the contract signing adventure
i haven't exactly been too busy to post, but i just haven't been in the mood lately to write anything down. since i can't seem to fall asleep right now, i figured i'd update a bit.
i finally found a job at lausd 2 weeks ago, all thanks to stephanie. ^_^ during the first week after i was offered a (6th grade math/science!) teaching position, i was impatiently waiting for my graduate transcript to arrive. i was a bit annoyed at ucd because i had requested them a couple months ago, was charged for them, but i never received them. i called and they said they never received my request. -_- i can't imagine how they never entered my request in but managed to charge me anyway. so, i asked them to rush it for me at no additional charge bc it was their fault.
and so begins the wait. by the end of last week, i was sitting at home waiting for the mail to arrive. this tuesday, i talked to the postman and gave him my number bc he said he'd call me if it arrived the next day. (our mail comes at 4pm.. so, i wanted to grab it earlier so i can go down to the district office and get everything processed the same day). i told kevin the mailman was nice and would help me look for it, but he said that the mailman wouldn't call. well! at 9:15am, i got a call from him!! i went to go pick it up straight away and headed to the district office.
i was super excited because i had everything and can sign a contract and start teaching straight away. but, after going from floor to floor and office to office, it turned out i still needed to get fingerprinted. !! the 'specialist' i had talked to a week before said i didn't have to because i was already cleared. once i was about to go sign the contract, they said i had to be cleared through lausd and that the previous one doesn't count. i was so frustrated. that 'specialist' had it all confused!
so, i fingerprinted and i'm now waiting to be cleared. so upsetting. i went to go visit the school and talk to the principal after i left the district office.. turned out the school is just a couple blocks away. i thought it was much further and got lost circling downtown LA. i now have keys!! and the parking garage card. now, for the laptop.. i talked to the sub that's in my class right now and she's super great and is doing so much with the kids. i got my teacher books and pacing guides, although i'm still utterly confused about the science guide. back to school night is tomorrow and i'm still conflicted about showing up or not.
after leaving the district office, i started reviewing the benefits packet and BTSA and all the papers they handed me. it was this big book of mumbo jumbo because i didn't understand anything. *_* i kind of just wanted it to be a "sign here and hand it over" kind of deal, but i have all these choices and options for benefits. and now the BTSA website isn't working for me. and i actually haven't yet found out who my BTSA provider will be. =T i'm not sure if i'm sharing one with all the other first year teachers there.
in the meantime, i got suckered into working at my previous job. i've been driving out to inglewood 3x a week to go teach science. my boss wants to keep me involved and teaching.. even though i now have to go to my own class.. so now he's rearranged a class to start at 4:30 so i can drive out there after i'm done at my school. *_* my school ends at 3:30!! i don't think this will work out for long. i'm planning on trying it out for a couple weeks and if it gets to be too tight and too much then i'm just going to have to tell my boss i can't go there anymore.
i'm also falling behind in my master's work because i haven't been in the classroom. not only that, i was trying to get the context written down before i get in there and .. there's no files and no information about the students. nor the school for that matter since it's brand new! -_- /sigh. but, i've met most of the teachers although i don't remember their names. =T
overall, these two weeks have been busy. between work, browsing the curriculum (i haven't actually done any in depth day by day lesson planning yet), and doing what i can for my masters.. and impatiently waiting for my transcript and now my fingerprints, i'm already feeling tired and stressed. if my fingerprints clear in the next two days, i'll be setting up my class over the weekend and start on monday. apparently, the sub that's in there right now can't work the next week bc something (iono what) is going to expire on friday. if my fingerprints don't clear, then the students will have a different sub and i probably won't start until the week after.
i finally found a job at lausd 2 weeks ago, all thanks to stephanie. ^_^ during the first week after i was offered a (6th grade math/science!) teaching position, i was impatiently waiting for my graduate transcript to arrive. i was a bit annoyed at ucd because i had requested them a couple months ago, was charged for them, but i never received them. i called and they said they never received my request. -_- i can't imagine how they never entered my request in but managed to charge me anyway. so, i asked them to rush it for me at no additional charge bc it was their fault.
and so begins the wait. by the end of last week, i was sitting at home waiting for the mail to arrive. this tuesday, i talked to the postman and gave him my number bc he said he'd call me if it arrived the next day. (our mail comes at 4pm.. so, i wanted to grab it earlier so i can go down to the district office and get everything processed the same day). i told kevin the mailman was nice and would help me look for it, but he said that the mailman wouldn't call. well! at 9:15am, i got a call from him!! i went to go pick it up straight away and headed to the district office.
i was super excited because i had everything and can sign a contract and start teaching straight away. but, after going from floor to floor and office to office, it turned out i still needed to get fingerprinted. !! the 'specialist' i had talked to a week before said i didn't have to because i was already cleared. once i was about to go sign the contract, they said i had to be cleared through lausd and that the previous one doesn't count. i was so frustrated. that 'specialist' had it all confused!
so, i fingerprinted and i'm now waiting to be cleared. so upsetting. i went to go visit the school and talk to the principal after i left the district office.. turned out the school is just a couple blocks away. i thought it was much further and got lost circling downtown LA. i now have keys!! and the parking garage card. now, for the laptop.. i talked to the sub that's in my class right now and she's super great and is doing so much with the kids. i got my teacher books and pacing guides, although i'm still utterly confused about the science guide. back to school night is tomorrow and i'm still conflicted about showing up or not.
after leaving the district office, i started reviewing the benefits packet and BTSA and all the papers they handed me. it was this big book of mumbo jumbo because i didn't understand anything. *_* i kind of just wanted it to be a "sign here and hand it over" kind of deal, but i have all these choices and options for benefits. and now the BTSA website isn't working for me. and i actually haven't yet found out who my BTSA provider will be. =T i'm not sure if i'm sharing one with all the other first year teachers there.
in the meantime, i got suckered into working at my previous job. i've been driving out to inglewood 3x a week to go teach science. my boss wants to keep me involved and teaching.. even though i now have to go to my own class.. so now he's rearranged a class to start at 4:30 so i can drive out there after i'm done at my school. *_* my school ends at 3:30!! i don't think this will work out for long. i'm planning on trying it out for a couple weeks and if it gets to be too tight and too much then i'm just going to have to tell my boss i can't go there anymore.
i'm also falling behind in my master's work because i haven't been in the classroom. not only that, i was trying to get the context written down before i get in there and .. there's no files and no information about the students. nor the school for that matter since it's brand new! -_- /sigh. but, i've met most of the teachers although i don't remember their names. =T
overall, these two weeks have been busy. between work, browsing the curriculum (i haven't actually done any in depth day by day lesson planning yet), and doing what i can for my masters.. and impatiently waiting for my transcript and now my fingerprints, i'm already feeling tired and stressed. if my fingerprints clear in the next two days, i'll be setting up my class over the weekend and start on monday. apparently, the sub that's in there right now can't work the next week bc something (iono what) is going to expire on friday. if my fingerprints don't clear, then the students will have a different sub and i probably won't start until the week after.