Happy News II: Redux

Tragic Angelus · Post by **Tragic Angelus** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:45 am

So yesterday I had another interview with a Middle School for a 7th Grade Language Arts position. Things seemed to go really well and they really liked what I had to present and share with them. I'm also ENL certified, and that was what brought me in the door and they really appreciated that, because the community has a large immigrant population.

So I got a phone call today that the principal was checking references and because it's almost July, he's having a hard time getting a hold of them at their office numbers, so I managed to track a few home numbers down and get them to him. He was grateful, and said he'd talk to them as soon as he could.

About 20 minutes later he called me back and said he'd spoken to everyone he needed to. Then, he offered me the job.

I will now be teaching Language Arts to 7th grade students just outside of my hometown. I start in August.

I'm also very much really excited.

Also, I'm trying to keep it Fbook/Twitter free right now until I can let certain people know, so if it stays here on BX well that'd be just grand.

MGM · Post by **MGM** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 3:10 pm

Awesome! Congrats on that!

Also, now you finally get a decent paycheck, you can come visit BX Europe.

wolf_2099 · Post by **wolf_2099** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 4:32 pm

Congrats!

TEACH ME, EDBERT, TEACH ME!

Wait. How old are 7th graders?

Tragic Angelus · Post by **Tragic Angelus** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 5:20 pm

Thanks guys!

And yes, a Euro trip may need to be in order sometime soon!!

Most 7th graders are about 12-13. You know, my age

jedispyder · Post by **jedispyder** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 5:40 pm

Congrats!

XIII · Post by **XIII** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 12:22 am

Excellent!! Congratulations!! Lol, you're going to be teaching kids that are the age of when started message boards. Shows how far you've gone.

For my personal knowledge, what is "Language Arts"?

Stocky Boy · Post by **Stocky Boy** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 4:19 am

Great news Ed! Really pleased for you.

Like Arn said, what's 'Language Arts'?

Tragic Angelus · Post by **Tragic Angelus** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 6:58 am

Basically, my degree and license is in English/Language Arts, which includes reading/literature, writing, & grammar. The school I'll be at splits English into Reading & Language Arts, so there is an actual reading/literature class for the students and a Language Arts class, which is mine.

I'm left with Writing & Grammar, so I'll be teaching kids different writing styles, sentence structure, presentations, etc. Everything else that would occur in a typical American English classroom, minus the Reading/Literature part. We'll still read, but it'll be mostly essays/non-fiction to see examples of how to write in certain styles and looking at the structure of how things are written to identify main ideas and supports.

jedispyder · Post by **jedispyder** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 7:26 am

Sounds interesting...obviously the geek in me hopes you go and have them read some comic/Buffy/music/whatever related non-fiction essays. I have several books that fit that category if you ever want me to scan you some pages

Tragic Angelus · Post by **Tragic Angelus** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 7:38 am

I have quite a few as well, the only problem being they're 7th graders so it might be just over their heads based on what I have.

The school I'll be at is in a little bit of trouble in terms of meeting yearly goals, so things will be kind of strict and progress based for the first year it seems, which I was told in the interview. I don't mind that, but I'm wondering how it'll limit/force what I have to teach the whole year. It'll be interesting, but I'm just thrilled to have a job to begin with!

jedispyder · Post by **jedispyder** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 9:09 am

I can understand how restricted can be frustrating since it forces you to teach things you don't exactly want to teach. Are you going to have a single classroom for yourself or will you have to travel to other classrooms? Cause if you have a single room, you can decorate it anyway you want. Too bad you're not teaching younger kids, if you were you could try to get them into comics to help invigorate reading for them...

Mr Wallstreet · Post by **Mr Wallstreet** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 4:52 pm

Congratulations on securing a teaching post and entering the workforce. You are now a working & productive member <hehe> of society.

How does it feel to be teaching your peers?

Tragic Angelus · Post by **Tragic Angelus** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 1:15 am

The Principal said that 'your classroom should be cleaned out and finished already, so you can probably get in their right at the start of August' making me think I have my own, which is fairly normal for Middle Schools in this area. The big thing is if I have a collapsible wall between mine & another room, like where I student taught, so if we want we can co-teach a multi-content lesson, or teach 1 lesson to 1 large class rather than that lesson to 2 smaller classes back to back. It's a nice feature, but you never know if it will be like that or not.

As for introducing them to comics, I can still very much do it. I can use certain books as examples of how to write & tell a story in certain ways, and even look at books in certain lights, but I may not have as much access since I won't be covering the 'literature' part of English it seems.

And I may be entering the workforce, but whoever said I was going to be productive?

Tragic Angelus · Post by **Tragic Angelus** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 11:02 pm

Well, nothing says you're an adult like going over all of the paperwork for your Health Insurance policies, Life Insurance options, and Retirement Fund Plans all in one day after filing your tax information with the school.

It was like watching my childhood being pulled away kicking and screaming while the me in a suit and tie says "Bah I'm so busy with numbers and math and papers and such." It was very sad.

Basically, what I imagine Wally does every day at work. Only with less messing around on the Internet, and you know, more work.

Also, a lot of me just hurt with every new bit of information as I saw just how much smaller my paychecks were getting every pay period. But, I'm hired for sure now it seems!

jedispyder · Post by **jedispyder** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 11:06 pm

I felt the same way when I became full time. Kind of set me off guard signing the papers, something just didn't feel right...

XIII · Post by **XIII** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 12:34 am

Hey, regarding Life Insurance, I hope you've made me the sole beneficiary should anything happen to you? I get everything except the Whedon crap. Deal?

wolf_2099 · Post by **wolf_2099** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 12:52 am

I'll take the Whedon crap!

Also, they are neogitating with Whedon to be the guest of honor in Calgary next year.

XIII · Post by **XIII** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 3:42 am

Is Calgary the convention where you get to dine with the guests and all that?

(sorry for derailing the thread)

wolf_2099 · Post by **wolf_2099** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 12:43 pm

Montreal!

Good, solid, de-railing.

Mr Wallstreet · Post by **Mr Wallstreet** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 2:48 pm

XIII wrote:Hey, regarding Life Insurance, I hope you've made me the sole beneficiary should anything happen to you? I get everything except the Whedon crap. Deal?

Congratulations. You'll be inheriting a couple hundred comics written by Geoff Johns. Half of which are Green Lantern and the other half are The Flash