My New Job

I've been at my new center for a whole week now and here are my initial reactions:

1. The only things I miss from my old center are the 2.5 hour naptime (lots of time in which to get things done, but let's face it... 4 year olds don't need to nap for that long) and my kids. Well, some of my kids, LOL. I still keep in touch with a few parents which is really great to know how things have changed there, how the office explained my sudden departure (which apparently is... they didn't), and how the kids are coping.

2. I LOVE SELF SUFFICIENT KIDS. My very first day, one of the girls didn't make it to the bathroom in time and had an accident. And guess what??? She went out into the hall, got her change of clothes and went into the bathroom to change herself. It was wonderful not to have to stop what I was doing to take care of that. They clean up after themselves, they are aware of how many friends are in each center so they know if they can play over there or not, they aren't spilling their milk several times at lunch. I could go on and on and on but I won't.

3. My heart really does belong to the challenging kids. First it was K in my 2's room who stole my heart with her independent, stubborn, sometimes foul mouth ways (she picked up a lot of words from her brother who had some mental health issues). now it's G who is K in a few years, LOL. So stubborn, so independent, so opinionated, and so cuddly. Her personality clashed big time with my coteacher's personality so they are constantly going head to head. I'm trying to be more patient with her, just like K needed more patience, and so far it's working. At least, I think so.

4. I LOVE TEACHING AGAIN. With the 2's I got to teach, like, colors and letters and shapes of course, but I never felt like I did when I was student teaching or the way I do now. I haven't actually taught anything yet because I spent a lot of the week just getting the routine down, but as I watched the activities L does with the kids and watched the gears turning in their heads... I was reminded why I love doing what I do. I love figuring out why a kiddo is struggle with something and trying to find ways to help them understand. I love doing hands on activities with a group that understands (mostly) that "don't touch that" or "don't throw that" means what I said, and that asks questions and has developed a higher level of thinking that they can connect it to other experiences in life.

5. I'm going back to school. I realized this week as we started teaching kids sight words that I love teaching reading. I love finding ways to teach the reading, to connect it to their lives, to help with comprehension and critical thinking, all of it. So in the fall I am returning to school for my reading specialist certification. It means a lot less time on my hands, and more student loans to be taken out, but the end result, I think, will be well worth it both financially and emotionally.

I so glad I love this place, and I really feel like it's where God wants me to be both my regular coteacher and the floater I work with on Fridays are Christians (the floater is actually the daughter of missionaries and was raised in Brazil -- how cool is that???). And while the center isn't a Christian center, I don't feel like I have to stifle who I am and what I believe.

I Was Supposed to Start My New Job Today...

...Instead I'm at home in bed. I had a 102* fever on Friday and a fever all weekend, fluctuating between 98 and 102. Talk about YUCK. And, I still had to work because it's the weekend before Christmas and she had everyone scheduled, thus no one who could take my shift. So I sucked it up, took some Mucinex and Tylenol, and tried to be positive. But last night I felt like death so I called in.

I felt terrible about it but the director, G, was really understanding. She said she knows I wouldn't call in if I weren't actually sick. I went to the doctor this morning and it's not the flu (which is what I thought it was) but probably just a BAD sinus infection. I don't remember having a fever with any of my sinus infections before, but whatever... I took my first dose of antibiotics and Mucinex D a few hours ago and I already feel better -- and my fever broke.

G said I can definitely come in tomorrow since I'm on an antibiotic, then mentioned she's got a 3's teacher in there right now and my new coteacher, L, said she misses me. In only 8 hours, she's comfortable with me! She said that the kids stay calm when I'm around, LOL. It's nice to know that she enjoys working with me. =)

And here's a funny story: Last night, I fell asleep sitting up so I could breathe after eating some chicken noodle soup. Paulie at some point hopped up on the couch and pawed at me. Next thing I know he's on the coffee table, lapping up the soup broth. What a punk! That was either a, "Hey, are you sleeping 'cause I really want that broth but I know you won't just give it to me." Or is was a, "Hey, are you gonna finish that 'cause I could take it off of your hands...." Ha ha. Silly kitty.

Confession Time

I lost my temper at work yesterday.  No child was hurt, nothing got broken, etc, but I did realize that I don't like working with twos anymore.  It was a good "Get my foot in the door and get some experience" job but it's not what I want to teach.  There are a few kids that if their parents asked me to nanny for them I would do it in a heartbeat, but the fact of the matter is I don't really WANT to do that, either.

I had a job interview today (scheduled last week... purely coincidence) at a center in Maryland Heights that seems to be EXACTLY the job I would like to have.  You walk in the door and you can tell -- LEARNING HAPPENS HERE.  There's art all over the walls, the walls are bright, and there is a very low turnover rate which means they treat people right.  This position is a Pre-K position and a lot of my past job experiences might really help me nail this job -- they teach them swim lessons in the summer but "it would be nice to have someone know what they're doing."  They have all the CPR stuff but no one to teach it.

She said she was doing preliminary interviews and would be calling about secondary interviews.  I told her I'm headed out of town Dec 2 (the next available day I'd be able to come in) but could come by that morning since we can't leave till J is off of work.  She said, "I'll call you anyway because I think you're a good fit, so let's just schedule it now."  Whee!

I really want this job.  The hours vary -- always 4 10 hr. days but not the same shift day after day after day -- and the pay I asked for seemed acceptable to her.  And it's an independent center, which means no corporate people breathing down our necks about enrollment (my least favorite thing about my current center).

It's not a 2nd grade classroom, but it's closer than where I am now, and they implement multiple intelligences int heir curriculum (Google it... Howard Gardner is the man who created the theory).  Ah, can you tell how badly I want this job?  I don't want to get my hopes up though, because the last time in interviewed for a pre-K position I didn't get it and was freaking CRUSHED.  But, God has a plan, right?  I'm just trying to hold on till He clues me in.  =)

Two Weeks on the Job

And here's what I've realized:

1. I HATE corn. I mean, I like to eat it, but cleaning it up is a pain in the butt because you can't just sweep it up, LOL.

2. Naptime is the best time of the day.

3. I hope I only have girls. Potty training a boy will equal a LOT of pee on my bathroom floor.