14. Working Hard or Hardly Working?

Working Hard or Hardly Working?

I had another work opportunity back East again before the end of the school year within that middle school long-term sub time-frame.  I was to meet with one of my publishers.  I needed to get on-site work done on another current project back East, and I had set-up a lunch date with one of my editors while back there.  It was booked.  It would have cost me a lot of money to skip it.  

If the middle school would allow for another sub during that brief time, I would take the middle school job.  They wouldn’t, again.  So I couldn’t.  Again.

I have continued to watch openings.  I was offered an online teaching job, but I was offered – again – right before a trip (as we were running out the door, luggage loaded in the car).  I would need to get to a meeting the next day and start immediately.  I said, “Yes I am interested.  I’ll be back in three days!”  They wouldn’t wait.  They offered $10K/year (25%) less than the brick-and-mortar public schools for full-time work.  My husband said, “They can give you time to think about it.”  They didn’t.  I passed.  Again.   

It sounds like I am unwilling to take a job!  I am willing, but getting farther away from it all the time.   I still love the classroom, but I have been moving forward with my life and my career over the years since graduation.  I am now more difficult to hire, especially now that I have just the sub license.

I looked into private schools, since I could teach there with my current license.  There is a Christian high school in town.  I read their employment application, and my LDS faith eliminates me from eligibility to even apply unless I denounce my faith (even though I am a Christian, I don’t fit their definition).  I get that, but it’s one less teaching option for me.  Their sub pay-rate was half the public schools’ anyway.

Did you catch a few ‘sour grapes’ in that last sentence?  Truth is, I’d be happy to sub or teach at the Christian school, if the pay was enough to not go in the hole.  I wouldn’t preach, I’d just teach science.  But private religious schools have the right to call their own shots, and I defend that right.  

I contacted a Catholic high school about a long-term Chemistry sub opening.  I have my trip back East for two weeks during that time.  I live over 50 miles from the school.  I am not Catholic.  We’ll see if they respond to me.

I registered and applied with every tutoring agency and service in town.  I have never had a call.  Other tutors I have spoken with have also never been called.  

I applied for a faculty position at the very university that said I was overqualified for their FACS program.  This is the same school that thought a BYU grad would be “too Christian” to teach science (while I’m “not Christian enough” for the Christian schools).  They need a dietetics professor, and I have every qualification they have listed.  I fully expect them to hire a PhD – so in this case I will probably be underqualified.  But I haven’t given up yet.

A girl stopped me the other day and said, “You were my chemistry student-teacher!  It’s because of you that I’m studying Nursing.  I loved your class, thank you!”  I saw another girl at the dry cleaner who said essentially the same thing, except that she is majoring in Marine Biology.  Science opens doors.

I subbed last week, and it was fun.  They have me booked for some future sub slots too.  Plus they might have a science opening next year.  I don’t have a license.

We’ll see if anyone responds to me.  No matter what happens, there will be at least one more nurse and one more marine biologist in the world.