and i thought this would be a boring summer?

This summer has been nuts! After graduation, I long term subbed for a 4th grade teacher at Forbes Elementary who had a baby. I finished out the year for her and learned a lot!

Fyi-Forbes was the school where I did my first half of student teaching with the sixth graders.


During the month I subbed, many of the teachers came to me asking what my plans were for the coming year. At that point I had decided I didn't really want to bother with job hunting and really liked the flexibility of choosing when I wanted to sub. The pay wasn't too terribly terrible and it would keep me busy. So I told all of the teachers I thought I was just going to sub.

As more days passed, the teachers got progressively more interested in my plans and kept telling me to get my application completed. It wasn't until the principal showed up in my classroom one morning before the students got there, that I really took applying seriously. The principal told me there would be an opening at the school this fall and strongly encouraged me to apply. He said he couldn't promise the position to me, but I had impressed him during my student teaching and subbing and they would love to interview me.

It was after this encounter that I understood why all the teachers were so interested in my plans for the coming year. I finally took their advice and got my application in that same day.

One day after school I was in the office, and the secretary flagged me down to set up an interview time. It turned out they had scheduled their interview day for June 9. I was leaving for Arizona on June 4 and wouldn't return until the 12. The secretary told me she would talk to the principal and see if he wanted to reschedule or do an interview over the phone.

The next week the principal showed up unexpectedly in my classroom to speak with me. It just so happened to be a time where we were right in between activities and passing out papers (minor chaos going on, I was embarrassed). He pulled me out into the hall and said they would like to interview me that same day right after school. That's when I started to panic, the rest of the day I was nervous and worried. Because I was already respected by the people at the school, I was so nervous that I would make a fool out of myself in front of them. Had it been any other school, I wouldn't have cared if I made a fool out of myself since they didn't know me personally and I would probably never see them again.

Luckily, the principal took some pity on me and told me some of the questions I would be asked. This gave me some time to be prepared slightly more prepared than I would have been.

Finally my interview time came. I went in and was interviewed by the principal, two teachers, and a member of the PTA. I answered their questions as well as follow up questions and was done in about 15 minutes. I was told I would hear back in about two weeks, once they had completed the rest of the interviews on June 9. I went on my merry little way, feeling like a total dork and wishing I had responded more intelligently.

School ended, and I left to Arizona. On June 10, I received a phone call from an unknown 801 number. Obviously I didn't answer my phone, thinking it was just a wrong number kind of thing. Imagine my shock a minute later when my phone buzzed telling me I had a voicemail. Immediately I wondered if it was the principal. I listened to my message and it sure enough was the principal. He didn't give me any specific information, just asked me to give him a call back.

I told my parents that the principal wanted me to call him back. My first reaction: What if I didn't get the job? My second reaction: Oh no, what if I did get the job?

I was able to pull myself together and go outside, completely alone, to call the principal back. After a short conversation, he informed me that they wanted to hire me! At this point I was doubting myself and told him I would have to talk to Sean first and make sure that was what we wanted to do, in order to buy myself some time.

When I finally got a hold of Sean (he was at our ward camp out), his reaction was, "what is there to think about? Of course you are going to take the job!", along with being really excited and all of that stuff of course.

I waited until the weekend passed, and called the principal first thing in the morning. I accepted the position and became the newest 3rd/4th combo teacher at Forbes Elementary.

             Go Patriots!

Oh, and if it doesn't come across that I am excited. . .I am very excited! Nervousness is kind of my main emotion right now, but once I get into the swing of things I think I will have the best job in the world!