paperwork, PAPERwork, PAPERWORK!!

Since I made my decision to sign my contract it's been a never ending process of paperwork. I got a list of all the documents I would have to fill out, scan, authenticate, or acquire. Here is my list of required documents: Security Application/Registration Form (1), Undertaking Letter (3), Passport photos (15+), Color copy of passport (5), authenticated WOU transcripts, authenticated B.S. degree, authenticated Oregon Teaching License, Color copy of said transcripts, degree and license (3), Experience letter from current employer with UAE attestation (2), Personal information form, and a new joiner form. This is only the first list they gave me... the second one was a list of things that had to be scanned to them in PDF format and added my visa application.

If you're thinking, "Whoa, that's a lot of paper!" You'd be completely correct. Most of the forms had to be printed, filled out, scanned and imported to word to be saved as a pdf. It's a little crazy. The filling out the forms came with an instruction book and was a little intimidating, but doable.

I ordered my transcripts and got my BS out of it's pretty folder and made copies and had them notarized. Then had to make the trek down to Salem to the Secretary of State Department. That was much easier than I thought it was... but now I've discovered that they may not have done it correctly and I may have to start over!!! Believe me I will NOT be paying that $40 plus gas all over again. Unfortunately I just discovered this possible problem. Actually thanks to pulling out the document list to blog about it... So THANK YOU friends who are reading this, you could be saving me literally hundreds of dollars. Now I'm waiting for an answer about those very documents to see if they're ok or they need to be redone.

In the mean time I've learned that I will be teaching 2nd grade!!! That is so unbelievably exciting.

I also have all my passport photos done... I found a way to cheat... here's the trick... go to Costco and get your passport photo done there... they'll charge you $4.99 for 4 pictures. You then pay an additional 2.99 to purchase the digital rights to the photo. Go home and pop it in the computer and goggle passport photos. You'll see services to do it online... you just upload the costco version and they make it into a 4x6. Then you pay $0.13 for each additional 4 photos. I ordered 5, 4x6s so I've only ended up paying $0.36 for each of my photos... a grand total of less than $9.00. I think that's great compared to the $25 I would have been paying for the same amount. Imagine if you had to buy them for a whole family to move...

Well it's not too bad....

I'm still feeling a little crazy and hopefully I'll understand more and more as I move along...

A Chance of a Lifetime!

I've been trying to write about this topic since April. I think the problem is that there's just so much stuff swirling around in my head. It seems like with each person I talk about a different aspect of my pending adventure. So I guess I'm just a little all over the place. I'm excited and scared and totally in denial. If I didn't have checklists and a series of steps that need to be completed I don't think I'd have any clue what it is that I'm doing. So I've decided that since I can't eloquently spew my thoughts and feelings about the whole thing right now I'm going to go start at the beginning and see where I go.

On April 16th, with the pep talk from Emily on my mind, I headed out to the 2013 Portland Professional Educator Fair at the Oregon Convention Center. I arrived early and got my booklet, only to be completely overwhelmed. There was an astounding turn out for the fair, not only educators, but also districts.

I watched as other educators sat in groups and mapped out their attack plan for the day and had no idea what to do myself. I found a ledge to sit on and opened the booklet. There were lists and lists inside and I had no idea how to utilize the book. I started out marking all the booths who were looking for K-5 teachers and quickly decided that was a waste of time. At this point they had opened the doors and I was afraid of being left behind. I flipped through the book until I found the section that listed the districts that were looking for K-3 and decided to approach it much like I would the Health Expo or the Women's Show. I started at one end and intended to work my way around.

The first stop was Yupik, Alaska. The women there was very friendly and promptly asked for my resume. I figured this might be an indicator of my luck for the day. I continued down the line, comparing the school/district listed to my book. I talked to the American school in Kuwait, and even got a call from them a couple of weeks later. I talked to a district in Idaho and Alief Independent School District in Texas, where I was asked to come back on Wednesday to interview. After talking with an amazingly nice woman at the Alief I made a stop at an empty table to regroup. This allowed me a minute to look at the table next to me without actually engaging the recruiters at the table. They were from the Glenelg School of Abu Dhabi (GSAD) and weren't listed in my book. I actually was walking past them when something stopped me. I have no idea what it was that prompted me to backpedal and talk with them. After a brief conversation they asked if they could see my resume. After reviewing it they asked if I would be willing to interview later in the day. I agreed and set my alarm so that I could continue making my connections with the other districts.

I talked to multiple districts in Arizona, Washington and Oregon. When 12:30 rolled around I made my way to the room where GSAD was conducting interviews and sat down with Laura. It was a great interview and I walked away thinking, "Wow, this could really happen."

A couple of hours later I received a text message from Laura asking me to stop by the booth at 3:30 to talk with Angela, that they wanted to offer me a contract. To say that I was shocked is a gross understatement. I stopped by and they asked if I could come back the next day, since I had two interviews set up I said it was no problem. I picked up my contract on Wednesday and was told that I needed to have my answer in by Sunday.

On my way home I crunched numbers, and thought about the opportunity. I started thinking about all the possibilities. The fact that this school wanted me enough to offer me a contract within hours of meeting me.

I think I'm taking my cues from Dad right now. He's pretty much in denial, and for me that works. I have so much to do and I want to enjoy my time left here with my friends and family. I guess this is where I should mention that my contract is for three years. I know that this is the right path for me. I know it all the way to my toes! I'll post again about my process and where I'll be... This is just the start of my amazing adventure!

Teacher on the Go!

What an amazing two weeks. I long ago gave up feeling guilty for being happy that I'm working. Yes, it typically means that someone is ill or dealing with personal issues, but it means that I have a purpose. I love the freedom I have with subbing, if only I could get consistent work in elementary schools instead of always waiting for the last second or not getting a job at all for multiple days. I could live a very happy life with three days a week. The problem is that I average way less than that. Since the beginning of the school year I've only worked 34 days.

For the last two weeks I've been working with my favorite group of kids, in my favorite class, in my favorite grade, in a school that just happens to feel like home. Not to mention the way I feel around the staff. It was a great time to be in an elementary school too! Just in time for Dr. Seuss's 109th birthday and Read Across America! Our school celebrated with kicking off a Read-A-Thon and some great theme days and books to go with them!

Friday was Pajama day and featured the book "Happy Birthday to You!" Kids and teachers wore pajamas and slippers, our class watched Horton Hears a Who, had Hot Chocolate, cupcakes, gummy bookworms, and read for a good portion of the day!

Monday was "Green Eggs and Ham" day and we wore green! I even made sure to wear green eyeshadow and earrings!

 "Fox in Socks" day

Wacky Wednesday!

Miss Hill and I both dressed up to the max! I even wore my tap shoes!

 Thursday was "Cat in the Hat" day, I wore a hat for part of the day, and the kids hats were great, but I didn't get any pictures that I can share.

Friday was mustache/thneed day...

We worked hard on our book themed door!

I'm Sorry

I'm sorry.
I'm sorry I stopped writing.
I'm sorry I stopped trying.
I'm sorry I haven't been good enough.

It's been over 3 months since I've written, and in that time I haven't given writing a second thought. It's quite thoughtless really. I don't write for you. I write for me. I could sit here and promise to write more often, but then I'd be writing for you instead of me. I think it comes down to the fact that I like to write when I'm either really happy or really frustrated and lately I've been neither. SO here's the deal I make with myself... I'll try... I'll try to post more often, even if they're short. I think secretly I've missed writing. Even as I sit here I can think of other things I have to say...

Too Much

I'm lost again. Lost in this world where people can't take care of themselves. Where it's MY job to fix their problems. It's not like I haven't done enough to help already. I can't fix my own problems, how in the world can I fix theirs? The stress is making me physically sick. I love her, but I can't do this any more. I feel like the weakest strong person ever. Anyone know a good psychologist, who doesn't charge much? The bottom of a bottle just doesn't appeal to me. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I know my friends are there to listen... and I appreciate that, more than they know, but I really need someone who is completely impartial. Someone who isn't going to judge me or just tell me what I want to hear.

It's my favorite time of year and instead of being all happy and excited like I should be, I'm stressed, down on myself and alone.

Hopefully things will improve.

Broken

Feeling a little like this tonight. It's just not enough right now. I'm not enough. Not happy enough. Not helpful enough. Not punctual enough. What I'm doing is just not enough. I wonder if Antarctica is hiring teachers?

My Bubble

This is the third year, and fourth camp I've come home from now and I have the same issue each year. I have no drive to write about my experience. When I leave for camp I enter this bubble. It's a bubble where I am safe and loved and I don't have to worry about much other than taking care of my girls for the week. It's a week where I get to escape reality and live in a world of people who are loving and responsible. People who don't expect me to take care of them, just to help them with a normal amount of things.

One of my favorite things about camp is how much I learn. I didn't go to church as a child and so I never learned the basic Bible stories that most church going children learn. Last year I loved learning about Joseph. I actually feel like I know a story from the bible. This year I wasn't as prepared. I knew a head of time from training what story the children would be learning and so I spend a few weeks before camp reading the stories myself so that I would be familiar with them. I learned this from my first year at camp when I realized that I was only hearing half of the story since we take a break and have a meeting while our campers are in chapel. I'm not sure that I could tell you what story we learned this year... I know we talked a lot about our past, our right now and our not yet, Peter, the Disciples, and how God changed some names. Oh, and how he wants us on His team. Maybe I just missed the mark this year.

This year was particularly challenging for my other half. She had two girls who were especially difficult at times and I'm astounded by how she handled them. I found myself thinking more than once this past week how blessed I am to have such an amazing best friend. I had a rough few days physically and she kept me going and was constantly checking in to see how I was feeling. By the end of the week when her girls were being especially difficult I was feeling better and I tried to step in more to help with them, though I don't know how much I succeeded. There were times where I had to stop and ask myself how she would handle the situation. I have some learning to do myself when it comes to using Love and Logic with children.

There are so many memories I have, and they fade so fast that I think this year I'll attempt to write them down...

• Making signs @ 10pm Sunday night, so sleep deprived from the night before that I hit my head on the ground while laying on my stomach trying to color.
• Laughing SO hard with Carolyn that I broke blood vessels around my eyes. 
• Getting YELLOWED out for Amazing Race with all the girls from Room A.
• Staying in one spot for most of Critter Safari and having various girls bring me new salamanders after I drop one. Especially the one I dropped on the rock. 
• Being a Fire Marshal for Juggler Chris while he juggled and hula hooped fire! 
• Seeing Royal Leader J's face while he held on to his water gun as a Fire Marshal.
• Teaching Royal Leader B how to make bracelets during dorm time.
• "Catching" a 70MPH water balloon with my stomach through a hula hoop.
• Slip and sliding with my fellow counselors.
• The reverse dunk tank.
• Javalin Throw.
• Convincing Royal Leader S to participate in most events during the Olympic Field Games.
• Polar Bear Swim.
• Having an actual conversation with Royal Leader J while his counselor when to check on another kiddo. 
• SNOT.
• Helping C build her creation at the wood working station.
• Canoeing with C.
• Walking REALLY fast to get said creation from other side of the lake so it could be painted. 
• Riding bikes and doing bike repairs.
• Singing with C on the bus ride home.
• Sitting with Royal Leader S and talking about Polar Bear Swim and how he sat on the edge and still ended up with two bugs and saved his string from his donut. 
• Dinner with Carolyn, Tommy, Tori and Jim! I think we laughed through half of dinner!

These kids are amazing. They face so many challenges in life and I feel truly blessed that I am privileged enough to get to spend a week with them each year. I am so sad that I have to say goodbye to more of them each year, but happy that more children have an opportunity to come and get the experience. 

Now I'm back to reality and it's hard. Life outside of camp isn't as easy. Coming home is like a culture shock. It's a different world out here, and not I'm not so sure I like it. Until next year my Royal Family! I'll miss you.