News....

So I have some news.......

on Tuesday.....about four days after my interview with the fourth grade teachers I found out that (more than likely)....


I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!! 

You're probably reading a blog of a brand spankin' new FOURTH GRADE TEACHER!!!! AHH!

I'm. so. excited.

Now, I say "more than likely" and "probably"....because we are still in the process of moving things forward. There are a lot of steps to take in this big-girl-job process, but we're getting there. So while it's not officially official, we're basically on the last step and once the principal catches one more of my references she'll give me the go ahead to hand in my two weeks notice.

On that Tuesday she emailed me and told me that the fourth grade teachers thought I would be a good fit with the students and we briefly talked on the phone. She let me know that she would start calling my references and then submit for board approval.

I asked a few days later about time frame, and she informed me that we would not be waiting for board approval....so in other words she just wanted to touch base with my references.
I spoke with her last night and she said she's feeling very good about it...but also that she was only able to talk with one of my references and has been playing phone tag with the other. She wants to have at least one more but also said she doesn't think she'll hear anything that isn't positive.

SO....that's where we're at.

I am so excited that I got a job. Moving to a new place however, gives me a little bit of nerves. It's obviously really scary and I'm not sure how I will cope with that.

I know God led me here though, and so I'm trying my hardest to trust in Him and not get too ahead of myself with worries. (especially about the not-knowing) If I'm upset, I can cope with those feelings when they come, IF they come.

God has given me little glimpses of His hand in this. Things that might be coincidences to the non-believer but ones that I KNOW are from God.

Like.....
*One of the fourth grade teachers is from New York and her Grandma LIVES in a town 10 MINUTES FROM WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW! (....sayyy whattt??) ((and it's no big town, people))

*I have this thing with cardinals and God...it's kind of personal so I won't explain more than that, but the state bird of NC is a Cardinal! (and I've seen some dash in front of my car the past few days)

*My best friend's cousin lives near where I'll be moving.

*I was emailing back and forth with someone of the apartment building I am looking into and came to find out SHE JUST MOVED FROM PENNSYLVANIA TOO! Lives in Bloomsburg....going to school in NC. Can you say....whhaaattt

*There are at least TWO teachers at the school where I'm going that are from PA.

*I've been in a position of computer teacher for the past year and a half. Dealing with technology errrday....and this school (while being a public school) is also a school of TECHNOLOGY! How awesome is that?

There are just so many pieces that are fitting together that click and I know it's God. When things happen so smoothly like this, and doors just keep opening....it's gives an added peace and comfort that God is behind it.
:) He's just so faithful.

More on this later. (obviously) ha

Time for church!

Interview Update

Soooo..... last time I updated this I had already had my 15 minute skype interview.

I felt that it went well. The school principal who interviewed me was very nice and made me feel very relaxed. They were very basic questions that I didn't have any issues with and I felt good about it.

Well, I DID hear back from them the next day that I got a SECOND interview.

It was on... Tuesday the 5th. It was more like a "traditional" interview I suppose. It was a half-hour long (on skype once again) and was with the principal and also the assistant principal.

After it was over I just sat there in my interview spot for a minute (aka: my kitchen table) because it was hard. I didn't feel like it went really well or anything, I didn't know WHAT to think. ha. except that "Man that was hard..."
( they asked me a handful of questions and also scenarios)

I was a tad frustrated because the bulk of the questions they asked me were not questions that I practiced.
Meaning, I really had to THINK about some of them before I answered.
It felt like the longest times ever that I was sitting awkwardly thoughtfully  in silence trying to piece together my answers before I spoke. And even after thinking I still felt like they came out a little garbled because I hadn't practiced saying them out loud.

BUT regardless, I heard back again! (to my delight and surprise...)

I had a THIRD round of interview that same week- Thursday, Feb 7th. This time it was with the 4th grade teachers.
(The positions available are for K and 4th. ) I was feeling so sick about it before my interview.

Thoughts running through my head like:
Should I even practice again..?? (I really didn't much)
Holy POOP, can I reallyy move away if I get this?
and ...God, wait. Are you SURE about this? Because I don't think I am.

It was very laid back. and I felt surprisingly calm and very at peace throughout the interview and also afterwards.
There were three women (the three who I would be teaching with). One talked way more than the others, but they each asked me at least a couple of questions. They were very nice and I felt like I had good answers to each of their questions (Whether I did in reality or not, who knows) The whole thing lasted about 20 minutes and at the end they told me..."Okay, we'll talk to our principal and she'll talk to you...as soon as we talk to her."

That was on Thursday. I was hoping that I would hear back on Friday, if we were following the normal pattern that had begun, but no such luck. So...it's Sunday and I'm still waiting to hear.

I would love to hear just ANYthing. Whether I got it or not. So hopefully they will be kind enough to let me know either way.

I'm praying that whichever way it goes, that it will be God's leading and that I will be okay with it.

I'll possibly post more details about the job later. Or news if I hear any.

If nothing else at least I can say I'm a skpe interview expert now. Or veteran, if you will.
;)

Skype interviews

My skype interview on Thursday went pretty well.

Let me just say though, skype interviews are so unnatural and awkward..!
I was looking up "Skype interview etiquette" online before I had mine on Thurs and getting a whole lot more nervous just about the fact of it being on skype.
You are supposed to look INto the camera, so as to make it seem like you're making eye contact.(try it, it's really unnatural). Also I learned that you should in fact wear what you'd normally wear to an interview (top AND bottom), just in case you're computer should fall or something else...wouldn't want to be caught in sweatpants. That would be sad, not to mention embarrassing. 
Also learned that lighting is really important as is the background.

All that to say, I got really nervous and it turned out way better than I thought it might. The woman was super nice and we didn't have any technical difficulties like I was worried about. It was a 15 minute timed interview and I had two minutes to answer each question (which for me was more than enough time). It was just her interviewing.

The next day I heard back that I DO have a second interview.
This will be with more people and more like a traditional interview (so I was told).
It will be early in the week perhaps Tuesday.
I'm excited!
But I also don't want to get my hopes up. Really trying heard not to get my hopes up, because I know how these things can go...

In other news, I got  a violin. I'm renting to own and trying to teach myself. We'll see if that actually works out for me or not. ha.
It's fun! But hard. But I didn't exactly expect it to be easy.

We will see........