My Journey to a Contracted Teaching Position Part 1

I want to share my journey but I know it's going to be a long one so I will write a short version and a long version, your choice to skim and scan ;)

SHORT VERSION-
4 different schools 4 different school years
Long Term Sub- 2nd grade (2 months)
Long Term Sub- 1st grade (3 months)
Long Term Sub- Kindergarten (4 months )
Leave Replacement Temporary Contract - 2nd grade (all year)
Part Time Job Share Long Term Sub- 1st grade (3.5 months) & day to day sub part time K-6
Leave Replacement Contract - 4th grade (5 months)

LONG VERSION-
When I completed my credential program I had already visited many schools in my school district for observations/field work as well as student teaching.  I was sure I was passionate about primary but just plain passionate about teaching and ready to jump in head first.  Unfortunately, many people told me that this was a horrible time to start a career in teaching and the overall consensus was that it would be a long difficult road.  Well they were right about the latter.  As much as I felt ready and willing and eager, there wasn't anything I could do about the "hiring freeze".  I just couldn't be considered for a position to have my own classroom unless I had some seniority, but I couldn't earn seniority through substituting.  So I was just a floater.  Waiting for circumstances to change, looking for the positive or lesson in every experience.

I was referred by my last student teaching assignment's principal to a new school.  I began as a long term substitute in a 2nd grade class.  There was a student in there who student on chairs to yell out "taco, taco!" just for attention, and the class was constantly riled up, not being quiet, very disrespectful.  I was convinced that 2nd grade was my favorite but that class challenged me in such a way that I was crying at the end of many days.  That assignment was only 2 months long!  Now I know, that that experience taught me to have a thicker skin and be more consistent and firm with my expectations.  I learned.

Later that principal referred me to another principal and I became a long term substitute at an IB school for a 1st grade teacher on maternity leave.  This class was so well behaved and so smart! They made teaching the easy part.  The difficult part came from the drama between my 1st grade team members.  It would have been easy to avoid if this school didn't put aside 1 hour of collaboration each Monday and continual collaboration in planning lessons/curriculum.  Plus, I was trying to fit in and learn the tricks to finding resources.  The experience was awkward to say the least.  Now I know, this experience was for me to hone my classroom management skills, learn about finding resources for my lessons, and challenge my higher ability students through differentiation in Math.  I learned.

To be continued...