The First Step

Do you remember the first time you visited a big theme park you visited? As a child, I vividly recall stepping out of the car with a pounding heart. It became physically impossible to keep still or formulate rational sentences. That feeling has returned in full, terrifying, force this week.

During my prep for a Spanish subbing position this Wednesday, I discovered a message from a Pewaukee principal inviting me for an interview. After weeks of submitting  applications without hearing (or expecting to hear) anything in return, the voicemail felt like a zap back to reality. Summoning all the calm I could, I continued teaching for the rest of the day. Fortunately, my roommate (also a teacher) was home when I arrived at home, so I was able to share my enthusiasm and concerns without restraint.

When I finally plopped down on the couch to satisfy all my curiosities via the great and powerful internet (my smart phone died at school...potentially because of all the times I listened to the voicemail and tried to map my route to the interview), I couldn't help thinking about my dream job and decided to check up on it...on the off chance that it actually existed.

You see, I had the privilege of learning in a superb district. Then, in college, I started realizing that in terms of programs and using current best practices, my school district is a superstar. The stars aligned mysteriously my senior year (my 3rd one, technically) and I received a student teaching placement within the district. So, since starting high school, I've joked that I just need a physics teaching position to open up exactly when I graduate. Some people dream of performing on broadway, working for NASA, or traveling the world for their career. I dream of teaching Phyiscs in Holmen.

I've imagined the possibility of this job hundreds of times, but nothing prepared me for the moment I found it. Not only is it miraculous that the position is already posted (most close districts will post in a month or two), and that it is in science, but the certifications required and preferred fit mine. So, after sending my heart rate through the roof and terrifying my roommate with some spontaneous screaming, I began work on the most important application of my life thus far.

Today, I clicked the submit button. In two weeks the posting with close, and if I am granted an interview, I will be beside myself with joy. Half of me feels like this position is so perfect for me that I have a good shot at it, and the other half realizes that anyone candidate who even has a semester of experience is much more qualified.

So, bear with me if I'm extra crazy this month. It's a big one.

You may have noticed I have a blog...

In the future, I plan to use this outlet to keep friends and relatives updated on my life in the event that I begin a new exciting job. However, I'm not there yet. Instead, I'm at a beautifully awkward place where I have a shiny new temporary teacher's licence and diploma, but students still ask me every day if I want to be a teacher some day. I usually say 'yes' rather than stomping my feet and saying, "But I already am a real teacher!!" because I'm professional like that.

So, if my blog does not yet have it's intended purpose, you may be wondering the cause for its current existence. I wish I could honestly tell you that I'm just a great planner and foresee the stress of a new job overshadowing any ambition to develop a blog in the future, but that's not really the case. I think I've created this blog because Tweets are too short, no one reads long Facebook statuses, and I'm too full of myself to go long without talking about my life in detail.

Let me begin this literary venture with some of my simple truths in place of a formal introduction.

I don't believe in...
feeding wildlife, fate, ghosts, homophobia, anyone's inability to think mathematically or scientifically, stereotypes, superstitions, or learning styles (though I do recognize learning preference, multiple intelligences, and content driven modes of delivery..but that's probably more than you care about)

I do believe in...
communication, speaking the truth (especially when it sucks), exercise, humor, tact, loving everyone (even ignorant jerks), the power of music, open-mindedness, the 5 second rule (which sometimes turns into the  20 second rule), and questioning everything from faith to politics

This post is my disclaimer. Read at your own risk, comment freely, and I promise the content will get more exciting...at least it will if I ever find myself a big-girl job.