Might As Well Post as I Procrastinate Packing

Hi Internet,

I didn't forget about you. Summer happened. Life happened. So, here's what's up.

May: Finished school. Got my Bad A job and left for my graduation tour.
Spent a week in DC with my cousin Danielle and her adorable family:

Highlights: loving on 2 week old Lainey, playing "LADY" with Elsie, reading Magic Tree House with Liam, making yummy foods, a first trip to Trader Joe's, Searching for a cadet in Annapolis, visiting all the cool shops in Georgetown, DC Cupcakes- NO LINE to wait in! Staying up late catching up with my frousin (Friend+Cousin)

June:
2 weeks in Utah with NO agenda!

Highlights: Planning with Amy about how we're both going to spend our money now that we both have real teacher jobs, Music and the Spoken Word, Watching TV with Julia Janice Marlin, kisses from baby Jesse, Getting blacklisted at Aqua Aerobics, NOT working up a sweat at Aqua Zumba, Day Road trips, Olive Garden Lunches, Visiting BYU-I*, Craigo's and impressing the hostess that we came back after 7 years for a mini reunion to Rexburg- she was so touched she gave us a free jumbo "Cookie Monster- YUM!", staying up late with Julia and Spencie trying to solve all of the worlds problems.

MORE Highlights: Impromptu Roommate reunion with Bre, Merika and Pam (Amy and Lester were missed terribly), Bre's awesome salads, Alton's great idea, Pam's boy problems, Merika's Vegas stories, IKEA, Farr's Ice Cream with Merika, Brazilian grills, Cheesecake Factory, buying things for my classroom, session in the SLC temple with Hoppes, staying up late reminiscing about 11 years ago when we were young and funny in college.

Then... I had to come home.

Highlights: Watching Levi's soccer games, water fights with Ju-Ju, finding bargains at yard sales for my new crib and classroom, play date with Hannah at the Library, lounging by the pool with Ju-Ju, Organizing my classroom library, avoiding packing, watching DVD's about the Daily 5, family dinners, taking a BBQ class, walking the Midnight Sun Run, stressing/getting excited to move and start my real job!

So, this summer has been pretty full, and really great, I hate to see it end, but I really can't WAIT to meet my kindies! I've been planning and prepping and I'm going in a week to visit Sterling and hopefully see my classroom and begin decorating! Ahhh!

Well, I'm off to bed. If you feel inclined to come pack a box or two for me, by all means come on over! :)

EMPLOYED!!

Internet!

I have fabulous news! I got a job! Not just A job, but a GREAT job!

So, yesterday morning I had 3 interviews:

10:00am- Barrow phone interview

10:45am- Sterling Elementary

11:30am- Bethel

All the interviews went really well! I was told I would hear back after the weekend, probably on Wednesday.

Well, around 2pm my phone started to ring.... I had job offers!!!

I decided to take a kindergarten position on the Kenai Peninsula. I'm so EXCITED!

I'll have about 17 students in a full-day kindergarten class!

In the words of my friend I "landed my dream job!"

I can't wait!

A Lot of People Go to College for 11 Years...

Well Internet,

After 3 schools and 11 years I FINALLY made it! Graduation was on Mother's day. It was long, it was hot, the fire alarm went off twice, but I graduated!

 I don't often tell people about my educational journey. But I figure since I finished, maybe someone could learn from my experience. I attended BYU-Idaho right after I graduated high school. Life at home was stressful as my mom had just been diagnosed with cancer. I am so grateful for my time in Rexburg. I know I was supposed to be there. I still have some of my best friends who I met during that time. In my 3 years in Rexburg, perhaps the greatest lesson I learned was how to have fun and enjoy life. I may or may not have slept through my bowling class for 4 semesters in a row.... I also didn't really have an advisor, and I didn't have a clear plan of what classes I should take. Then, I met that boy, he broke me heart and I got really depressed. I wore my giving up on life pants, and when combined with my past years of play, I was put on academic suspension. I left Rexburg, and a piece of my heart.

I am grateful that I was able to come home and re-group. It wasn't until later that I really addressed my issues with depression, but it helped put me on a path where I could move forward. I then moved to Utah and decided I would try school again. It was frustrating because most of my credits didn't transfer, and I still didn't have an advisor. I was again overwhelmed and quit going to school. After this setback I convinced myself that I wasn't good at school, I'm a 2 time college drop out and obviously I wasn't cut out for higher education.

I then got my job with Alyeska, which was again a great experience, but I wasn't doing what I loved, what I knew I should be doing. I knew I needed to be a teacher. But that meant facing my fears and inadequacies, I had to go back to school. My job with Alyeska ended and I went to care for my grandmother and I remember so many people encouraging me to go back to school. I kept thinking "Yeah, but I'll never make it. I fail every time I try."

August 2010. I woke up one morning and decided I wanted to go back to school. I went to UAF, registered for classes starting the next week and found out who the Elementary Education Advisor was. I am so thankful for my advisor. She looked at my transcripts and made me a plan. It wasn't going to be easy, it was going to take 3 years, in addition to the 3 years of credits I already had, but I could do it.

I poured my heart and soul into school, because this time I knew this was what I wanted and needed to be doing.

It wasn't easy. At least once a semester I had a full-on meltdown, tears, "I can't do this," the works.

But I did it! (And with a 3.8 GPA might I add.)

My cousin threw me a fabulous graduation party, with a Wizard of Oz theme, which is special for me because when I was little I was obsessed with the movie.

 But there was a quote from the movie that she posted on the mantel that really hit me.

The quote made me realize that my family knew I could be successful in school. I didn't have to let my past experiences define me because I had the power and ability to get my degree, I just had to realize it.

I couldn't have done it on my own, but I am thankful for the support of my friends and family for getting me to this point!

Now on to the job hunt.....

No News

Internet! 9 days!!!


NINE DAYS UNTIL GRADUATION!!! All that stands between me and that funky black robe and hat is a presentation and a reflection paper. AHHHHH! It has taken me 11 years, but I'm so close I can almost taste it!

Still no job prospects. :( I'm a little sad about that. I keep applying, so pray, cross your fingers etc. that I will find a job.

I keep thinking about getting a summer job... but then I don't want to.... And then my mom says that my idea of a "summer of self-exploration" isn't gonna fly. Party pooper!

AND, because blog posts without pictures are boring...

Here is a picture of my classroom, and the leaky roof. Apparently there isn't money to fix this, but ceiling tiles are rotting and falling. Nice.

Job Fair

Hi Internet,

So, remember how I worked for HOURS and HOURS on my online portfolio and then HOURS more on on my paper version? And then I went to the Alaska Teacher Placement Job Fair and NOT ONE PERSON asked to look at it?

So, I traveled down to Anchorage for the job fair. I've been dutifully checking the website to see what jobs are available and have picked my top 4 districts in Alaska I would want to work for. I prepared beautiful packets for all districts with my business cards, letters and resumes included. I flew down to Anchorage Thursday night and looked at the map of the ballroom to map out my game plan...

1. Anchorage had the most jobs posted, is in the "big city," close to the temple, low cost of living and reasonable pay. This was my #1 choice. My aunt lives near Anchorage, it's only a 6 hour drive home, PERFECT.

2. North Slope Borough (Barrow, Alaska) Yes, this is the northern most  district in the US and they have no sunlight between November-February, but the pay is incredible, benefits are amazing and since there aren't doctors and dentists in Barrow they PAY for you to fly to Fairbanks or Anchorage for all your appointments. Free trips home, yes please! AND, I have a good friend who lives there and her family could take care of me. I know, weird.

3. Kenai Peninsula: My family goes fishing there every summer, it's BEAUTIFUL! I have a cousin who  lives there and it's a short 20 minute flight to Anchorage and another hour home. AND, my dad is PUMPED at the prospect that he would have somewhere to stay when he comes to fish.

4. LKSD (Bethel, Alaska) This is the district Napaskiak is in, I know what I'm getting myself into (ish).  Very competitive pay, I really liked Bethel, rumor is they are getting a movie theater, which would be great.

So, my game plan was to hit up my choices in that order.

I woke up early, waited in line and b-lined to Anchorage, only to find out that all the jobs they had posted were really just for internal transfers and they weren't interviewing at the fair, but to keep checking. Strike 1.

Next I went to North Slope, I told them what I was looking for, primary in Barrow and was told they didn't have any primary openings in Barrow. Strike 2.

Then I thought I was at the Lower Kuskokwim booth, I saw Lower on the banner, started my intro to the man and realized I was at the Lower YUKON school district. NOT on my list, WAY too remote for my liking. So, I set up an interview for 10am, just because.

I made my way to the Kenai booth.  I gave them my intro and this guy then tells me "well, you probably won't get in here because you're a 1st year teacher and we're on the road." (In Alaska less than half of the state can be reached by roads, most villages you have to fly to. So, the jobs on the highways are harder to get than the rural fly-in villages.)

So, feeling dejected the HR director looks at me and says, "can I look at your portfolio?" So I show it to him and tell him "you know, this is my first teaching job, but not my first job, I worked for Alyeska before I went back to school." Then he asked, "well what would your mentor teacher say about you?" And I looked him right in the face and said "she would tell you to hire me because I'm as good as she says I am. When she filled out your survey online she was worried because you were going to think she was blowing smoke up your rear because I seem too good to be true, but I'm not." He looked at my portfolio again and scheduled me for an interview at 11!

Then I found the ACTUAL LKSD booth, told them I had visited their district and immediately they wanted to see me, so I set up an interview for 9:30.

So, I had 3 interviews and I think they all went really well!

I was debating whether or not to go back on Saturday, since I had seen all the districts I was interested in and I didn't want to waste anyone' time, but I decided I would go back to check my mailbox. (Everyone had a manilla folder that districts could leave you a note if they were interested in you, I dutifully checked my mailbox only to be disappointed EVERY time!) But I decided to go and I walked to check my mailbox at 10:27 and found this:

 I was offered a position in LKSD that I'm considering, but I want to see what else I get, it's a bit remote for my liking especially since I feel my Kenai interview went well.

So, here's to hoping the phone starts ringing!

On The Hunt. Job Hunt That Is...

Internet.

In 37 days I will FINALLY be a college Graduate!!!!!!!!!!

I know right?! I'm SO ready to me DONE! I spent over 50 hours last week working on my beastly Full Time Student Teaching Binder. I taught for 3 weeks and survived.... ish.

Week 1: 

• Girl tripped and cracked her head open during math.
• Girl kicked at me, wrote her a discipline report the day before her birthday
• Caught strep throat from a student, banned from school on Friday, had to make up a day later in the month  

Week 2:

•  Celebrated my birthday with the kids. Journal Prompt: "How old is Ms. Duval."
• Answer: somewhere between 19-78.
• Taught lots of lessons and the kids were really coming together!
• And we were all ready for...

SPRING BREAK!!

 

Week 3:

• Army Band Concert, my kids were SHOCKED I knew all the words to Justin Bieber songs! Ha!
• New kid came.
• Lost New kid
• Found New Kid
• Almost left kid at school when we were leaving on a field trip.

           

So, during spring break when I should have been doing homework, I was concerned with more weighty matters, like finding a JOB!

So, I made a online portfolio:

 

Printed business cards:

 

And applied for jobs!

Chances of being able to stay here in town is pretty slim. There are jobs in Anchorage that I have applied for and would like to take... but I might not get them. I am going next weekend to a job fair, so maybe something will come of that??

 SO, if you know of a primary grade teaching position near you that's open... Let me know! Send your friends to my website! (I'm not posting the link on here cause it has ALL of my contact info, which is a bit creepy for my liking, but if you want my web address, just send me your email address and I'll send you the link!)

Fingers Crossed!