New Job

Well, I GOT A JOB!!!!! YAY!!! Oh, I am so excited!!! So here are the order of events. About a week and a half ago I saw on Teachers-Teachers.com that American Preparatory Academy is opening a new school next school year and is looking for teachers to fill the school. So I applied and got a responding e-mail that they were having a hiring event on Thursday, February 24th. So I decided I better go. I read a little about the school on their website and was a little nervous. They are all about Direct Instruction and that is something that I was taught not to do too much of at UVU. I was afraid that the school would be like joining the army. :) But I went anyway. I sat on the front row, right in front of the stand/pulpit. Well, I began filling much better about the school the minute the meeting began. I went in there expecting to be scared out of my mind and just apply because I really need a job, but instead I began feeling inspired and excited. Everything they do really seems to just make sense. They have the same rules and procedures that students follow in every classroom and every grade. So students know exactly what is expected of them. There is no confusion or changes from one room to the next. Their coat and back backs are hung OUTSIDE the classroom which saves room in the classroom and avoids distractions. They divide students into different groups for reading, math, and spelling, depending on their ability levels and learning styles (not their grade level)!!! Every classroom has a teacher and an instructor. Then during those group times both the teacher and instructor go into smaller "break-out" rooms to teach those group lessons. Anyways, I could go on and on. There are so many wonderful things about this academy.

So at the end of the meeting they invited us to stay a few minutes to mingle and meet a few of the people representing their schools. I met with the director of the Draper Campus, the Vise President, and finally the President of the academy. After speaking a few minutes with the President she went to the director of the Draper Campus and told her to tell me about "the position".

And there, it was that simple. They hired me on the spot. No interview, no going through their standard long interviewing, audition, and second interviewing process. I was hired to be an instructor to finish off this year and then to be a teacher next school year. I reported Tuesday for training and observed. Wednesday I taught my first reading lesson there and absolutely slaughtered it, but thankfully they were very nice and encouraging. You see, most of the lessons are scripted and very fast paced. So I had to figure out their way of teaching, follow the script, and manage the class. It was an incredible learning experience. I went home that night and practiced practiced practiced. I came back the next day and my lesson went soooo much better!!! And then Friday I went in and again things went even better. Not only did I have the teacher of the class I took over observing me, but one of the teacher coaches came in and the director of the school come in. After the lesson they told me they are so excited and I did wonderful! :D :D :D They said that I was so enthusiastic and the kids were very engaged the entire time. They said that it is very unusual for a teacher just starting out to be able to multi-task as well as I did with following the script and managing the class. :D So it went really well. I have to credit one of the second grade teachers for that. I was able to observe her teach a few times and she proved one of my fears of the school wrong. I thought that since most lessons are scripted it would take out the fun and creativity in teaching. But watching her was so inspiring. She was funny, fluctuated her voice, gave tons of compliments, and just had fun with the lessons. After watching her I felt so much better and like even though the lesson is scripted I can still let my personality come out and have fun during the lesson.

Wow, I've written so much. I'd be surprised if anyone gets this far into reading this but that is okay. This is mostly just a journal entry. :)

I am so excited! As instructor I will assist a second grade teacher (I'm still not sure which they are going to put me with. My first real day is Monday and we shall see.) with her class while she teaches writing, geography, cursive, grammar, science, and literature and then I will teach smaller groups reading, math, and spelling. And the plan is next year to be the teacher. This is a great opportunity that all the teachers have told me they wish they had to see how the school does things since it is SO different from any other school I have seen. The director has made it very clear that she wants me to be a teacher next year. So I am so excited. I am so happy to be back in the classroom again (not just as a sub)!! I love teaching! I love working with such motivated and adorable young students. I am so excited for this opportunity. :D Yay!

Okay, I'm done!!!