MY TEACHER STORY & MORE

As a new blogger...what better way to gain bloggy friends than to link up with a LINKY PARTY, right?! And what's better than that, is for a new blogger to link up with "My Teacher Story" from Frogs and Cupcakes and "Tell Me More, Tell Me More" from Step Into First Grade with Mrs. Lemons. The PERFECT Linky Parties for new bloggers to allow everyone the chance to get to know them better!!  So here's my teacher story:

I started my teaching career in 2008 at the age of 36. I never attended college after high school and did not begin my college journey until age 32 after 17 years of being a food and/or cocktail waitress, being sick of it, but not knowing what my calling was. I knew I was fed up with being a waitress and was determined I would not spend the rest of my life waitressing, but I just didn't know what I wanted to do or where my heart was! AND Here's where it all began.

In 2000 my first child began Kindergarten. I signed her up for Girl Scouts only to find that there could not be a GS troop because there was no GS leader. So....you probably guessed right! Seeing how excited my daughter was to join and let down that there was no leader, I volunteered to be the leader and led this troop for five years! What FUN it was! Oh....what great memories! I became so devoted to my GS troop. My troop became such a HUGE part of my life! After working with the GS's for a couple of years, I began to finally realize this is my calling! This is what I love to do! I want to work with children! This is what I want to do for the rest of my life!

 I became a support staff substitute at the school. I would work graveyard all night as a casino cocktail waitress and then go home, change clothes, and report to the school whenever an aide needed a sub. After doing this for one year, an aide position opened and thanks to my wonderful mentor and good friend today, Mr. Perry, I got the job. I did not know Mr. Perry at the time, but he stuck his neck out for me. The principal did not want to hire me because I had no experience and Mr. Perry told her he preferred someone with no experience because he could then train them the way he wanted. I GOT THE JOB as his aide! It was one of the happiest days of my life!! I quit my casino cocktail waitressing job and although it was a large cut in pay at the time, it was well worth the happiness!  

Shortly after, I enrolled in the local community college and began my college journey to become a teacher. I knew from that moment on, that I had finally found something that I was good at and knew without a doubt that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life! I continued to work as an aide during my college journey which allowed me to have resources right at my fingertips at all times! This was such an advantage. I was also fortunate enough to assist a teacher, Mr. Perry, that gave me so much teaching freedom and control in his classroom. I still cannot thank him enough and still look upon him as a mentor to this day! Sometimes I think, the trial and error from these valuable hands-on experiences that Mr. Perry gave to me and the knowledge that he shared with me have prepared me more for teaching than college did.

 I completed my BA in 2008 and had to leave the school to teach in another district due to lack of positions, but I feel lucky to have gotten a job immediately after graduation and am now going into my fifth year of teaching special education! WOW....that sounds crazy! I can't believe it's already been almost five years! Hard to believe! Stay tuned to my blog for a continuation of my teaching story on September 18th when I will be featured on Dana's funin1stgrade "New Teacher Blog Tuesday!" 

Now for "Tell Me More, Tell Me More!" I stumbled upon Mrs. Lemons Linky Party while reading "Jennifer's Teacher Story" from Herding Kats in Kindergarten. So to tell you more about me.....here are a few things that ONLY my family knows about me!

1. I am allergic to cats.
2. I was raised by a single father.
3. I was a casino cocktail waitress for 11 years.
4. I am a horrible singer, but will sing my butt off to karaoke and do wii rock band with my family, ONLY! 
5. My husband and I married after both of our kids were born. 
6. I am almost legally blind and wear contact lenses.
7. I am a closet smoker. I smoke cigarettes, but no one I work with knows that.
8. I will not eat off of the same fork or spoon as someone else. Totally grosses me out! And I'm really weird about double dipping!
9. I am a night owl! I like to sit up late and sleep in! When I am not working, I will sit up til 4am and sleep til 11am. 
10. I am obsessed with things hanging straight. I will rehang an item time after time if that's what it takes to get it straight! I have now learned from a teacher colleague of mine to hang everything with pushpins first....then staple it once I have it PERFECTLY straight!
11. My long term goal is to write and publish a children's book and a professional teaching resource for special educators.