As the '08-'09 school year began so was my student teaching supposed to begin and it did. However, mentally I was not there. You have to remember I had already spent two full years as a teaching assistant, two full years in a Master's program, not to mention I had also still been doing my schooling during the summers as well - the first summer I spent 30 hours in a 5th grade classroom helping with summer school; the second summer I spent 60 hours in Kindergarten teaching summer school (those were my field experiences since having worked in a private school did not count). Now, here I was beginning another "field experience" after all of this previous experience instead of my own classroom because my principal felt I needed to be an assistant again.
I tried, I really did. There comes that day though when you know you've reached rock bottom. Actually I think everyone I knew, knew I was there and really they were just waiting for me to realize it. Well when you are sitting on the floor of the gym crying to the personal trainer you have known since you were 16 years-old because you thought it would feel better to work it out but you just can't, and he calls your mom and asks her to come over there, and the three of you sit there and talk, and he literally pulls you up off of the floor and wipes away your tears - you're not okay.
So yes, that's how I wound up back in my childhood bedroom - I went from sitting on the floor crying to my own bed and I will say it was one of the better night sleeps I had had in a very long time.
I took some time and got myself back on track over those winter holidays. By the time January of 2009 rolled around I was ready to roll again.
My mentoring teacher was awesome. Again, another friendship developed and I still speak to her to this day. Things really do happen for a reason sometimes, huh? I was student teaching in 2nd grade on a team with 12 teachers. They were fabulous. My teacher's room was right in the middle of some 1st grade teachers who she was close with so I became fast friends with them as well. I ate lunch with this group of kids everyday. They were always intrigued by the fruit I brought. I did not just bring apples and oranges. I brought strawberries and blueberries, which for them in a low-income school was so exciting. When it was time for my last day I had told my parents that my kids wanted to meet them. Both my parents came and my mom brought an entire Costco size vat of strawberries that she had covered in chocolate. Oh my goodness you would have thought that she had brought them gold!
So of course, throughout all of this time I also had to concentrate on finding a teaching job for the Fall '09-'10 school year. Again if I had it my way, I would stay where I was student teaching. I had already become friends with so many teachers there and I loved the student body. Two things happened. One - remember that principal who thought I needed one more year as an assistant? She "resigned." Riighht. We all know what that meant. I got myself an interview back there and was so excited. Then, I just felt strung along after I was told her decided to go with someone else. Fine, whatever. Now I really would focus on getting a job at the school where I was. And, then, the news hit the headlines - literally.
Just like that the principal I had spent three months building a relationship with, handing my resume to, sharing my lessons with was gone! Deja vu anyone? With about a month left of school they finally announced a new principal. He did not have a clue who I was and why should he, I was not one of his employees. You can bet my face graced his office doorway a time or two before the end of the year and I without a doubt handed him a resume. I did get a small interview. By this point however, the county had a hiring freeze. Just my luck. I kept my hopes high as school ended and continued to search all summer long.
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So you think that spray will hold the laminated poster and it won't crinkle. Will it be easy to spray and position?
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