Sometimes I'm kind of brought up short as I realize that I'm really making this up as I go along. One thing I'm noticing the last couple of weeks is that I haven't spent a whole lot of time around 'professionals'. And sometimes I'm not really sure I'm doing it right, if you know what I mean ( Read more... )

Okay, two stories ( Read more... )

I'm headed home for Thanksgiving. That means Oregon (I grew up in California, but they've all moved to the northwest). My 81 year old mom and her house that, according to my sisters, now smells like cat pee. My older sister, the one I STILL manage to let annoy me after all these years. My younger sister and her son, the only nephew/niece in our ( Read more... )

What you need to bear in mind is that until I was 43 I'd almost never enjoyed any of my many, many jobs even a little bit - that's why I write about this work so much, because it's opened whole new worlds to me. Sorry to sound to sound trite, but it often feels just like that ( Read more... )

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It's my last week at the bad old job but I spent Tuesday at the scary new job, getting some training (I like this place already - training ahead of time? who'd a thunk it). Scary because it's a big high school. I didn't get lost but only because I was careful to orient myself on each of the THREE floors I visited. Didn't even get over to the ( Read more... )

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My school works on the weirdest schedule ever - we have roughly 9 week-long terms followed by a week without students. So I've been beavering away getting things together for the upcoming summer term. If I don't, I'll spend every night up until it's actually morning and frankly I'm too goddamned old to maintain that kind of schedule. But no kids ( Read more... )

Okay, that happened quick as all get out! Not one, not two, but THREE job offers all nice schools and nice positions. I decided to go with a public school because they'll get my certification sorted out faster (it takes effin' MONTHS to get one's certification here in Maryland), pay me best and offer more opportunities down the line (I've started ( Read more... )

Hey, it's MY journal and that means I can whine about my job, right? I have a regular weekend breakfast date with a teaching pal and she's always amazing me with stories of what brats GenEd students can be and she's always surprised that I want to quit my job only because of the working conditions and not because of the kids. But that's why we're ( Read more... )