The World According to Leslie

Today I got the call! I begin work on Monday. Monday I will be working with the two other English I teachers. Then on Tuesday, they are hoping to have my kids ready for me! WOW! I wasn't expecting it that quickly! However.... I'm ready! Let's do this!

Today, I am waiting for the call from HR at my new job to call me to do paperwork. I have already arranged for daily after-school transportation for Chasity (beginning today). She already rides the bus in the mornings. I am hoping that I will get my paperwork completed soon and get into my classroom! I am excited! Over the weekend, I went through all the stuff that I have already. I filled up 3 notebooks with "random stuff"...grammar, vocab, short stories, novels, etc. I filled up one notebook with "Romeo and Juliet" stuff! Hopefully I can use some of it (I'm sure I will be able to) in my new classroom. I sat in the floor for a few hours working on getting my notebooks together. I couldn't stay focused because of the excitement! HOWEVER....today..... while I'm waiting on the call, I'm being productive. I have already read 50 pages. I have 88 left to read. Then the writing starts! I've been productive so far!

Today, I have been waiting for the call from Human Resources. Since Monday is a holiday, I guess I will get the call on Tuesday. I hope to be at the school Thursday or Friday. I don't know if they are planning to have me observe the other two teachers for a day or two so I can see what they are working on in class OR if they are going to just give me the students! Either way is great, but I think I might be more comfortable if I knew what they are working on already! :) I have started a list of questions I need to ask. I have started a list of things I need to get. I have ordered some books I have been wanting so I would have them to use in my classroom. Now, I'm just waiting for the call. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the weekend! :)

Chasity loves school. This year, she is actually waking up (without TOO much grumpiness) and getting herself dressed. In all the previous years, her dad or I would dress her. We told her over the summer that now that she's 8, she has to start doing that for herself. She's too big for us to do it. So far, I am loving school. I have two classes. I have a lot of reading, but for the most part, it hasn't been so hard to keep up. Of course, I have only been in class for TWO weeks! lol I'm sure it will get more difficult, but I think I can handle it. In a couple of weeks, I'll probably be pulling my hair out and wanting to quit. However.... I haven't quit yet. With graduation so close in sight, I am not looking to quit now! :) On Monday, I received a phone call from a school to which I had sent my resume' and information. They asked me to come in for an interview on Tuesday. Being absolutely convinced I can get the job, I went. The interv...

OMG! Today is the first day of school for Chasity! She's in 3rd grade now. I can't believe it. OMG! The house is so quiet without Chasity here. I'm used to hearing "Mom!" "Mommy!" "Can I play my Xbox?" "Can I play my DS?" "Can I play on the computer?" "Can I watch my shows?" "I'm going to play in my room!" "I'm hungry." "Can I have a snack?" We limit her time on Xbox, DS, and computer. Most of the time, if she is watching TV, we are watching with her. Also, she has a TV in her room, but she can only watch movies on it. We monitor how long, how much, and what she watches. However, there are many times that she has a movie in the background while she plays in her room. OMG! I just learned a little tidbit of knowledge that COULD possibly help me to get a job. When I did my student teaching, I had a Cooperating Teacher. She was WONDERFUL! I also ha...

Last night, we went to meet Chasity's new teacher. I think Chasity will do well in her class. However, with my personality, she's another of those teachers that I would have been a problem for! :) I am a little ADD (sometimes ADHD) so I have a problem with soft-spoken, calm people! :) I tend to surround myself with loud, crazy people. But, Chasity is very quiet (at school). So I think she will do GREAT in this class this year! This is her first year of EOGs. I'm a little worried about that, but it will all be fine! On the job front, I have applied for more jobs. I did the one thing I swore I would never do. I applied for jobs in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. I haven't been called back about those either. So...they may want me even less that I truly want to work there. LOL There is a job in a neighboring county that I realized earlier this week a friend of mine vacated. He just got married and moved home to Pittsburgh, PA. So, since I applied...

So I interviewed for a job on Wednesday of last week. I forwarded all the house calls to my cell phone on Thursday while we were at Tweetsie. I literally sat by the phone Friday waiting for a call. Every time the phone rang, I hoped it was them. They never called. So I cried a lot on Friday. Actually, I cried more than I care to admit! Then today, I called them to see if they had made a decision. The response I got was, "Yes, we made a decision. I had you on my list to call on Friday, but I didn't get to it." The tone to his voice confirmed what I already knew. I did NOT get the job. So I am sitting here again today. Crying. Wondering. Feeling like a failure. What else is there to say?

Before I went into the interview today, I had a conversation with God. I said, "I didn't even apply for this job. It's not listed on the website. Maybe YOU picked this one for me. I have been applying for jobs that *I* want. Maybe this is what YOU want for me. So when I get in there, just let this be an easy interview." Honestly, I sat there talking to those two Assistant Principals like I had known them for years. At one point, one of them asked me a yes/no question. I said "yeah, I do." Then I stopped myself and said, "I am so sorry. That was rude. Yes sir...." Then I answered the question for him. I spoke with one AP then he called in another one. However, when it was just the first AP in there with me, he asked a question. Then when the other AP came in, he told him about my answer. I think it went really well. They said they have to make a decision by Friday. Maybe I'll get the call when I'm on the mo...

A couple of weeks ago, my sister and my niece had their toenails painted.  Each of them had a design put on their big toes.    Chasity asked me if we could do that for her birthday.  I told her “we’ll see.”  That OF COURSE means (in 7-year-old terms) “sure…no problem”.    So she asked me yesterday if I would take her.  We didn’t have time to go yesterday, so we went today.   Each of us has hot pink polish on our toes.  Then we have designs on our big toes.  My toe designs:   Chasity’s toe designs:   Here they are TOGETHER:   Just before Chasity and I left the house to go get our nails done, I received a phone call about a job interview.  So tomorrow at 10am I am going to be interviewing for a teaching job.  It’s not far from where we live.  We wouldn’t have to move.  So I am praying that this is the job that God has for me.

About two weeks ago, I interviewed for a teaching job. It is the only interview I have had all summer. I have sent in resume' after resume' to probably 50 principals this summer. There have been openings, but I never got an interview for most of the jobs. The job I interviewed for is about an hour drive to get there. However, in the mornings, I would be going away from the biggest part of traffic. In the afternoons, I would be doing the same thing. So the drive wouldn't be so bad! I wouldn't have that much traffic to deal with either direction! So for the past two weeks, I every time the phone has rung, I have been on edge hoping to hear from them. Today I heard from them. "We have filled the position at (the school). We wish you the best in your job search. Thanks for you interest in teaching at (the school)." However..... it was NOT a phone call. I received an email to tell me that I didn't get the job. :( That just made it even WORSE! So now.....

...and I didn't get the job. The interview went well. However, when it was over and I called Tony in the car on the way home, I said..."They didn't ask me a lot of questions. It's like they already had their mind made up before I walked in." I guess they did! I didn't get it. :( I cried a little. I'll probably cry again when Tony gets home. The bad thing is that the principal said, "Your interview was great, but I had to go with someone more qualified." I understood that when I was trying to do Lateral Entry in the position, but now that I have a teaching license..... I don't understand. :( I need help understanding it. But.... when she told me that, I said, "Thank you for letting me know." She thanked me for interviewing. Then I hung up. I was aggravated! I was mad! Now.... I don't know what I am!

Remember when we were little and we would toss and turn all night in our beds waiting on "Santa" to come? Remember watching the clock? 12:00 12:15 12:23 OMG! I did that last night. This morning, I have an interview for a job that I could start immediately! I'm excited about it. However, I guess last night, I was nervous! I went to bed around 10:30pm. Then I looked at the clock at 11pm. I turned the TV off at 11:07pm. Then I woke up again every 15 minutes until about 12:47am. Finally after that I looked at the clock again at 2:28am. Then at 3:34am. Then at 4:01am---when the alarm went off! (I have a clock that you have to go through ALL the numbers to get back to :00 so I left it at :01.) All that time....every time I looked at the clock... I thought...."This really feels like I'm waiting on Christmas!!" Maybe that's a good sign! I could really use this job for the rest of the school year! :)

So it's been 2 weeks today since I wrote anything. Nothing much has been happening. But my brain is full from all kinds of stuff. I have be working on homework. I have a project that requires that I do research with the students I'm teaching....except that I'm not teaching. So I'm having to be REALLY creative!!!! We'll just have to see how that plays out. :) I only have about 3 weeks left in this class. I'm glad! My Grandma (Mom's mom) was in the hospital a couple weeks ago. She went in for a UTI and severe dehydration. After 3 days of IVs and some rest, she was sent back to the Retirement Center. Now that she is back there, my mom, her brother that lives here in town, his wife and their daughter have been taking turns going to feed Grandma. She isn't eating much. The doctors have taken her off of all her medicines. She has Alzheimer's and has had it for a while. They said that her medicines were just making her tired and they want to try ...

Chasity made it at school all day today! I'm so glad! I'm sure she'll be glad when she's feeling better too! I just learned that a friend's mom is in the hospital. She is having breathing issues and reacted badly to the breathing treatment from the ER. They are keeping her for tests because her blood pressure is high and her blood oxygen levels are low. They can't treat the oxygen levels outside of the hospital, so they said they are keeping her until that comes up at least....maybe longer! Tonight was a Girl Scout troop meeting! The girls decided on what they want to do with their cookie profits. Then we looked at what it will cost. In order for them to do it, the troop has to sell 2200 boxes of cookies. That means that each girl has to do at least 440! I have 5 girls I would TOTALLY love if they all did over 400 boxes!! Tomorrow night is the Cookie Rally! Chasity is the only one from the troop going! :( I'm just hoping she'll feel like it. S...

Every night when I write the date, I still want to put 2010! However, that year is behind us now and I'm glad! My interview today went well, I think. But, they are interviewing nine other people THIS WEEK for the same job! I would have loved to have been number 8 or 9. That way when they started thinking about people I would be fresh on their minds. However, I was FIRST! The principal is hoping to make a decision this week. He has to have someone in the position by January 20th. The job starts on January 24th! Technically, I guess I could be working 20 days from now! That would be great! I'm looking forward to my classes starting next week. I have two classes this semester! If possible, I'm going to try to throw one (at least) in for the summer. I might do two if I can afford it (or if I can get financial aid for the summer sessions). I should check on that soon I guess. Registration is starting in just a couple of weeks (or maybe now) for the summer sessions!! Ch...

As I type this, I really should be in the bed! I haven't been sleeping well at all. So after taking Chasity to school today, Tony and I came back home. We had planned to rid the house of any and all Christmas decor. However, his brother (whom he never gets to talk to) called. And... I fell asleep! I slept.... for.... OVER TWO HOURS!!! At around 10am, I heard the house phone ring, but I knew Tony was here so I didn't budge. Then Tony came to the couch (I guess he had been upstairs) and said "Get the phone..... it's about a job!" So I sat up, cleared my throat, and without sounding too sleepy-headed (is that a word?) I said, "Good Morning, this is Leslie!" The lady on the other end introduced herself and asked if I'd like to come in for an interview tomorrow morning at 8:15am. "Ohmigosh! Really?" How professional did that sound? "Yes, ma'am. Can you be here at 8:15am?" "Yes, I can." Then I asked for the best di...

So I haven't been here in a LONG TIME! I have been busting my backside getting finished with my Student Teaching. Want to know how that went? Well.... I got an A!! My 4.0 is still in-tact! Today I'm spending the day uploading all the surveys and paperwork that have to be online. In just a little bit, I'm headed to see my Cooperating Teacher. I forgot to have her sign some things. But.... I'm glad I get to see her today! Later I'm going to pick up my angel girl from school! Even later (5pm), I'm going to UNCC to OFFICIALLY become a teacher! I am going to my final meeting with all the people and we are going to sign my final paperwork. Then *I* am going to sign the CHECK! And....as long as the State of NC Department of Instruction doesn't have any issues with my paperwork or me, I will have an OFFICIAL piece of paper in 6-8 weeks that says I'm a teacher! Tomorrow afternoon, I'm going on my first official "trying to get a job as a real teache...

Today, it is mandatory for all UNCC student teachers to attend the Education Job Fair on campus. We have known about this day for awhile. However, just a couple days ago, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools announced they are cutting almost 900 jobs and might have to close some schools because of budget issues for next year! I'm really in need of a full-time paid teaching job for next year! Pray that God will open doors for the job I need. Until next time........

Ever since school started on August 25, 2008, my friends/family/random people that I talk to have been asking me how I get everything done. For those of you who do not know, Aug. 25, 2008, is the date that Chasity started Kindergarten and I started Graduate School. Other than School and normal family stuff (laundry, dishes, meals, etc.) I am also a member of the PTO board at Chasity's school. I am her Girl Scout Troop leader. I am on the Service Unit (area) Team for Girl Scouts. I am on the Praise and Worship team at church. Chasity has dance. In the Spring, if she wants to again, Chasity has baseball. When I tell people everything we do, their first question is "How do you get it all done?". My answer is always simple.... CALENDARS! lol I have a calendar that I carry with me (datebook--it's cute too!). I have one that goes on my desk here at the house. The desk one is small/thin enough that I can throw it in a notebook or backpack to add stuff to when I...

In just a few hours, I have a meeting with my academic advisor at UNCC. I am going to talk to her about my internship for the Spring. After that meeting, I am going to try to get some help in the computer lab for my ePortfolio. I just found out the other day that I have to re-do it because the teacher that had me set it up....well....she's new (I hope!) and she told us the wrong way to set it up. So I have to re-do my ePortfolio. Of course, I didn't know I was supposed to be adding stuff to it every semester either. She didn't tell us that either. So.....now that I have to re-do it, I can do it correctly from the beginning and not have to go back to do it again! :) Tomorrow I have to call to make an appointment with the College of Education so I can do my interview for placement. I think that is how they decide where to put me for next year. Of course, I know where I WANT them to put me, but I might not get that! In January, I have the Praxis II test. In May, I...