First day of work #5

So today was my first day back to work.  B/c I’m new to the system I have to go to the new teacher orientation week activities.  Today I was surprised that there were so few people there.  When I went to orientation for HCPSS, there were at least 100 new teachers either new to teaching as a profession (as I was) or just new to the system.  There were so many b/c its for all levels of school Kindergarten thru high school.  This orientation was the same, but there were only about 40-50 people there.  I was shocked, that the numbers were so low, especially b/c I had a sense that most everyone showed up.

It was a fairly easy day, they spent 45 minutes with introductions and explaining what our week would entail (as if we couldn’t just read it in the program they gave us that broke it down hour by hour).  We had a 15 minute break then spent 2 hours listening to a school system lawyer discuss VA laws that relate to education.  It was kind of interesting but I nearly fell asleep.

We were allowed to go to our home schools afterwards.  There are 3 other new people at my new school. . . that’s right, I said 3.  At CHS we probably got 10 new people every year for the 4 years that I was there.  This school isn’t smaller, the English dept. alone has about 15 teachers.  Again I was blown away. 

Anyway, everyone was very nice.  I have my own classroom, thank God.  There was a bunch of math stuff in my room that had been moved out of the math storage room next door.  The AP in charge of helping new staff was extremely diligent about making sure that it was all moved out of my room by 3:00.  I got a teacher’s desk and they’ll be getting me a file cabinet by the end of the week.

I’m at the end of the hallway with mostly other English teachers.  A handful of them were there, and they enthusiastically introduced themselves, and said that I could let them know if I needed anything.  Its a young dept. and I was told that they eat lunch together, so that should be fun.  They really seem like they’re fun to hang out with.

The rest of this week is typical.  Tomorrow and Wednesday they have orientation sessions for us all day, then Thursday we have a breakfast.  After the breakfast we can spend the rest of the day at our home schools which is awesome b/c the breakfast is being held at my school, then Friday the day is for us to be at our home schools.  Then next week all of the other teachers return. 

I’m pretty excited, but it was strange not to be back at CHS with my usual crowd.  I MISS YOU ALL!

Ravelympics

I’m so excited.  Ravelryis hosting a First International Ravelympics.  Ravelry is like Myspace for knitters and crocheters, mixed with an online organization system.  You can keep track of what needles/hooks you own, what’s in your yarn stash complete with photos and you can document all of your projects whether they are complete or in progress.  There are also tons of groups that you can join, there’s a friend’s list, you can find patterns, check out how other Ravelers rated a particular yarn and see what everyone else is knitting/crocheting.

Ravelympics is a “competition” where you sign up to knit a project from beginning to end during the Olympics.  You cast-on when they light the torch and must be finished before the torch is extinguished.  I’m very excited.  I’m making a cabled earflap hat, to replace the earflap hat I lost last year and a cut top that has a leaf design on it.  I’ll have 17 days to complete them.  I’ll post pics when its all over.  Wish me luck!!

finally!

I finally got an idea of what I’m scheduled to teach next year.  The head of the department called me today.  He said that the schedule isn’t quite finalized.  When it is I’ll get a letter from the principal, but he doesn’t really think that there will be any changes.  That’s nuts to me, b/c I’m used to the teacher’s schedule being finalized in early July.

The schedule here is semesterized.  That means that kids have four 90-minute blocks during the school day and those blocks meet everyday.  At the point where other school systems are taking midterm exams, these kids are taking final exams for those courses and then their schedule changes.  They take four different classes the second semester.  So basically its like college.

In the Fall I’m scheduled to teach 2 classes of Regular English 9, and 1 class of Regular English 11.  In the Spring I’m scheduled to teach 2 classes of Regular English 10, and 1 class of Honors English 9. 

I’m of course glad to have 9th graders b/c I’m used to them, but the way they arrange their books by grade level is different here of course.  I’ve never taught 11 or 10, but I’ll get over that quickly I’m sure.  Right now I’m only a little nervous b/c I think that 11th grade might be the grade that gets tested here for NCLB.  I’ll have to check on that b/c I don’t even know what their test looks like.

*sigh* this is going to be a busy school year.

The Power of Journaling

Like all movie buffs, I have a laundry list of films that I watch over and over again every time I come across them.  Some b/c they’re funny or heartwarming or dramatic and others simply b/c of their powerfully intriguing story and the way it unfolds. 

Right now I’m watching “Notes on a Scandal.”  Its about a lonely veteran teacher’s discovery that a new young colleague (Cate Blanchett) is having an affair with a student and the way this veteran teacher (Judi Dench) uses her knowledge to manipulate the young colleague into being her best friend.

This story is much more about the manipulative, and desperately lonely veteran, than the teacher/student affair.  The one thing that interests me most about the film is that the story is narrated by Judi Dench as she writes daily in her journal. 

According to my mother I’ve always like buying notebooks and pencils and I used to consider myself an avid journal writer.  I started keeping a journal when I was about 16.  One day I was quite bored on a summer afternoon and started typing a story on my computer.  I later continued that story in a notebook that sort of morphed into a diary.  When I came near the end of the notebook I went back and read several of the entries.  When my mother and I moved in with my step dad I threw that notebook away thinking my thoughts were ridiculous and childish. 

I journaled all through college.  Then I discovered that I had a BF who was nosey enough to read them.  He mistakenly brought up something that I had never told him about.  Instead of dumping him and keeping my journals, I felt that their secrecy was tainted and threw them out.  4 years of my life in the dumpster.

I didn’t journal much after that.  I was busy working at the toy store, hanging out with D, LR and B, and for a brief time LD.  Then I was engaged.

I didn’t journal while I was engaged b/c I was afraid that someone would possibly find out what I was really feeling and thinking and that my charade would be found out.  Part of me wanted to be found out, to be saved from the black hole that I had created for myself, but I wasn’t brave enough to have any of it in print.

Later I halfheartedly journaled b/c whenever ExH became suspicious he would read my journal.  He felt that he was justified.  I only wrote when I was angry with him.  I hoped and prayed that he would read the things that I wrote about him and would understand how I was killing my trueself in order to remain in that relationship.  It was only when I was strong enough to choose to love myself enough to find someone who  has enough “balls” to love the “real” me that I was able to detach.  I had lived too long trying to fit image that others wanted me to have.  Like me for who I truly am or leave me alone.

I’m envious of Judi Dench’s character.  There is a scene when we see just how many journals she has.  She’s kept every one of them.  They are all the same style of notebook, just with varying colored covers.  All of those thoughts and memories on record, to be reviewed and perused.  It would probably feel like reading something someone else has written, we change so much year after year.  So, as soon as I moved out I bought a new journal and started writing again.  It will be interesting to see what I think about these moments 10 years from now.

 

[ExH if you still feel compelled to read my blog then keep your comments to yourself.  No one here is interested in what you have to say.]

*whew* long time no post (again)

I just got back from Atlanta late last night.  I HAD A BALL!  Not that I necessarily did a lot, but the people (well one in particular) made it a lot of fun.  I did get my trip to Houston’s which was fabulous as always.  I saw Hancock which was a good movie with an interesting twist at the end.  D, LR, B, and I went to The World of Coke on Sunday.  Its been remodeled since the last time I was there and this time I thought it was more enjoyable.  D works there so she got us in half price.  I finally met her roommate Kim (I don’t know her last name and didn’t want to call her K).  She was hilarious and I can see why they’re friends.  Tuesday D, LR, LD and I went bowling.  I haven’t been bowling in at least a year and that was fun.  It was good to know that my “technique” still worked. 

I played a lot of Rock Band (yes M, its as fun as you said).  LD’s brother and sister played too, so on Friday we had a full band with LD on drums, his brother on lead guitar, his sister singing and me on the base.  LD and I put together most of a Lego Yoda.  He had to finish the head by himself b/c we ran out of time, but it was fun to do that with someone.  It definitely didn’t take the 6 hours that the first one did.

The most amazing and eye-opening thing for me was how quickly and easily I was comfortable there.  Its not just that I was comfortable hanging out with my friends, but being there felt as natural as being here in HR.  I never had that feeling when I was living in Maryland.  I lived in Atlanta for about 5 years and only the last one was continuous b/c for the other 4 I was in college and went home during the summer.  I lived in Maryland for 5 full years and never once did it feel like I belonged there.  I belong in Atlanta.  My goal is to get rid of my credit card debt as soon as possible and move to Atlanta.  I would like to be living there by next summer, but if not then, DEFINITELY summer 2010, no ifs ands or buts about it.  I’ve been wanting to move back there too long and now with ExH out of the picture its time to do what I want for myself.  No more caving to what anyone else wants from me.

As my Myspace says. . . My real home is Atlanta, I’m merely on a hiatus.

so excited i could burst!

 

It’s official.  On July 8th I will be flying to ATLANTA!!  I haven’t been there since fall 2002.  I’m going to visit one friend in particular (the jury is still out on when you’ll find out who that is), but naturally while I’m there I want to hang out with LR and D too. 

I love Atlanta.  To this day it is still my favorite place to be; it even wins over my hometown.  I have been wanting to move back to Atlanta since the day I left it and I’m still working on that dream.  Although I always hated the 8 hour drive to Spelman, my favorite part was waking up on the way there, just as we were approaching downtown.  We always arrived at night the day before I had to move into my dorm room, so all the buildings would be lit up.  I still think its the most beautiful scene I’ve ever seen (lol that’s “punny”).

*sigh* I hope these next couple of weeks go by fast.

speechless

Today is my 5th wedding anniversary and what a year its been.  Getting married is what caused me to move to MD and tonight is the last night that I will live here.  I have learned a lot and grown a lot in the past 6 months and I have to say that I’m quite proud of myself.  So is my therapist for that matter.

So goodbye Maryland,  I hated your weather and the way people drive, but I love most of the people that I met here.  I’ve made what my kids call “lifetime friends.”

I’ll miss you all everyday and to you I don’t say “goodbye”, I simply say, “until next time.” 

my own shrug

There’s a shrug that I really want, but I’ve only seen it in my head.  I’ve seen ones that are similar, like this one.  Its called Hot Lava.  The pattern is free on the designers website.

I really like the front of it that’s exactly what I want, plus the sleeves are long, but I don’t like the saggy part in the back.  I think that I’m going to have to just make my own. I might make one of these just so that I can really see what the construction is like and then try to revise it for myself.  I kind of know what I need to do, but not really.  The Two-Tone ribbed shrug in Fitted Knits is close too, but I’d still have to make some changes.  Less ribbing and more body.

On top of that I don’t just want long sleeves, but I also want the cuffs to go over my hands and have thumb holes.  That means that I’d have to use that section of the pattern for The Painted Lady from The Anti-Craft website.

*sigh* Why can’t someone have already created my perfect shrug pattern.

goodbye surprising friend

Today was my last appointment with my hair stylist. 

I’ve said goodbye to many hair stylists in my life time.  First b/c my mother decided it was cheaper for her to do it.  Then, b/c I was graduating from college.  3rd b/c I was moving back to VA.  Then again when I moved to MD.  In MD I think I’ve changed stylists 3 or 4 times, either b/c they switched salons and I didn’t feel like following them or b/c they did my hair a couple of times and I wasn’t impressed enough.

When I met her though, I knew I’d like her.  She is absolutely hilarious; the things that she says will have you laughing the whole time you’re there.  I had only known her for about 5 minutes and she was trying to sell her 9 year old son to me b/c of something crazy that he had done that day.  Over the past 2 years I’ve come to know her and her son very well.  She is the first stylist I’ve ever had that really cares about her clients, and remembers any story that she tells you.  If something was wrong in your life when you saw her last, then she is quick to check the next time to see if it was resolved.  When other women would talk about their stylists being like a friend to them I couldn’t fathom discussing personal things to someone like that, but now I totally understand.  She doesn’t know I’m separated b/c I didn’t have the heart to break it to her, plus I knew that I would be moving this summer anyway.

I’m genuinely sad to have to go.  She gave me the best hug when I left.  She really is my friend.  She gave me her email address on my way out, so I will definitely keep in touch with her.

I HAVE A NEW JOB!!!

My original plan for this post was to leave you in suspense and talk about night school first, but I can’t.  Its always been hard for me to keep a surprise secret and I guess it still is. 

This morning I had an interview at one of the high schools.  That meant that last night when I left night school, I got on the road and drove straight here.  Present at the interview was the principal (of course), the assistant principals and the department head for English.  They each took turns asking me questions and always seemed pleased with my responses, especially about my work with special needs/ IEP students, my use of technology in the classroom and my regular contact with parents.  One of the APs there was an AP at my high school and remembered me.  On the way out of the building, God gave me a good sign when the security guard, who had signed me in, and who was a petite woman BTW, said “I hope to see you again.”

Everyone who knew that I had the interview this morning said that I was going to get it, even those who aren’t necessarily religious and we were all correct.  When I checked my email at 3:00 (i took a long nap) I had received an email from the human resources person who had interviewed me a couple of weeks ago, saying that he’d been told to offer me the position.  The 6 people that interviewed me this morning went from not knowing anything about me at all (they hadn’t read any of my file, they only knew my name and that I was a candidate) to wanting me to work with them, in 30 minutes.

I’ve only heard good things about this principal so far.  He apparently teaches at the college where I’ve been considering law school and he has been described as compassionate, friendly and a Christian.  I knew I’d like him when one of his questions was “How important is humor in education?”  When I started with “Very,” he said “That’s all you need to say.”

I am SO INCREDIBLY EXCITED!!  The administrative faculty were very humorous and seemed like they really get along so I hope that that’s the case for the rest of the staff.  I’ll be one of 17 English teachers so that’ll be interesting.  School doesn’t start until 8:45, which is an hour and 20 minutes later than what I’m used to, and its only 15 minutes from my house.

*sigh* God just keeps putting everything in place for me. 

[added about 2 hours later]  I also just found out that I won the monthly drawing at my fav knitting store in Virginia Beach.  They emailed me at Ravelry on Monday.  When I told my mom she said that she needs to rub up against me b/c I clearly have God’s favor.