Plugging Away

I'm proud to report that I'm not in panic mode (not yet anyway). Though it has been an exceptionally challenging week. Due to various staff meetings and an extensive amount of information gathering, I have had precious little time during the day to tend to my classroom "to-do" list. This has resulted in some late nights. For the last two nights in a row I haven't gotten home until after 8pm. It sucks because I'm missing so much time with the kids. They wonder where I'm at and when I'll be coming home. I don't want this to be the norm, so I am scrambling to get so much done now to avoid pitfalls that could come later. It's impossible to forsee everything, but I figure it can't hurt to be prepared for whatever may come. Most importantly, I am excited about the coming holiday weekend. I will get to see my family all weekend. Hopefully, the late nights will soon end. We shall see.

Wising Up

Okay, I was channeling David Bowie on the title as it was very fitting. This is the week that all of the staff came back to work. I've been splitting my time between attending trainings, meetings, and working in my classroom. The other teachers are an interesting mix. I've made some good friends with some genuinely nice people that have a sense of humor and are easygoing. Some of the more sassy ones are on the younger side. I am finding I have more in common with the thirtysomethings than the twentysomething set. Maybe I just can't relate or vice versa, but there is a maturity that I like in the staff closer to my age. I went to lunch with three of other new teachers and made a reference to a commercial from my childhood. The twentysomethings kinda just stared and talked about something else. The 31 year old got the reference and traded several funny slogans from past. It felt we each had an inside joke that other just didn't get. It was an odd feeling. Sometimes I wish that old show Thirtysomething was still on because I could finally "get it." I was much too young to fully understand and appreciate the dynamics of that show at the time.

It's true that with age comes wisdom. I know I will one day look back on this time and think how much I still had to learn...we never stop evolving I think. My teaching partner is all of 24 years old. She is a California transplant and is a little salty to work with. We get along, but are just so very different in every way. She is a first year teacher too, but that's where our similarities end. It's hard to explain in writing, but needless to say I am trying very hard to make the best of things.

The building is closing in at the end of the school year, so there is a lot of tension in the building about what the future holds jobwise for everybody. There are a couple of prickly personalities that don't help matters, but most are keeping a positive outlook and handling things well for the kids' sake. I am new, so I have the luxury of not being too attached to the staff or the building. This is part of what keeps me going. A couple of really nice teachers came to shed some light on why the issue is so volatile. I was grateful for their honesty and trust. I hope to gain some valuable experience and not make any waves this year. In short, I don't want anything to do with the toxic nature of the issue. I will land where I land in the end, not much I can do to control what will be.

What I've really struggled with is the layout of my room. Much like when you move into a new home, I can't seem to decide how to best utilize the space. It took me three days the first time around to get it just so...this was two weeks ago. Well, today I decided to rearrange some of my stuff. After tearing my room apart, I realized that certain things just couldn't go anywhere else. I am limited in options due to the phone and computer network outlets, so that made it harder to figure out what to do. I moved stuff here, there, and everywhere. After getting filing cabinets, tables, desk, and bookcase moved...I also took some things down from the wall. What really bugs me about what I did is that I eventually moved the majority of the stuff back to its original spot. I made some good changes, but mostly I ended back up where I started. Go figure.

The Tooth Fairy

This week has been one long blur. I have attended numerous trainings that have begun to blend together in my mind. The district I work in offers a sort of new teacher academy that is three days of trainings, tours, and other miscellaneous things. Whenever possible, I've been stealing spare hours anywhere I can to get into my classroom to set it up. They are precious and few right now, so there's much to be done. I think I'm finally just about done with the physical aspect of it...just some finishing touches here and there. I was nearly in panic mode yesterday after discovering that I was gonna have to share the teacher edition textbooks with the other 6th grade teacher who is across the building. We were both quite frustrated by this and worried how we were going to handle everything. Her classroom stores all the books, so I've been carting them all to my class little by little. It is quite the endeavor, but good exercise I suppose.

Well, today I met my Mentor Teacher and she bestowed the missing books...much to my delight. That was such a huge relief. It's getting really close to the fist day of school and I am nowhere near ready at this point. I'm digging in my heels and plowing through the best I can though. It's hard to explain to other people just how much planning and effort goes into this whole process. I am a primary teacher at heart, so working 6th graders is not only a stretch for me, but it is like trying to navigate my way through a foreign country. I am trying hard not to stress too much, but it is definitely a challenge.

On another note, after work I went grocery shopping and ran into a good friend of mine (Rosie) and her daughter. We shopped together and did a little catching up. By the time I got home, it was already 7pm and I was exhausted. However, I was greeted by my son's toothy grin, or rather toothless grin. As it turns out, he lost his tooth while eating his sandwich for dinner that daddy had made him. It fell into his bread and he almost ate it. What's ironic is that we hadn't even known this particular tooth was loose. He had been wiggling the one right next to it for months and it is still attached. This one hadn't felt the least bit loose, so go figure. I double-checked his other teeth for good measure and discovered that one of his top teeth in the front is also wiggly. He is approaching seven years old, so it's that time. N kept sticking his tongue in the new gap between his teeth...very cute. We put his tooth inside an envelope (only thing I could find) and he wrote a note to the Tooth Fairy. I'm sure his tooth heartfelt message will earn him a very special surprise under his pillow.

I am struggling to let go of my little baby boy and now he's starting to lose even his baby teeth at long last. This summer he learned to cross the monkey bars all the way, balance on his Razor for the first time (and zips around on it), learned some basic swimming strokes, and is finally gathering the courage to remove the training wheels off of his bike. His reading has really soared these past months to the point where we are excited for his upcoming year in first grade. My little man isn't so little anymore, eh?

Taking the scenic route

We had such a fun weekend. We were supposed to go camping with two other families that are close friends of ours. However, due to some major personal issues, one of the families couldn't go. Not wanting to sacrifice the whole weekend, we made plans with the other family to have a day out. We got up early on Saturday morning and got together with our good friends Brian, Rosie, and their four kids. This is a frequent ritual for us anyway, but today was a nice change of pace. The ten of us drove (in two separate cars) out to the Multnomah Falls area that was about an hour away. We started out driving up to Crown Point, overlooking the Columbia River. We were up pretty high, so that was pretty exciting for the kids. Then we went on a scenic tour of the Historic Columbia River Highway and saw all the waterfalls and had some wonderful photo ops. Too bad I forgot to recharge my camera battery, so I only got a handful taken of pictures taken. We got lots of hiking in and got up close and personal with some of the falls. The setting was absolutely breathtaking and so peaceful. Waterfalls are one of my favorite things in the world to see, so I was so glad that the kids had such a grand time too.


After hiking to a few different sites, we opted to drive down the road a little bit to have our picnic lunch at Bonneville Lock and Dam. It was pretty windy and turned a bit chilly while we were there. I think it was a combination of the gathering clouds and the massive mist generated from the dam. After we finished our picnic, we took the kids to see the Fish Ladder. They got a real kick out of watching the fish migrate upstream to their spawning grounds. Then we finally headed over to Multnomah Falls for the grand finale of our scenic tour. Apparently, everyone else in Portland had the same idea we did. We looped around twice, along with probaly 40 other cars, and still couldn't find a space. Finally, we called it a day and decided we would return in a month or two to see it. We figured the fall leaves would be in full effect and we could plan to come out in the early morning to avoid the crowds.

The hubbies and boys headed back to Brian and Rosie's house. Us girls made a pit stop at a children's resale shop so I could drop off some consignment items. We couldn't resist getting a few things for the girls since we had a 75% off coupon. Then we went back to the house and hung out for the remainder of the evening. It was a really fun day for all, but boy were we all tired! I was awfully glad that I had the next day off so I could sleep in. More than anything else, I was so happy that we all got to spend such a great day with friends in such a fantastic setting.

In need of a jump

Okay, so the day hasn't turned out as I had originally planned. I had decided to take the kids to the babysitter thinking I could get more accomplished since I'm under pressure timewise to get everything ready in my classroom. Well, we are all packed in the care and the car won't start. I turned the key several times and got nothing. I called my hubby and explained what happened. Decided since we were stuck at home, I might as well pack a picnic lunch and walk the kids over to the park. We were there for about an hour. Just as we got back home, I saw my DH over in the street trying to jumpstart my engine. He had taken the rest of the day off to deal with it. I thought that was really sweet to do. Nothing worked, so he called the Pontiac autoshop nearby for advice. So the new plan now is to let the kids nap, then we'll all head over to my school (in hubby's car) to do a little work, and then head over to Costco to buy a new battery. We are hoping that is all that is wrong with it. If not, then we have to tow the car over to the autoshop tomorrow, thus postponing our trip to the waterfall a little bit. We still plan to go, but may just have to delay it an hour or two. Okay, I am gonna go take a little nap as I'm really stressed out. Sooooo not how I pictured this day turning out...sheesh!

Envision and Enlighten

It's been a busy week and there are no signs of it letting up, at least not until I have my classroom ready. I've been going in for a few hours each day to get things up and running. It's slowly starting to take shape. I have a hard time decorating and arranging things alone, because I value a second opinion and an extra set of hands. It's hard to picture things. When I took my kids with me yesterday, suddenly I could envision the set up better. Not sure why their presence mattered, but it certainly helped. I'm taking them with me again today in hopes that they'll provide additional inspiration. They only stay entertained for so long, so that alone motivates me to keep moving and work faster to avoid boredom for them. This is my last chance to take 'em with me, so I want to take advantage. I'm gonna take a before and after picture for posterity.

Yesterday was particularly draining, both physically and mentally. I invited a good friend over for lunch and we had a heart-t-heart about some things she's been going through. She recently separated from her husband and needed some support, so hopefully I provided that for her. It was actually a very enlightening conversation that we had because I could finally see where she was coming from. After that, I took the kids with me to work on my classroom. Then we went to the grocery store and my phone rang while I was shopping. It was the husband of my good friend and he needed someone to support him as well. I was balancing shopping and talking and the kids throughout the call. After awhile, it dawned on me that I was into my airtime minutes on my cell and had to end the call. When I checked, I had gone over my monthly allotment by 50 some minutes. By the time we got home from everything, I was thoroughly exhausted and my feet were quite sore. However, I felt as though a lot had been accomplished.

I am hopeful to make some real progress with my classroom and even the house chores so that I can feel good going into the weekend that things are getting done. We are gonna be gone tomorrow (Saturday) as we are driving to Multnomah Falls to spend time with some good friends. We've all been dying to get outta dodge before summer's end. We had a group camping trip planned, but that didn't transpire for many reasons. So this'll be a great day for all of us to get out and enjoy a picnic lunch in a really scenic setting before the daily grind of school kicks in. We're gonna go over to our friends' house afterwards to hang out and have dinner. The dogs will even get a playdate, so everyone's happy.

Head of the Class

It's official: I have my own classroom. And for the first time, I am beginning to feel like a teacher. It felt very surreal to have an entire classroom to do with as I see fit. I just stood there and gawked at everything as I took it all in. The custodian was friendly and right there to get anything I might need and the other teachers I met treated me with complete respect. I've been on the other side of the coin for so long. In education, there seems to be a silly hierarchy...much like in medicine (i.e. doctors, nurses, cnas, etc.). As an instructional assistant, I often felt like I had to "remember my place" so to speak. Well, that is no longer the case. I know that I will never be the kind of teacher to remind anyone of their place...that's not my place. I am told I will have an assistant and so I have high hopes we'll be great together.


I am still battling my nerves, but felt really good after talking with the principal and getting a feel for the lay of the land. I found myself debating where the best spot for my desk would be. I mentally rearranged furniture. There are these two large filing cabinets that I'm not sure where they'll end up. It was so much fun! There are so many things I'm gonna need to buy out of pocket. There is very little funds at my disposal because it is a high poverty school, so I want to be careful with what I use them for. I figure the Goodwill will become my best friend for certain things. Thankfully, there is a Dollar Tree down the road that sells some decent teaching supplies. I can't wait to get paid and go raid the Learning Palace for stuff. I've been waiting for a long time just for the sheer joy of that. I know, I know...I need help.


I know the real work is yet to come, but I am trying to enjoy and embrace each step as it comes instead of freak out. I go to a training tomorrow all day, so I've gotta get organized. There is so much to do in so little time, but I just try to concentrate on a few tasks a day so as not to overwhelm myself...which is easy to do. Until I have all of the materials I'll need to start lesson-planning and such, I am trying to figure out what will adorn the walls of the classroom. There are no set bulletin boards, but the walls are very tack friendly. I think I'll surf online tonight for ideas and go from there. This is truly the fun part! I feel like I'm a kid again getting ready for the first day of school. My kids are going through that actually. My son, N, is entering first grade so we gotta finish getting his school supplies and pick out his first day of school outfit. We are enrolling K in a nearby preschool, so she is getting excited for that. N's birthday is also next month, so we are starting to think about what to do for that. I'm glad I was able to talk my MIL into taking the kids to a few of their swimming lessons since I have to start work earlier than expected. They'll get a few more days out of it, so I'm really happy about that. All in all, lots to keep us busy and to look forward to as well...:)

The Simple Life

No...not referring to Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie's reality freak show...but rather just finding joy in the simple things of life. I woke up this morning with a desire to go out somewhere as a family and do something different. DH suggested we go to breakfrast at Elmer's, so we got the kids up and got going to have a brunch there. The kids got to enjoy their pancakes, Kevin ordered the famously delicious German pancake (takes up the whole plate and then some), while I indulged in some tasty country biscuits and gravy. Mmmmm. It was kind of in celebration of my new job. We rarely get to do this kind of treat, but we decided to use the the magic power of the credit card...:)

Anyhow, after stuffing ourselves, we opted to go to Target and walk off some of our hearty breakfast. We just did a lot of window shopping. N got to give us some ideas for his birthday wish list too. Then we headed over to Lowe's to check out prices for wood flooring. We are toying with the idea of replacing our worn out carpet with some pergo (sp?) wood. We were tired after all the walking around, so we came back home to relax. The kids rested quietly in their rooms and DH played his new addiction, Warcraft. We were pleasantly surprised to find an old favorite on PBS, John and Caprial's Kitchen. You have to know us well to know why we love that show so muchm, so it was a treat to see it again. It has switched to a channel we don't get. Ooooh, can't wait to get our cable back. Anyhow, I found myself struggling to keep my eyes open. I opted to take an extended nap. I had a headache, so I slept pretty hard once the ibuprofen kicked in.


After a very light dinner, we sat down to watch Dirty Jobs. We love that show, but don't often get to watch it as a family. Our friends are out of town camping, so we have a rare Saturday night to ourselves. We usually reserve our Saturdays to spend time with friends and playdates for the kids. N and K were going a little stir crazy and wanted to play at the park. It was about 7:30 in the evening, but the sun was still out and it was warm enough. I grabbed the leash to take our dog for a walk. DH decided at the last minute to join us. After walking around the neighborhood, we stopped over at the park for a bit. Met a nice neighbor there that has a son N's age, so we talked about a possible future playdate. It started to get chilly, so we called it a night and came back home. It wasn't quite the "different" day I had intended, but it was actually better because we hung out together. We took pleasure in the little things and that was enough.

Facing the dragon

Okay, so am I allowed to admit that after the long and fruitful search, I've gotten the job that freaks me out the most? Don't get me wrong, I am excited to get out there and start teaching. However, I am very nervous about instructing 6th graders for my first real teaching assignment. It's gonna be hard enough trying to figure everything out, but having to be "on" all the time with that particular age group is a bit intimidating. I keep telling myself that once I dig in my heels, learn the ropes, and get familiar with the standards...maybe I'll actually surprise myself (at least that's my hope). I just gotta face the dragon, so to speak.

I am supposed to appear confident at all times to the powers that be so that they trust they hired the right person. I am on temporary status as the regular teacher is on leave somewhere and may or may not return. Also, the school is one of two in the district that will be closing. Three new ones will open in new locations. That adds additional pressure to do well so that I can impress the principal enough to take me to his new school or at least recommend me for another opening. I have had about 36 hours or so for this news to sink in. I went to the Goodwill yesterday to pick up a file box. My garage is full of some things that I've been saving over the last couple of years. However, most of my teaching stuff is geared towards primary grades...so I have a lot to accumulate in a short time. I go in next Tuesday to check out my classroom and start thinking about what else I'll need.

Yes, I am truly happy to have this job. It is pretty much what we needed to get back on our feet. It will be an easy commute and the hours are perfect for my personal needs as well. I'm just saying that it won't be a walk in the park and will keep me on my toes I'm sure. We had one other unexpected complication arise. I went to check out a local preschool that I had looked at last fall. They had told me back then that district employees get a childcare discount. Well, yesterday they informed me that it only works as a 3 month introductory discount now. It costs $535 for just 3 days a week (full day) or $408 for 2 full days a week. For us, that is just too much. Thankfully, I found another nearby school that is Montessori-inspired and charges a bit less. We are gonna start our daughter out at this other one for two days a week and go from there. If we find we can afford it, then we may up her to three days a week. We just don't want to overwhelm her for her first school experience. With K starting preschool, N going into first grade, and me in my first year of teaching, busy days lie ahead, that's for sure!

...and then there was light.

Well, I must stand corrected. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I had lost faith in the power of prayer. A good friend of mine told me not so long ago about a situation involving tything (sp?) with their church. She mentioned they had been struggling financially, so they stopped giving money. Their situation seemed to only get worse, until they met with someone who helped them get on a budget. They decided to resume tything and lo and behold...their situation began to improve tremendously. She told me that she felt it was their faith in God that had helped turn the tide for them. I tried to keep an open mind about it, but felt that it was just the church's way of asking for support from its members. Yes, that was the cynical side of me. Well, in the wake of our own financial woes and this endless job-hunting process...I thought adding a little extra prayer in each day couldn't hurt. Ironically, my luck began to change. I started getting a ton of interviews - 2-4 a week!

Well, over the last three days I decided to step it up another notch and really say some very heartfelt prayers. I know there were some other loved ones saying their own prayers on my behalf, which I believe had a big impact. Today I got the call I've been waiting months to for. I got a job teaching 6th grade at a nearby elementary school less than 10 minutes from where I live. There are so many positives to this job. It's been a long road to get to this point. Interestingly enough, I wasn't even gonna bother applying for this particular job as I had almost given up hope. 6th grade is an intimidating age group for me as I gravitate more towards the primary grades. It was basically a leap of faith. I had just got off the phone as my husband was arriving home from work. I opened the door and told him. His jaw dropped and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. He was so genuinely excited for me that he picked me up and hugged me. It was a great moment for us. We've been hanging on by a rapidly fraying thread for the last two years when this journey began. We have had many hurdles along the way, but I have hope that good things are on the horizon. Today was one of those days where a lot of major things took place. A family friend gave birth, another dear friend quit her job, another told me of some marital problems, and so on and so forth. In a nutshell, it was a very busy day for all.

I am a happy girl.

In need of my rabbit's foot...

Okay, this week will be the one to make or break my future over the next year. I have been on a lot of interviews in the last few weeks (4 last week alone!) and most of them will be letting me know in the next couple of days the good, the bad, and the ugly. I have a follow-up interview tomorrow and a screening interview with a faraway district on Wednesday to boot. I hope and pray some good news is coming our way. I can't take much more of this job hunting and rejection stuff. It's always the lack of teaching experience that seems to hurt me. Today alone will yield a few yes or no's. So if anyone out there reading this wants to think some positive thoughts or even say a little prayer...I would be most grateful. As soon as I learn anything, I will be sure to share some news. In the meantime, enjoy your day! I'm off to take the kids to swimming lessons.

This little light of mine...

I'm gonna let it shine...this was a line from the popular children's song that we sang at church this morning. I work part time as an assistant to the Children's Minister for a local progressive church group. I've always adored the song and its message, but today it stuck with me for some reason. I've been reading this series off and on over the last year by Beverly Lewis called The Shunning, The Confession, and The Reckoning. It follows a young woman who grew up in a Plain family in rural Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. She discovers she was adopted and through a tumultuous series of events, goes in search of her birth mother. Along her journey of self-discovery, she finds true love not only with the man she is meant to be with, but with her the Lord. She was brought up in the Amish way of fearing the Lord and earning His love. She goes onto learn that there are other ways of serving the Him and finds the true peace she had been searching her whole life for. It is a truly inspiring and hit home.

Working for the church over the past few over the past few months has really stirred something inside me. I grew up in a family that wasn't particularly religious and allowed me total freedom to discover my own faith when I was ready. Sometimes I embraced that liberal approach, but other times I longed to attend church like other kids I knew. At times, I did just that...I would come as the guest of a friend. I've attended Mormon and Christian services, accompanied my host family on their trips to their Buddha temples and Shinto shrines in Japan, and have taken a number of religious studies classes in college. In my senior year of high school, I even was a part of a youth group at a local church (in part to spend more time with my boyfriend at the time). I have toyed with many different faiths and read up on some of their doctrines. While I connected with a lot of what some of them had to say, there always seemed to be something that also rubbed me wrong. Maybe I am wrong, but I just don't know that it is up to the "saved" to pass judgement on others who walk path different from their own. Though I don't think there is anything wrong with keeping an open dialogue going about what people believe in.

While I still don't consider myself a devout follower of any one faith and will likely never be a full-fledged churchgoer, I am partial to many of the basic Christian values. I feel as though I am finally getting that feeling I've been longing for my whole life. The appeal of the church I work at is that they welcome EVERYONE with open arms. They preach that the true message of the Christian faith as they see it...is to practice LOVE in every aspect of your life. Some religions teach you to fear the Lord and to always be humble in his presence. While the humility part is vital, I feel that I relate best to faith by knowing that I will treat thy neighbor with love and compassion. Even in the most trying of times, I feel like God has been watching over us in His own way. I don't want to sound preachy and I am not advocating to be "reborn." The message of the place I work at is that there are many paths to God and they embrace them all...as long as the destination leads you to Him...whatever He might be called in your faith. I think that all faiths have something wonderful to offer, but I find it hard to wrap my mind around the ones that preach hate or intolerance of any kind. You don't have to agree with someone else's lifestyle or beliefs, but it is our saving grace to try to live in harmony with one another.

Okay, that sounded preachy, but I think you get my drift. My personal journey through the labrynth of spirituality has brought me to a very centered place. While I doubt my hubby will ever share my beliefs, I respect that he has his own cherished ideas that give him solace. As long as we give each other the space to be who we are and find the positives in that, we will be just fine. That is what I hope to pass onto our kids. I want them to believe in God and that He loves them for who they are. As we taught the children today at service...believing that everyone is special in their own way and its important to let their little light shine brightly.

Dancing the night away

Warning! Warning! Cheese factor alert!

Okay, now that you have been forewarned, I am going to be redundant and blog a bit about one of my early childhood aspirations. Long before little girls yearned to become a Fly Girl on In Living Color or a celeb's partner on Dancing with the Stars, there were the Solid Gold Dancers. Yes, I've discussed this show before, but I'm gonna do it again. Anyone who knows me knows that it's no secret that I dreamed of one day becoming one of them. Darcell was always my favorite, with her long ebony hair and beautiful solo numbers...she epitomized dancing to me. The 80's were tailor-made for their leg warmers, snazzy lycra suits, and big hair. Even the guys looked fabulous...at the time. While the show seems very dated nowadays, back then it really was IT and I never missed an episode if I could help it. So sit back, and enjoy a little trip down memory lane to watch a snippet of why I longed to become of these dancers. Click and enjoy a little gem from the past...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0O_OXYy5jk

Full Cirle?

I just finished reading my best friend's blog, lawfrogtx.blogspot.com, and came to an intersting realization. Career paths often have many forks in the road and most people change their careers an average of three times. My natural father is an example of this...he has been a cryptanalyst, prison guard, drug counselor, realtor, postcard auctioneer, professional gambler, and now works in security. He has worn many hats, but returned to an area he feels comfortable in. Shelley, my friend, has undergrad degrees in Journalism and Sociology. After working for a few years and surviving some personal troubles, she opted to return to school and graduated with a law degree. After some other major life changes, she has decided to return to school yet again. Her passion has always been trying to understand and analyze human nature, so she is going for her Masters in Counseling/Psychology. While her career path took the scenic route to get to this destination, it just seems right that she has come full circle. I always wondered when she would get around to pursuing this vocation as she has a real knack for this stuff. As I contemplated it more, I think that all of her other degrees and life experience will be huge assets to her in the future when she opens her own practice. She will be uniquely qualified to counsel people on a wide varieties of issues. I am so proud of her tenacity.

All of these changes in Shelley's life direction got me thinking about the whole notion of coming full circle. I never set out to become a teacher when I began my career. I actually had my heart set on becoming a Japanese interpreter or something in the general field. I had spent time as an exchange student and fell in love with the culture. Somewhere along the way I lost sight of that goal and switched my college major to Sociology. I guess it was just too hard for me to retain the language at that point. My social services career took off and I worked in a variety of areas. Overall, I maintained my career focus on working with children. Now I am a Teacher. With my eclectic background, I like to think that I have a unique perspective and approach with children that I might not have had if I had pursued teaching right out of the gate. Ironically, I am going to an interview this evening at an 4-12 charter school that offers Japanese as a major part of its curriculum. The job itself could be a bit out of my league, but my early experiences with Japanese culture helped me get my interview. If I get this position, talk about coming full circle. We shall see.