading at my favorite local cafe, Beezy's. It reminded me of the good ol' poetry nights at the Collingwood Art Center, during the summers I stayed in Toledo. It also reminded me of how alive I feel when I listen to the spoken word, completely in the moment with the language. And the vulnerability of the speaker is never less than inspiring.

I need to play with language, like I used to. I want to be passionate about artistic writing again. It's the reason I became a student of Language Arts in the first place. Words, sounds, images -- they connect us.

On a lighter note, I'm having a really good hair day.

Winter Musings

As much as I complain about not having a full-time teaching job, I must stop to reflect on how good my life is right now. Darin and I got a new puppy a couple weeks ago. We named her Daisy Mae. She is the apple of our eye right now, even if she still has accidents in the house and is constantly appearing with socks, shoes, and other chewable things in her mouth. Here's a photo:


I registered to take the GRE in January, and I will be applying to a couple different graduate schools' Speech Pathology programs. Ideally, I want to get into Eastern because they have a strong educational track in the program. I'm going back to school because it's a good place to be investing money during a recession, and I realized the past few months that I am capable of working in the special ed realm. It's an important and time-consuming field, but it's worth it. I love language, particularly phonetics and phonology (the study of the sounds of speech). I think this will be a perfect fit for me; a perfect compromise of my desire to teach and my desire to persue linguistical studies.

I hope to start my first vegetable garden this spring. My landlord will not be consulted about it; here's hoping he doesn't mind. I've always had a passion for growing things. I read any book, magazine, or article that I can get my hands on that has anything to do with gardening/urban farming/sustainable living.

Winter Break is upon us, which means no substitute teaching jobs for two weeks. I am going to use the time for the following:
-study for the GRE
-apply to grad schools
-work on getting financial aid or, even better, a grad assistant position
-applying to teaching jobs (as always)
-perfecting my porfolio
-training the puppy to not chew my shoes!

Yesterday, I "floated", which is always fun because during the times where there weren't IEPs scheduled, it was a tug-o-war between who gets the sub. I feel like I'm being the most useful in Mrs. K's resource room, where having another teacher around is always helpful. In a perfect world, she would have an aide for every student. But there just isn't the money right now.

It's so discouraging hearing about all of the budget cut meetings and the speculations by staff about how they will cut corners. This chatter and local NPR will not stop reminding me that it's just going to get worse on the job search front. Can't a girl just do some teachin'?

To distract myself from my worries, I've been focusing on my new puppy, the GREs, tracking my diet and exercise, and celebrating the holidays. And don't get me wrong, I really do enjoy substitute teaching. I love being in a school, getting students to think, watching the social interactions of young people, and learning how to be a better teacher. I make a point to keep an open mind when I go into every job, knowing that I can and WILL learn something today.

It's interesting and, actually, very exciting to see all of the educators who keep blogs. I'm not surprised, though. Education is an industry of sharing. Blogging is a great way to keep in touch with new trends and ideas in your subject matter. It's cool to see how many educators are technologically hip, too. I just added a few more teaching blogs to my reader. Woot!

I want to be a renegade tenant and plant a garden in the back yard of my apartment house. It's fenced in and has lots of shade, so I might do two boxes, in different spots. I need to start planning now, so I know what I need to start seeding in my apartment. I know for sure that I want to plant basil, dill, green beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers (the easy stuff). But I also want to try kale or asparagus, or something equally adventurous. We'll see.

Haven't subbed at all this week, and the restaurant job has been slow, too. I've taken the opportunity to relax, sleep in, and do some reading. I never seem to be reading only one book at a time. Maybe college has trained me to be able to take in multiple texts at a time. Hmm...sounds like a future blog topic.

I wish serenity and wellness to the small number of people that read this.

My name is.

Adventures in subbing have brought me to another realization: learning someone's name speaks volumes. I was subbing for IEPs at an elementary school that I frequent. I was in the last class for the day, supervising some independent work, learning and using names as I go. When the class was all packed up and sitting on the carpet, I was passing the time asking them about their hobbies and extracurricular activities. One girl raised her hand to share, and I blanked on her name for a moment. I finally remembered and said it, and her face lit up into a huge, genuine smile. What a gem.

I've received compliments on my ability to learn the names of students quickly. But I often wonder how other subs or aides get by without being able to do so. As soon as you learn a student's name, you have his/her attention. (they always ask, in amazement, "How do you know my name?" Well, it's written on your desk.) You create a connection between you and the individual because you've shown that they matter enough for you to learn something that is special about them. It's a recognition of their existance within a sea of faces (or, in this case, a class of 30 students).

Wife Swap? Who Knew?!

Okay, I'll start this out by admitting something: I'm fond of reality television. I'm finally making this statement, in a public place.

Am I ashamed? Sometimes. But it was almost as if the episode of "Wife Swap" that I watched today was meant especially for educators. The show's title is pretty self-explanatory: two families with different values and living habits trade moms for two weeks. On this particular episode, the parents in the first family home-schooled their boys and preached of the evils of conforming to what society expects. The other parents were extremely focused on success and structure, believing that a formal education was essential for their two girls.

The debate over formal vs. alternative education was the main topic of the show. The structured mother discovered that the boys in the first home could not write or do math at the expected grade levels for their age. On the other hand, as a viewer, I could not ignore the inspiring curiosity and creativity of the home-schooled boys. The amount of pressure and stress that the teen girls of the other house were experiencing also made me wonder about the education "machine".

I think it's every teacher's dream to have each student learning in a curious, creative way that is unique to their interests and learning styles. However, establishing curriculum is essential if we want to educate our youth to become citizens of our communities and the values that accompany them. Curriculum is essential, but learning should never be limited to it. The key here is Balance. We have a responsibility, as teachers, to encourage our youth to think "outside of the box," but we have to teach them what the box IS before they can do that. Does that make sense?

Progress Reminders.

Yesterday, I was reminded that, even though I don't have an actual teaching job yet, that I have made progress. I was a floating sub, and the last room I was in was being taught by a student teacher, one month in, who was doing an excellent job. The class was still a little rowdy, though, and it took me back to last year around this time, when I was receiving a crash course in classroom management in my student teaching assignment.

I want to go back and have a redo. Where's Doc with the time machine?

Rejection 101

I was declined a parapro position at a local school district. I interviewed for it and everything. It's a bummer, but my boyfriend and some of the teachers I talk to a lot have made me feel better about it. With their help, I was able to formulate a pretty effective affirmation to help me handle rejection:

[to self] "So you didn't get the job you applied for. Here's the thing: maybe you were not meant to have it. There is something else out there that is waiting for you, and you'll know when you get there. Make the most of your experience and reflect on what you could have done better, during the interview and otherwise. Don't take it personal."

I'm so anxious to start teaching or working in a school setting. I'm anxious to find out what my life will lead to. But if I knew everything that was going to happen, it would be a pretty boring life. So I'm doing my best to view my situation positively and keep on learning as much as possible. There are a million books to be read and units to plan. If I keep myself busy, things will happen on their own.

Wow. I've been away too long.

I definitely need to be better about keeping up this blog. In a nutshell, here's what I've been doing the last few months:

1. subbing.
2. serving.

I actually had to cut back hours at the restaurant so I can have more time to accomplish other things, such as filling out job applications and maybe allowing myself to start a new creative project.

I've been doing a lot of subbing at one particular elementary school in Ann Arbor. I worked for the first two weeks as a "starter parapro" of sorts, working in the special ed resource room. Most of the students in that room are Autism Spectrum Impaired. Their teacher is amazingly dedicated, and I've enjoyed the work more than I thought I would. I've been subbing at the school often because other teachers have asked me to sub for them as well, mostly because I'm familiar with the students now. They even used me as a "roaming sub" today, so I was able to meet some of the older students.

I've learned a lot in the past month, even though I'm not certified in elementary ed. I figure it doesn't hurt to expose myself to different age groups. It helps me understand where my students are coming from when they get to me.

I'm still unsure about my next step. Washtenaw County is an excellent area to learn how to become an educator. But I don't feel willing to committ to a life here. I've also got my boyfriend to consider. And grad school/post-bach stuff. Hopefully, I'll figure it out soon.

Speech! Speech!

During my years of learning how to teach, I've definitely underestimated the importance of having speech-giving skills. One of the best ways to get students interested in the information you're trying to deliver is by captivating their attention. Now, I've already decided that I don't want to be the kind of teacher who just stands in the front of the class and talks; that would be the most boring ELA class ever, if you think about it. But once in a while, every teacher has to give a run-down of important information that is best and most efficiently done with a lecture.

On one of my last library trips, I picked up a book called How to Write and Give a Speech, by Joan Detz. Perhaps I'll learn a thing or two.

Degree? Check.
Certification? Check.
Resume and references? Check.

Next steps: Register for job fairs, network, assemble portfolio, send out resume.

Summer

I've been working at Bob Evans all summer, finding my little niche in the culture of the "day-shift" women, a crowd of mothers and wives who take their tip money very seriously. I am so grateful for this job, but I'm counting down the days that I can get back into the schools.

In my last entry, I talked about the restlessness I felt working as a substitute teacher. But you don't know what you have until it's gone, of course. I can't wait to be back in classrooms, talking to young people, watching tenured/expert teachers, putting my face out there for all to see, and getting compliments on my willingness to work. I can't wait to hear all the district happenings and hear the teachers complain about their jobs (they have no idea how jealous I am!).

I'm going to be so much more adamant about finding subbing jobs and being prepared to be called in every day. I also got some advice from a substitute that I worked with often during student teaching: he said to give your resume and a cover letter to each school and district that I want to work with about taking any permanent sub positions available. This is going to be my goal for August.

All Mixed Up

I'm a 24-year-old college graduate in an economic recession, so I need to be one thing above all: patient. I've been subbing in the area, but I'm having trouble seeing it as valuable teaching experience.

I applied for a job as a teaching assistant in a Pre-K classroom. The interview went well, but I'm still not sure it's the right step for me. I need to work on getting certified in the Ohio and other surrounding states. I've looked at the Ohio Department of Education website and had a hard time finding out what test I need to take.

So, let's step back and take a look at the big picture: My ultimate goal is to get position in the secondary setting as a teacher of Language Arts. My current status?

-waiting on the results of my minor certification test
-not even close to making progress on my portfolio
-working as a substitute teacher and a server
-watching all of my friends move away from Ypsilanti

I'm in limbo. It doesn't help that I have a new boyfriend and would rather not move away from him just yet. Oh man. Life.

Disappointment.

I didn't get accepted to Teach for America. I got the email about a week ago. They couldn't give feedback about my application, which was frustrating.

I just wish I knew where I was headed in August. I'm trying to prepare for teacher job fairs in the spring. I need to:

• buy a suit.
• have a fully loaded portfolio of awesomeness.
• pass the History MTTC (which is going to require massive amounts of studying)
• save money.
  

I finished and submitted my application for Teach for America. It's an organization that places college graduates in low-income areas and districts and teaches them how to become advocates for social change through teaching. It's one of the many Americorps branches and Obama even mentioned it at one of the inaugural balls.

We were asked to make preferences on where to be placed, and I chose New York City, Chicago, and Phoenix. All three sound like places that I'd like to live. I'm not really picky about where I go, though. We sign a two-year service commitment if we're chosen.

I felt a calling to this because I feel like it would be a place of fostered growth. There is a lot of cooperative work involved--at least it seems--and I work best in a team setting. I feel like it would be a great way to get away from Southeast Michigan/Northwest Ohio for a while, and be doing something in my desired field at the same time.

My resume could still use some fine-tuning, but it's looking pretty good. I want to see someone at Eastern's Career Services office who can give me a professional opinion of it. My next project is my portfolio...

Brief Updates

1. I'm working on the requirements to start substitute teaching. The orientation meeting was packed, naturally.

2. No, I haven't finished my resume, or my portfolio. I'm giving myself a week from today to do so.

3. I've had trouble finding the motivation to do anything in the last three weeks. I've been perfectly content waiting tables and doing not much else in my spare time. I'm going to set some small goals (which I will post here) to start poking away at the bigger picture, which is: finding a teaching job!!!