I got a JOB!!!

On Wednesday, the day before I was leaving for Chicago I got a call in the late morning asking me to come to an interview on Thursday but since I already had an interview scheduled for Thursday morning and was leaving around noon for Chicago I told them I couldn't come in.  So she suggested I come in in two hours for am interview for a teaching job!  I didn't even know which position this was for and since I had just gotten in from a run, I had no time to investigate but had to shower and get on the road!

The interview was rather informal with just the principal and myself.  He had a list of questions to ask me but it was very conversational.  It was for a middle school and he told me it was a new position, that the school didn't have any kind of special ed program before, let alone one with cognitive disabilities.  He didn't really know much about the students or their needs.  He wanted whoever was hired to be able to lead a training of some sort to the staff about special needs.  We talked a lot about diversity as this school was extremely diverse.  After we were done I had asked him what to expect as far as second interviews were since I was about to head to Chicago for over a week.  He told me that I was his last interview and that there wouldn't be a second interview and that someone would let me know either way.  We continued talking some more and at the end he told me he really liked all I had to say and my experience and thought I was a perfect fit for this position and the job was mine if I wanted it.

So in about 3 hours time I went from not having an interview even scheduled to having a position that was mine for the taking!  And not just a job but a TEACHING job!  I asked him when I had to know by since I was caught off guard and after leaving immediately called Jason.  We had talked about it and I felt like there  wasn't much reason not to take it so called him back and told him to begin the paperwork.  I then had to get them three letters of references, copies of my transcripts from both my undergrad and graduate work.  All three of those were not easy tasks when I was leaving for Chicago in less than 24 hours but of course got on that and got copies of everything (except my undergrad transcript) by the time my flight left on Thursday.

So Thursday morning I had an interview scheduled for 10:00 for an aide position.  I decided to go since anything could go wrong with the teaching job.  It was at a high school in one of the most reputable school districts in the area.  Right from the beginning of the interview I could tell it was going well.  (more the way I would have thought other teacher aide interviews would have gone that I'd been interviewing for!)  They were very excited to have me to there, they gave me a tour of the facilities and got to know me and my goals a little better.  They helped me understand some of the ways of Colorado Board of Ed and some other tid-bits of teaching jobs in Colorado.  I felt really comfortable there and felt like I would have a great network of people for any future jobs.  I left feeling confident that I would be offered the position but of course this wasn't the first time I'd left interviews felling the way the past couple months so wasn't sure.

On my way home from that interview they called and offered me the position.  (so less than 24 hours since the teaching offer!)  I was ecstatic, but also very confused.  Here I had been interviewing for so many jobs and applying to ten times more and wasn't getting anywhere. Now I had a teaching job and an aide lined up all within 24 hours and only about 3 hours before I was boarding a plane to go back for graduation and family/friends time.

The schools were completely different and the districts were almost opposite from each other so there was a lot to take into consideration  It was nice that I was back in Chicago where I had a lot of people to talk with. I talked it through with Jason, my family, many different friends, especially my teaching friends, and my sister-in-law who is an assistant principal and I prayed A LOT.  Once minute I was thinking definitely take the teaching job and the next it was to definitely take the aide position.

While at church on the Sunday after the offers, Bill Hybels was giving a lesson on being "all in with God" or "dead with God" and while the subject matter really didn't speak at all about my situation I heard very clearly that God was telling me to take the aide position.  The teaching position seemed to provide no support what-so-ever and there wouldn't be anyone in the school to discuss options with.  I had such an awful experience student teaching that I know I am going to need a lot of support in writing IEP's, developing BIPs and lesson plans and this teaching job would be very isolated.

I took on this journey because I felt God's prompting and want to make a difference in the lives of those with special needs.  I want to be faithful to God's calling to that.  If I take the Teacher Aide position I would hopefully be able to network with a lot of people and establish some great connections.  I also hope to learn from a teacher who is truly providing and teaching the kids in her classroom.  I hope to learn how to write IEPs better and see what really works in a school in Colorado. Like I've said, the lingo here is very different too, not to mention the politics.

I felt like if I took the teaching position I would probably have a much better chance at getting a teaching job the next year but how good of a teacher would I be and what would it mean to the kids who I would be teaching this year and even in future years?  It was obvious the principal didn't know much about special ed and certainly about their needs, so who would back me when I didn't know what was best? While I believe that every first year of teaching is a year to learn for every first year teacher, I didn't feel it was best to go into one that had no support or resources available to me.  I am praying that whoever gets the position instead of me has many more years experience and doesn't need the support and resources that I did and they can give those kids the education they deserve. 

It was a tough decision, especially having the pay scale looming over my head and the student loans that are about to kick in...not to mention my pride that I just finished grad school and want to think I can take on any teaching job, but I want to do this for those with special needs.  I really want to be a great special ed teacher or whatever it is I am supposed to do with those with cognitive disabilities.  I am praying that the experience I gain and the networking I am able to do within the school and the community the next year will lead me to a teaching job (or the likes) where I can really do what I feel God's called me to do.  And honestly, when I look at the big picture...this is only for 9 months.  That's a lot of experience I can get and just a little bit of time to take a big pay cut.


Thanks for everyone's prayers and support after my last post about being jobless!  I really appreciate it!