Ego Boost

On my way into class last night, I ran into my student teaching advisor coming out of the education building.

“Funny seeing you here, I just spent 30, 40 minutes talking about you,” she said. “To [education. middle level/IT bigwig].”

“Oh… really?”

“Yep. I told him your story, your situation, and he said ‘it would be a crime to lose someone like that from education.’ I asked him what kind of opportunities would be out there for you, because you’re so good with kids* and technology, and they’re always looking for people to travel and train. I mentioned you were thinking about grad school, and I asked him what kind of GA stuff was available, and he said not to worry, ‘we’ll find something.’ He’s on vacation til March something, but he’s expecting you to drop in and have a conversation.”

!!!!!!! Holy Cow!!!!!!

This is so cool. Hello, networking. Man, if I could do grad school that way, that would be cool. If I could even do the traveling trainer bit, going around the state and team teaching with other middle school teachers to get technology USED in the right way, you know? That would ROCK. That is my dream job, I think. Traveling, meeting new people, still working with kids, AND computers, without the shitty parts of dealing with parents and assessments and all that stuff. That would ROCK. If I did it 2 days a week, even when I had a kid, I could DO that, you know? And hell, depending on where I was going, I could take kid along — if I was in an area where I have friends or family, I could totally say “Hey, Amy, I have a workshop in Gorham, can you watch the little chicken for me?” and she would totally do that. (Am I right?) Or if I was back home near my mom, or over in the mountains near my mom, whatever. Wow.

I just need to get through this school year, survive and come out at the other end of June with my sanity intact. Knowing I have options, and people out there pulling for me, is just one more piece of the survival suit.

*Working with kids is my strongest asset. I pretty much suck at grading things on time, or taking ridiculous mandates without question, or worrying about how quiet my room is. Working with kids, having that rapport, is the least valued skill at my school, which is part of why I am so devastated by my job right now. I am damn good at dealing with kids, and I daresay that I will impact some of them long into their life because of that. That she put it that way makes me so happy; it’s not “She geta great test scores!” or whatever, but “She’s great with middle school kids.” Yes. I am.

2 thoughts on “Ego Boost

  1. Wow, that’s cool. I know what you mean about your rapport with kids being the least valued thing. I feel the same way at my school; here, it seems as though all they care about is test scores and failure rates. Yes, I fail kids, because I actually expect them to learn something and to do work. Radical concept, I know.

  2. If you called me and said, “Hey, Amy. . .I have to work in rumford today, could you meet me”? I would be like, yeah, give me a couple of hours and I will come hang out. . .BECAUSE, you realize. . .I will be sans children in September and can do that for you in a pich. . .
    YEY. .
    Hurry up and get knocked up already, kay?

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