The Road Thus Far

I decided I wanted to be a teacher when I took mythology for an English credit as a senior in high school. I had a great teacher, who was quite easy on the eyes. I'd been an avid reader since....well, since birth and I loved English classes. So I asked Mr. Cuny (everyone called him Mr. Cutie) one day what it would take for me to be an English or mythology teacher. He was extremely excited. I had good teachers previously but none of them had ever so exuberantly believed in me the way Mr. Cuny did. I decided then to become a teacher.

I attended BYU-Idaho, mostly because it was cheap. I entered the English Education program pretty much immediately. Halfway through my sophomore year I had to decide on a minor. To make me more marketable I decided to get a minor in science. I didn't want to take physics and pretty much every science education minor besides Earth Science required me to take physics. So being the lazy goat I am, I decided to minor in Earth Science Education.

I finished my student teaching at a middle school half way through November. I taught both English and Earth Science. Though Earth Science was harder because it required more factual knowledge, I found I had a great time teaching science. I finished out student teaching and started looking for a job. Anyone who is aware of school district hiring time frames knows that November was NOT the best time to graduate. So for the last 7 months I've essentially sat on my butt and applied for hundreds of jobs. 

Literally, hundreds.

I applied all over the continental United States. And on June 19, 2012 I hit pay dirt. It was the day I turned 23, as well as interviewed at 2 separate schools in the same district. My first interview was at 9 AM. Because I had interviewed at dozens of schools previous I was not nervous, or all that confident I would get the job. I got out of my interview at 10 AM, felt positive, and headed home to make myself a special birthday lunch.

At 11:50 AM I got a phone call from the school asking if I wanted the position. After months and months of applying I was being offered a job....ON MY BIRTHDAY! It was the most fulfilling moment in the last 6 months.

And that is how I became an 8th grade Integrated Science and 9th grade Earth Science teacher at a middle school in Utah. This blog is meant to document my foray into teaching. I know there are THOUSANDS of blogs discussing teaching and first year teaching. Unfortunately, most science teachers do not blog. I think it is the English nerd in me making me write all this. I will attempt to update this blog once a week with teaching, science and life tips for first year teachers. I plan to spend my summer prepping and organizing for my first year of teaching so I don't get too stressed out. 

And that, folks, is all for now! I will update with whatever teaching type things I do next week. 

Have a GNEISS Day!