News of All Kinds
So much to report on!
The interview went really well. It was all very casual -- the principal was even wearing his athletic jacket the whole time! I think I did a really good job. It really helped that I didn't feel going in that it was going to be the end of my world if I didn't get this job. I already had other work lined up anyway, so I was good either way. During the interview, the principal said that if "all goes well" the regular teacher will be back on Oct. 18th -- which mean only two weeks. Hmmm.... He said he felt like that really wasn't going to happen, based on the way things have gone so far. He was going to be making phone calls that night to inform the three of us he interviewed on his decision.
While I was in the interview, I had gotten a call from the other school where my work is lined up. I was scheduled to sub there on Monday morning and they were calling to see if I was also free Monday afternoon. So then I definitely had to say something to them. I decided the most honorable thing to do (since I hadn't told them as soon as I got the interview) was to go there in person to speak to the secretary and principal. Plus then I could also read their body language. When I got there, the principal happened to be relaxing in a chair across from the secretary's desk so I could speak to both of them at the same time. I explained that I was just coming from an interview for a long term sub job that would start on Monday. I didn't even know if I would be offered the job, but I felt I was in a bind because I had already made so many commitments to them. They were SO nice! Right away the principal said, "You have to take care of yourself. If you get offered the job, you should take it. Don't worry about us!" I was SO relieved!
As the hours passed and I didn't hear anything, I figured I wasn't going to be getting the job. Sure enough, I finally got called about 6:15. The principal said that I had a very nice job representing myself in the interview (which I don't hear very often, so that was nice). But he had gone with a teacher who was coming off two years teaching kindergarten and "coming to us" from Ohio. Due to budget cuts, she had been laid off. So with seniority issues, he'd gone with her. None of that makes any sense to me. First, now you're telling me I'm losing out to people with LESS experience than me?? Secondly, unless she'd been laid off from that school district, what difference does it make that she'd been laid off and I'd chosen to leave my job? Clearly she's a recent transplant, too. Finally, senority and such doesn't matter (as far as I know) for subbing because we all get paid the same rate. But if she's been laid off from the district, I can see that she would have dibs on long term jobs.
So I was really sad not to get offered the job. It would have been a LOT of work for what could be only two weeks. I wouldn't like the uncertainty of everything. Plus I could have ended up being there for Halloween which meant that I would have had to do the party. Which is fine, but with the way I like to do parties and go all out for holidays, it would also have been very expensive for me since it would have been two classes (AM and PM kindergarten). By not getting the job, I can continue to be a smashing sub and just work day by day and not have to do all the planning and everything else. So it all worked out, as far as I'm concerned, but it still hurts to be rejected.
On the plus side, the school where I've got all those sub jobs lined up just posted (on the sub system, not their main site which is odd) a posting for a half-time paraprofessional (teacher assistant). So I'm going to apply for that job and see what happens. I figured if I get that job, I could still sub in the afternoons and they would probably be willing to tweak my schedule on those days so that I can make it to the different grade levels (varying lunch shifts). So we'll see what happens there.
I went to the hospital yesterday to visit my mom. I was planning on going Friday night, right after the surgery, as well, but when I talked to my dad, I could hear Mom in the background saying, "Tell her not to come! Tell her to stay home!" So I didn't go until yesterday. I stopped at a local flower shop and had a very nice autumnal arrangement made for her that I took with me. When I got there, Mom was being taken to x-rays and seemed upset by that. (It turns out that she hadn't been warned she'd been having them and was taken by surprise when they came for her.) But after the x-rays, she got to eat her lunch sitting in a chair instead of lying in bed which she was really happy about. Plus earlier in the morning, her physical and occupational therapists had already had her up and using a walker to walk a short distance down the hallway. They told her that she was doing very well.
So anyway, Mom was in the best spirits I've seen her in for months. She was very positive about everything and determined to do everything they tell her so that she can go home. My little sister is an occupational therapist and she told Mom that the therapists are going to be expecting her to really try and do the best she can, otherwise they will send her to rehab. Mom does not want to go to rehab so she is doing everything they tell her. :-) Her surgeons told her that her back was a mess and they have no idea how she managed to do as well as she did for as long as she did. I think that really validated Mom, proving (to at least herself) that she had been a wimp on things. (My sisters and I all know that Mom has an incredibly high tolerance for pain so when she started telling us she was in pain, we knew it must be really bad.)
Mom's college roommate and her husband were on vacation this week and stopped by the hospital on their way back home to visit. That was really nice. I guess Mom had known they were coming, but I didn't so it was really nice for me to get to visit with them, too. Then about an hour or so after they left, Jeff's mom and her husband came by and visited with us for about an hour or so. She had dinner shortly after they left and then Jeff came by to pick me up and brought his dad along with him. Everyone was so impressed by how well Mom is doing and what good spirits she's in. Another reason why my mom is my heroine. :-)
I don't know if I'll be going back to see her in the hospital or not. There's so much construction around it (at least there was yesterday) and I don't know the area at all. I may go down tomorrow for a little bit since I'm only working in the morning. We'll see. My little sister's day off is Tuesday so she's coming up then and I'll go home this weekend.
So everything here is really good. Bummed about not getting the job, but also happy that I don't have to deal with all that work and rambunctious class. Two weeks would not be enough time to "break them", as I like to say. ;-) I need more like 4-6 weeks for that. If nothing happens with this parapro application, maybe I'll get offered something for a teacher on maternity leave sometime this year. In a field dominated by women, there's always someone on maternity leave. ;-)
I'm also excited to bust out the Halloween decorations today. One more month until I get to bust out the Christmas decorations! ;-)
The interview went really well. It was all very casual -- the principal was even wearing his athletic jacket the whole time! I think I did a really good job. It really helped that I didn't feel going in that it was going to be the end of my world if I didn't get this job. I already had other work lined up anyway, so I was good either way. During the interview, the principal said that if "all goes well" the regular teacher will be back on Oct. 18th -- which mean only two weeks. Hmmm.... He said he felt like that really wasn't going to happen, based on the way things have gone so far. He was going to be making phone calls that night to inform the three of us he interviewed on his decision.
While I was in the interview, I had gotten a call from the other school where my work is lined up. I was scheduled to sub there on Monday morning and they were calling to see if I was also free Monday afternoon. So then I definitely had to say something to them. I decided the most honorable thing to do (since I hadn't told them as soon as I got the interview) was to go there in person to speak to the secretary and principal. Plus then I could also read their body language. When I got there, the principal happened to be relaxing in a chair across from the secretary's desk so I could speak to both of them at the same time. I explained that I was just coming from an interview for a long term sub job that would start on Monday. I didn't even know if I would be offered the job, but I felt I was in a bind because I had already made so many commitments to them. They were SO nice! Right away the principal said, "You have to take care of yourself. If you get offered the job, you should take it. Don't worry about us!" I was SO relieved!
As the hours passed and I didn't hear anything, I figured I wasn't going to be getting the job. Sure enough, I finally got called about 6:15. The principal said that I had a very nice job representing myself in the interview (which I don't hear very often, so that was nice). But he had gone with a teacher who was coming off two years teaching kindergarten and "coming to us" from Ohio. Due to budget cuts, she had been laid off. So with seniority issues, he'd gone with her. None of that makes any sense to me. First, now you're telling me I'm losing out to people with LESS experience than me?? Secondly, unless she'd been laid off from that school district, what difference does it make that she'd been laid off and I'd chosen to leave my job? Clearly she's a recent transplant, too. Finally, senority and such doesn't matter (as far as I know) for subbing because we all get paid the same rate. But if she's been laid off from the district, I can see that she would have dibs on long term jobs.
So I was really sad not to get offered the job. It would have been a LOT of work for what could be only two weeks. I wouldn't like the uncertainty of everything. Plus I could have ended up being there for Halloween which meant that I would have had to do the party. Which is fine, but with the way I like to do parties and go all out for holidays, it would also have been very expensive for me since it would have been two classes (AM and PM kindergarten). By not getting the job, I can continue to be a smashing sub and just work day by day and not have to do all the planning and everything else. So it all worked out, as far as I'm concerned, but it still hurts to be rejected.
On the plus side, the school where I've got all those sub jobs lined up just posted (on the sub system, not their main site which is odd) a posting for a half-time paraprofessional (teacher assistant). So I'm going to apply for that job and see what happens. I figured if I get that job, I could still sub in the afternoons and they would probably be willing to tweak my schedule on those days so that I can make it to the different grade levels (varying lunch shifts). So we'll see what happens there.
I went to the hospital yesterday to visit my mom. I was planning on going Friday night, right after the surgery, as well, but when I talked to my dad, I could hear Mom in the background saying, "Tell her not to come! Tell her to stay home!" So I didn't go until yesterday. I stopped at a local flower shop and had a very nice autumnal arrangement made for her that I took with me. When I got there, Mom was being taken to x-rays and seemed upset by that. (It turns out that she hadn't been warned she'd been having them and was taken by surprise when they came for her.) But after the x-rays, she got to eat her lunch sitting in a chair instead of lying in bed which she was really happy about. Plus earlier in the morning, her physical and occupational therapists had already had her up and using a walker to walk a short distance down the hallway. They told her that she was doing very well.
So anyway, Mom was in the best spirits I've seen her in for months. She was very positive about everything and determined to do everything they tell her so that she can go home. My little sister is an occupational therapist and she told Mom that the therapists are going to be expecting her to really try and do the best she can, otherwise they will send her to rehab. Mom does not want to go to rehab so she is doing everything they tell her. :-) Her surgeons told her that her back was a mess and they have no idea how she managed to do as well as she did for as long as she did. I think that really validated Mom, proving (to at least herself) that she had been a wimp on things. (My sisters and I all know that Mom has an incredibly high tolerance for pain so when she started telling us she was in pain, we knew it must be really bad.)
Mom's college roommate and her husband were on vacation this week and stopped by the hospital on their way back home to visit. That was really nice. I guess Mom had known they were coming, but I didn't so it was really nice for me to get to visit with them, too. Then about an hour or so after they left, Jeff's mom and her husband came by and visited with us for about an hour or so. She had dinner shortly after they left and then Jeff came by to pick me up and brought his dad along with him. Everyone was so impressed by how well Mom is doing and what good spirits she's in. Another reason why my mom is my heroine. :-)
I don't know if I'll be going back to see her in the hospital or not. There's so much construction around it (at least there was yesterday) and I don't know the area at all. I may go down tomorrow for a little bit since I'm only working in the morning. We'll see. My little sister's day off is Tuesday so she's coming up then and I'll go home this weekend.
So everything here is really good. Bummed about not getting the job, but also happy that I don't have to deal with all that work and rambunctious class. Two weeks would not be enough time to "break them", as I like to say. ;-) I need more like 4-6 weeks for that. If nothing happens with this parapro application, maybe I'll get offered something for a teacher on maternity leave sometime this year. In a field dominated by women, there's always someone on maternity leave. ;-)
I'm also excited to bust out the Halloween decorations today. One more month until I get to bust out the Christmas decorations! ;-)