A GREAT Day

Surprisingly, unexpectedly, miraculously... today was a great day at work. I rarely have a great day there... I mean, I love all the kiddos and usually enjoy what I do, but most times the other junk gets in the way. Don't even get me started...

Anyways, today I was asked to take over the DIBELS lessons for the first grade classes that come into our room. DIBELS is the "in" reading program at the moment which works on beginning reading skills. So being in charge of that means I get to plan lessons and teach to 2 groups of 10 first graders for 30 minutes each.

Now that may not seem like much to most people, but this is like a major promotion to me. No, I don't get paid any more than I do now, but for someone who is sometimes painfully over-qualified to do this job, it's like hitting the jackpot.

And when I say I'm over-qualified, I'm not being snotty... it's the truth. Seriously, my job for the last week has been cutting out shapes, laminating cards, and doing lunch line duty. That gets old really fast. I really don't need a college degree and a teaching license to do that. But it is a job and a stepping stone to a teaching job. So this is my chance for a breath of fresh air and a challenge that will keep me from getting bored and will give me more experience for a real teaching job in the future.

And on top of that, I was given compliments today. I mean, I know I'm good at my job. Again, not being snotty, but it's something I pride myself on. But sometimes it just feels really good to hear your boss say it.

And it's now the weekend... could it get any better?

End of a Season

Today was my dance team's last performance. They were a pretty good group of girls, but I'm definitely not sad that it is over. No more rushing back and forth to different schools and hopefully I'll never have to hear "Getcha Head in the Game" ever again.

It was the first time I've ever coached anything, so it was a good experience. I learned a lot about wrangling pre-teen girls and how to deal with parents and just how extra-curricular activities work from an administrative view point. While I'm very glad to be taking a nice long break from coaching, it's something Ill definitely consider doing again.

First Performance

My dance team girls had their first performance today. It's been a long time in the works.

When I first signed up for the job, I wasn't totally sure what I was getting myself into.

When I had to come up with the dance on my own, I was like "WHAT HAVE I DONE?? WHY ME??? WHY????????"

And then I had to deal with the t-shirt people and slow orders. IIIIEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! I finally got the shirts in yesterday afternoon. I hate cutting things close, so I was just a tad bit stressed!

It was a lot of hard work and a lot of practices, but also a lot of fun. I've got 16 wonderful girls to work with and a fabulous assistant (who also happens to be my mom) that helps me out when I can't be there because of my other job at my other school.

Today's performance was GREAT! It was the best job they've done so far! I was nervous for them all day long because the last practice didn't go so well, but they got it together and just blew me away!! They crowd cheered and the principal gave us a good review. I'm so proud of them... it's like my little baby birds have flown from the nest!

It's Finally Happened

"I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry."
Psalm 40:1

We have been praying for such a long time that both of us would get jobs soon. It's been hard not to get discouraged and angry about things, but we've kept our spirits up, knowing that God would answer our calls when the time was right. Well I'm happy to say that it's finally happened. I got my prayer answered last night and experienced a wonderful first day at a job I know I'm going to love. Mike's was answered this morning when he was offered an aide job and will be starting on Monday. God is truly good.

I GOT THE JOB!!

I GOT THE JOB!!
I GOT THE JOB!!
I GOT THE JOB!!
I GOT THE JOB!!

I can't believe it!! I'm so happy and thankful and I don't know what else!!!

I start at 8am tomorrow. Ill find out all my job duties then. I'm so nervous and excited!

I'm so happy I could burst!

Praise the Lord!!

I GOT THE JOB!!

A Big Day

Mike had his interview today. He's in the running to be a temporary aide to a student that has Downs Syndrome. From the interview vibes, Mike says he'd be surprised if he didn't get the job. So we're definitely hopeful about this one. We'll find out for sure sometime tomorrow.

And tonight I find out whether or not I got the aide position I applied for. I am beyond nervous. All I can do is distract myself from staring at the phone.

How cool would it be if we both got jobs in the next 24 hours? I'm so anxious.... ahhhhhh!

I'll let you know how it all goes down. But for now, I'm off to start packing for our little camping adventure this weekend... I'll let you know how that works out too.

Good News

Mike got a random call today from our tri-county special education cooperative asking him to come in for an interview. Apparently the head hauncho at the school corporation recommended Mike to them. We are both pretty amazed. We had no idea there was even a job opening. I guess he made a good impression on the right people during his interview a few weeks ago... that can't be a bad thing!! He is going to call them tomorrow to get some more info on the job and to schedule a time to come in. Hooray for possible surprise job happenings!

Interview update

Well the interview is over and I can breathe easy again. After days of dread, I can say that it all went pretty well. I was interviewed for four potential jobs. They asked the questions, I gave the right answers... without putting my feet in my mouth or sounding mentally unstable. I was kind of twitchy and used my hands way too much when I was talking, but overall I think I made a positive impact on those who were interviewing me. The main thing is that I stayed true to myself and tried my best. It's out of my hands now...

Now I wait until Oct 4 to find out the good news/bad news.

Getcha Head in the Game!

Wanna hear the song I picked for my drill team to dance to? It's the pop version of a song from "High School Musical," the "IT" movie at the moment for all you teenyboppers out there. Don't mind the orangey blurs on the video. Just imagine 15-20 slightly awkward 6th grade girls dancing to the song.




I wrote 90% of the dance today. The rest will have to come together once I meet the girls and their mad skillzzzzz, hahaha. I'm kind of excited about it all, I just hope it doesn't look totally stupid. I still need to work on the tryout fliers, permission forms, and t shirt designs, etc. Practices don't start until October, but my plan is to have all of that stuff done so I can concentrate on the girls and their routines when that time comes. So for now, after listening to it about 100 times, I just gotta getcha getcha getcha song out of my head!!!

Another job interview

Another job opportunity has rolled around, this time its for me! I have an interview on Tuesday for an aide job at my favorite school. The school I sub at almost every day. The school in which I am coaching the dance team. So if I don't totally blow the interview, I'd say I have a pretty darn good chance at getting the job. But then again, you never know. But at least I got an interview! So please bust out those wonderful prayers of yours... I really really hope this is the one! Thanks!

Bad but not suprising news...

Mike got a call from the school corporation tonight confirming our suspicions... he did not get the aide job that he interviewed for last week.

Le boo.

The personnel head honcho gave him the ol' "keep trying, get your name out to the principals and get your foot in the door" speech. Blah blah blah. We get it already. Unfortunately that technique hasn't been working well for us so far. But he did get an interview... so I guess that's something!!

Mike was kind of bummed out, or frustrated, or something. I told him that it means he is supposed to go on to do bigger and better things and we just have to be patient enough to let things work themselves out. I just wish those things would happen a little faster and we'd have a little more patience with all of this!

So I'm off to make my hardworking hubby a nice bowl of ice cream to ease frustrations. Maybe the next interview phone call he gets will have better news for him.

More Job News...

I just got hired to coach the elementary school dance team at my favorite school here in town. It doesn't pay much, but it will be a great experience! I'm really excited (and nervous too... what have a gotten myself into?!?) I'll be finding out more details on Monday. Yay for exciting job news day!

Mike Got an Interview!

Our school corporation called Mike today to schedule him for an interview! He's being considered for a 6 hour aide position at our local alternative school that will last throughout the whole school year! Hooray! He's scheduled to interview with personnel on Monday afternoon. So it would be wonderful if you all could say a little prayer of encouragement for Mike, because he'd be so great at this job and could make a difference in the lives of some of our county's troubled youth. Not to mention the fact of having a stable, everyday job would be terrific for us! I'll let you know how it goes on Monday!

Mrsiss Alverson????

So for my sub job yesterday, I went back to my favorite school where I worked a lot last year. Most of the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade kiddos know me there, so it was great to see them all again and they were happy to see me. Funny part was, they all knew I was getting married over the summer, so they knew my name was supposed to change, but didn't really know what they were supposed to call me. I got all sorts of puzzled looks and worried whispers, and finally a brave student would come up to me every once in a while and ask, "What is your name now? What do we call you?" With a big smile, I told them not to worry, they could call me by either name and I would answer. A look of relief would wash over their face and they would scamper off to their little group of friends and relay the news. One kid decided I should just combine my last names into Alverson and be done with it... I told them it was a good idea in theory, but then I'd just have 3 names to be confused with instead of two. They thought hard about it for a second and then decided I should just stick with my old name, "because you'll always be Miss Alvey to me!" Aww, I love some of those kids!

I'm really lucky to be able to spend most of my sub days at that school because I'm able to get to know the students a little better, which makes my job a lot easier in the end. I already know their names and personalities, and in turn, they already know that I'm nice and laid back and like to give out free hugs, but they also know they shouldn't mess around with me... they fear my whistle and my demerit giving powers. Not a bad deal at all.

Back to School... Back to School

Tomorrow I have my first subbing gig of the school year! Woohoo! Unfortunately the full-time, regular teaching job didn't work out for me, but things are looking good from a subbing standpoint. I already have 3 days lined up for August, and a few more for September and October. As long as I can sub at least 10 days a month, plus Mike subbing whenever he can and his part time job at Sylvan, we'll be good to go financially... a big time relief! It's been a great summer, but I'm glad to be going back to work!

Last Ditch Effort

Today I submitted my last job application for this school year. It is for a special education aide position at the elementary school that I student taught at. I took my resume, cover letter, and recommendation letters to the school office in person, so hopefully I will get an interview. This is probably the best chance I have of getting a steady job with benefits this year... I have experience at that school, an awesome recommendation from the teacher I worked with there, and some special education experience. But I'm not holding my breath... the fact I haven't gotten a single interview all summer has really killed my self esteem in the job department.

If I don't get this job, it looks like I will be subbing again for awhile. Being a substitute really isn't all that bad... good hours and decent pay. It's just I'm looking for something a little more permanent. It's stressful not knowing where I'll be from day to day or if I'll even have a job, it's hard knowing all the different schools' procedures and rules, and I absolutely hate the feeling of not knowing exactly what to do. But if that is what I have to do in order to eventually get a great job that I love, I will do it. I'm going to make some business cards with my name and number to give to teachers at the local schools to keep on hand. I'm already some of the teachers' go to girl, which is awesome! Maybe another year of subbing is what it will take, and who knows, something else might open up between now and May. Please pray that I get this interview, or else a lot of subbing jobs throughout the year!

Zucchini Bread and Job Applications

I made zucchini bread for the very first time ever last night. It was going great until I realized I read the directions wrong and put all of the ingredients in the bowl in the wrong order. I do that all the time... you'd think I'd eventaully learn, but noooo... I guess I'm just too impatient! But I figured it all gets mixed together anyways, so I just continued on my way and baked two loaves. It came out so yummy! I feel like a real Southern Indiana wife now that I've made my own homemade zucchini bread!

Job search update: I turned in 3 different applications for aide jobs in at the school corporation office today and am on the lookout for more. My first pick would be at the school I did my student teaching at, but at this point I just really hope I get an interview anywhere. I'm more than qualified for each position, but I've come to terms with the fact that it's more about who you are and who you know, rather than what you can do that counts in this county, which is rather unfortunate. Oh well... I'll just keep plugging along until something comes along. Things will happen when they are meant to happen. And if I can't find anything this year, I'll just keep subbing and look again next year. Only 17 more days of summer! Gotta enjoy them while I can and worry about all this stuff later!

Mike got a job!!!!

Hooray!! In search of a job in the education realm, Mike interviewed at the Sylvan Learning Center, hoping to get hired on there as a tutor. After two long agonizing weeks, he got the call today offering him the job!!! He accepted, of course, and starts his training on Monday! After they get done breaking him in, he'll be tutoring 2-3 students at a time, teaching different subjects that the students struggle with. As of now, it looks like he'll be teaching some high school algebra and a course on organizational skills (ha, those of you who know Mike will get the joke!). He'll be working about 20 hours a week, with a decent hourly wage, plus he'll get more hours and higher pay the longer he works there. I think he's pretty excited that he finally found a job that suited him. Way to go Mike! I'm so proud of you!!!

Newly Employed Man.... oh yeeeeeah!