After I decided in August that I was going to be a substitute teacher again, I pulled out all the stops. I put on a skirt. I put on heels. I took a Kindergarten job on the second day of school. I remember looking at the job on the computer screen. I had 2 minutes to decide: yes or no. The clock on Subfinder was actually ticking down.
I took it. Needed to get the year started off right.
You see, I'd applied to the district back in May. I hadn't heard anything from them. I wasn't really shocked. Just deflated.
During my one day in kindergarten, the principal saw me. She called me brave for taking on kindergartners on the second day of school. Definitely a good first impression.
I was back 2 days later, subbing in 1st grade. I went into the office to ask the secretary if she had any other jobs coming up (a tactic the best subs use!). The principal came out of her office and asked me if I wanted to teach 2nd grade. The secretary said, "I was just getting ready to ask Mrs. Darhower that." I said, "Sure!". She wrote my name down for an interview as the principal referred to me again as the "brave lady who took on kindergarten the first week of school!"
That was a Friday. The next Wednesday, the district office called to set up my interview (this is a very from-the-top-down district). I went in on Thursday and interviewed at 8:30am with the principal and assistant principal (another secret: always pick the first interview slot available!). I was at home by 9:15…the assistant superintendent called by 10:00 to offer me the job.
I was in my new classroom by 11am, rearranging desks.
The next few days were a blur, but I know they involved a solid day (Friday) of working in the classroom, Saturday I spent shopping for school supplies in Springfield, and Sunday I spent finishing the classroom (Scott helped…then we went to Panera for breakfast…then he decided it'd be wise to invite people over for dinner. I was freaking out.)
By Monday, I had 22 kids in that classroom.
I've changed my room around a million times since that first week of September, and this is what it looks like now. I actually shudder when I think of the mis-matched bulletin boards I had going on there for awhile.
So now, it's January and I've finally got my act together. Nice, right?
Let this be a lesson: Always make a good first impression!
