Hey! Most of the letters in the title of this post begin with T. Awesome!
I feel really bad that I left things so long from my last post. It’s like my brain wants to do all sorts of creative things in all freetime but my brain can’t make my body go over to the computer and open up WordPress. I’m really working hard to change that. Really! I went almost a month ago to the sheep farm to see the lambs and take a buncha pictures and I haven’t finished editing them yet. When I graduated last last spring, I’d done nothing but school school school for four years. (Some readers may not know this but I went to RIT which has a reputation for a rigorous academic climate. That doesn’t help things when you also edit a 32 pg magazine among other fun activities.) I was so tired and I was so uninterested in doing anything. I had to detox. I kind of feel like I’m detoxing still or maybe I’ve fallen into a kind of slump since I’ve been laid off. All I seem to have the energy for is to read, voraciously. That’s another post for another day.
To be perfectly honest, the best part of my day is going over to the elementary school to volunteer before I do my recess duty. In other words, all the time I spend at the elementary school is awesome. Since signing on as playground supervisor, I also do some volunteering around the school. (Which I think I failed to explain in post #2) Side note – if you having a shitty time of it, are bored out of your face-hole at work or just need a self esteem boost: volunteer with kids. Seriously. Every morning when I walk into that 2nd grade classroom to run a guided reading group, I’m greeted with choruses of ,”HIIII MARY!!!” It is the best feeling. Kids love when “young people” come in and volunteer. Most of the time its old ladies or stay at home moms. You will be cool. You will be loved. You will get many hugs from adorable kindergartners. So that’s what I do. I work on reading and comprehension with 2nd graders and then I pop down to kindergarten to work with a few kids one on one on reading, recognizing the letters of the alphabet and identifying what sounds they make.
After all that do-gooding, I go outside for the work I get paid for: watching the playground. The other supervisor and myself have a good cop/bad cop dynamic. She doesn’t take any crap. I try to reason with the kids. She will speak very strongly. I squat down so I can look the kids in the eyes and speak sweetly. Since winter has released its icy grip on Wisconsin, things have been pretty stable. I don’t have to monitor behavior so much and there is a decrease in fighting. So that leaves me time to make a giant train of kindergartners or to swing with 1st graders. Kids constantly come up to tell me stuff or yell for me to watch them on the monkey bars. I LOVE ALL OF IT.
Am I rethinking my career path? Maybe a little bit. I wish there was some way I could combine what I got a degree in with working with kids. Hmmmmm. Something to think about.
I have no leads on the job front. Forget the “real” job search. I just need a JOB. I apply everywhere & get rejected all the time. I hypothesize that maybe I’m overqualified or maybe applying to McDonald’s when you have BS is a bad idea. I will be really upset if McDonald’s doesn’t hire me. I just want to write on each application in black Sharpie: I CAN DO THIS JOB. I HAVE COLLEGE DEGREE & MUCH EXPERIENCE. I SPEAK ENGLISH GOOD. YOU DO NOT NEED TO PAY ME ALOT. JUST NEED STEADY PAYCHECK. PLEASE. But alas, there are many other people in my boat as well who want the same job I’m applying for. This topic frustrates me.
I promise to write again really really soon. Pinky swear!
Oh man, does this mean I have to write a post too? I know exactly how you feel. I’ll be upholding my end of the deal soon.
Working with kids is amazing. I love it. Just a little while ago we took Natalie for a walk, and when we came back a little girl next door wanted to pet her, and I said she could, and it was fun for everyone. That kid was so cute and so excited about petting a doggie.
Good luck on the job search. You deserve so much better than what you are going through. I feel so lucky to have a job at all. You know Becky is dropping out of school? You should both move here and be roommates. I could die happy.
I love you!!!
Katie