So it seems that someone was listening to me yesterday when I was complaining about the wait. During a staff meeting yesterday, I checked my email on my phone and was shocked to find one from my recruiter - I have been recommended for the job. In the Facebook group that has sprung up around this job opportunity, it is referred to as the "golden email". Next we wait for the "golden offer" (the salary/contract offer) and then finally, the "golden ticket" (the e-plane ticket to actually leave).
I'm really happy, but really nervous. Now comes the big ordeal of telling everyone I know and dealing with those reactions. Here are my predictions:
Ex-husband: Really, really mad. He's going to fight me on bringing the kids, who want to come along. This might get ugly.
My School: Again, might get ugly. I'm thinking that I should wait a while to spill the beans because these folks have a history of firing teachers with no notice (charter school).
My Mom: She's going to be confused until she researches AD and finds out that the national pastime is shopping and how much money I'll be making. Then she'll be fine with it.
Jon's Mom: She'll be fine. She has two other new grandbabies to spoil ;-)
Jon's Work: They'll be ok, as long as they have plenty of notice.
My Friends: Will be supportive and excited for me. The one friend I've told in confidence is over the moon. Apparently AD has been on her vacation bucket list for a while, so I should be seeing her soon!
I really do need to figure out how to put pictures on here - Jon's blog, bummingaride.blogspot.com, is so much cooler than mine!!
So that's it for now!
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Cue Tom Petty...
The waiting really is the hardest part.
Right now, I'm waiting for word on whether or not I will be teaching in Abu Dhabi next year. My husband and kids are excited about the prospect, but I'm feeling so pressured and apprehensive because if I DON'T get it, then I'll be the one to blame.
I know it will be a great deal of work to move out there, but it will be worth it in the end. Not only will we be saving money, but there are so many things we will be able to see and do as a result. Jon will finish his degree (in what yet he doesn't quite know), I'm hoping to get my Ph.D in Forensic Linguistics so that I will have another career after teaching, and we will be able to travel more than we ever thought possible. I'm so grateful that Jon supports and encourages me on crazy things like this. It'll be hard to tell everyone we're leaving, but hopefully they will understand the motivation.
My interview day was interesting. I woke up at 2:45 am, got ready to go, was at the airport by 4 am, and on a plane to New York City shortly thereafter. After waiting impatiently for my shuttle, I made it into the very foggy city (Manhattan, to be exact). The hotel was one of those "boutique" hotels where they charge far too much for a tiny room and minimal amenities. But the location was terrific, so I suppose it's worth it to stay right in the center of Manhattan!
After getting into the main room with the other recruits, we cooled our heels for a couple of hours, since the morning interviews ran long. Ariane from TeachAway was there to process our paperwork, and I was so glad that we had made those last minute runs to Kinko's! All I was missing was my passport and authenticated documents, both of which I'm waiting to spend money on if I get the job.
Finally our interviewers came out and gave us a short briefing on the basics of the job, which many of us were already familiar with from all of our research!
When I was called in for my interview with two very nice and professional women, I was asked about differentiation, motives for wanting to go to Abu Dhabi, and presented with a scenario in which a disgruntled parent wanted to know why her student had not gotten good grades the trimester prior. I answered all the questions to the best of my ability, and felt pretty good afterwards.
And then, the waiting began...
Right now, I'm waiting for word on whether or not I will be teaching in Abu Dhabi next year. My husband and kids are excited about the prospect, but I'm feeling so pressured and apprehensive because if I DON'T get it, then I'll be the one to blame.
I know it will be a great deal of work to move out there, but it will be worth it in the end. Not only will we be saving money, but there are so many things we will be able to see and do as a result. Jon will finish his degree (in what yet he doesn't quite know), I'm hoping to get my Ph.D in Forensic Linguistics so that I will have another career after teaching, and we will be able to travel more than we ever thought possible. I'm so grateful that Jon supports and encourages me on crazy things like this. It'll be hard to tell everyone we're leaving, but hopefully they will understand the motivation.
My interview day was interesting. I woke up at 2:45 am, got ready to go, was at the airport by 4 am, and on a plane to New York City shortly thereafter. After waiting impatiently for my shuttle, I made it into the very foggy city (Manhattan, to be exact). The hotel was one of those "boutique" hotels where they charge far too much for a tiny room and minimal amenities. But the location was terrific, so I suppose it's worth it to stay right in the center of Manhattan!
After getting into the main room with the other recruits, we cooled our heels for a couple of hours, since the morning interviews ran long. Ariane from TeachAway was there to process our paperwork, and I was so glad that we had made those last minute runs to Kinko's! All I was missing was my passport and authenticated documents, both of which I'm waiting to spend money on if I get the job.
Finally our interviewers came out and gave us a short briefing on the basics of the job, which many of us were already familiar with from all of our research!
When I was called in for my interview with two very nice and professional women, I was asked about differentiation, motives for wanting to go to Abu Dhabi, and presented with a scenario in which a disgruntled parent wanted to know why her student had not gotten good grades the trimester prior. I answered all the questions to the best of my ability, and felt pretty good afterwards.
And then, the waiting began...
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Question for the day: Do we grow into or out of our "true" selves?
I've been wondering. Who is the real me? Is it the shy bookworm I was in middle school? The upbeat (on the surface) cheerleader I was in high school? The seemingly confident mother of three I was in my 20s? Maybe it was the driven mom who made so many life changes (bachelor's degree, divorce, master's degree) I became in my 30s. Now I have entered new motherhood for a fourth time in my 40s and am approaching it in a new way, along with the very distinct possibility of moving and teaching overseas.
So do we ever know who we truly are? You may laugh at a joke when you're out with your friends, but privately think that it was the dumbest thing you've ever heard. Suffering from that wanting to please mentality is something we all do to some extent. Many people bemoan that fact, but is it really so bad to please people, as long as it's not at the expense of your own well-being?
That's the real conundrum, I guess. It's typically me that I've just jumped right into the deep end without even getting my feet wet. I'm sure I won't keep up with this blog the way I should (although I really do want to), but maybe healthy competition with Jon (my husband) will ensure that I do.
Breakdown of my life right now:
Mom to four (B, girl, age 20; T, boy, age 17; M, girl, age 14; A, girl, age 2 months)
Born-again hippie (sort of) - fan of cloth diapering, breastfeeding and homebirth
Wife to Jon (we got married at Tropicana Field, one of the coolest days of my life)
Middle school English/History teacher
Wannabe travel junkie
Book hoarder
Aspiring forensic linguist (someday...)
Up at 5:30 every day, baby A in a mommy only phase :(, my mind completely consumed with the opportunity I may get to take advantage of soon. More later. Bye :)
I've been wondering. Who is the real me? Is it the shy bookworm I was in middle school? The upbeat (on the surface) cheerleader I was in high school? The seemingly confident mother of three I was in my 20s? Maybe it was the driven mom who made so many life changes (bachelor's degree, divorce, master's degree) I became in my 30s. Now I have entered new motherhood for a fourth time in my 40s and am approaching it in a new way, along with the very distinct possibility of moving and teaching overseas.
So do we ever know who we truly are? You may laugh at a joke when you're out with your friends, but privately think that it was the dumbest thing you've ever heard. Suffering from that wanting to please mentality is something we all do to some extent. Many people bemoan that fact, but is it really so bad to please people, as long as it's not at the expense of your own well-being?
That's the real conundrum, I guess. It's typically me that I've just jumped right into the deep end without even getting my feet wet. I'm sure I won't keep up with this blog the way I should (although I really do want to), but maybe healthy competition with Jon (my husband) will ensure that I do.
Breakdown of my life right now:
Mom to four (B, girl, age 20; T, boy, age 17; M, girl, age 14; A, girl, age 2 months)
Born-again hippie (sort of) - fan of cloth diapering, breastfeeding and homebirth
Wife to Jon (we got married at Tropicana Field, one of the coolest days of my life)
Middle school English/History teacher
Wannabe travel junkie
Book hoarder
Aspiring forensic linguist (someday...)
Up at 5:30 every day, baby A in a mommy only phase :(, my mind completely consumed with the opportunity I may get to take advantage of soon. More later. Bye :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)