Time to Announce

 I figured: hey, it is worth a shot. 

I was getting my bachelors in education anyway. I needed a job, or at least an excuse to get out of the house and see people. Who knows? Maybe I will end up liking it. 

So last November, I started substitute teaching in AISD. My only rules were: I don't work Wednesdays, because that is when Amber and I do school work; and I only sub special education. I can't see myself in a gen ed classroom; it is not where my strengths or passion lie. 

Pretty confident I knew how this was going to play out. I had been a paraprofessional (aide) in a preschool class, so I figured I would end up with the littles. I was adamant: nobody taller than I am. But for subbing purposes, I wanted to visit a variety of campuses and programs, so I could get a better understanding of what I was looking for and what it would be like to teach. 

The first job I took was as an aide in an elementary SAP (special education behaviors) class. I would have loved it for the teacher alone--she saw that I was nervous, but she was so very kind and helpful. But the kids were so great, too. One colored me a picture of a wolf that I still have in my keepsakes (that keepsakes pile I accumulated during substitute teaching is getting quite out of hand). 

There were good days and bad days. Almost exclusively good days. I learned a lot. Like: always carry a book. The day that taught me that particular lesson, I ended up reading quite a bit of an unattended biology textbook. I learned how to handle behaviors, how to manage classrooms. Some I did better in than others. There were a couple of days that I was reassigned by well-intentioned staff into general education classrooms, which reaffirmed my very strong instinct that it was not the program for me.

One day, I saw there was an para/aide position open over at Cooper High School. This was fairly early in my new job, so I was more inclined to take para positions, even if they paid less, so that I could learn and observe from the teachers that were present. This was a self-contained PALs/ADAPT group. 

I just fell in love with it. 

The teacher was exceptional--I was shy at first and kind of quiet, but after a while I got to talking to her and the other aide in the class, and got to know them better. It was a Fun Friday, so there wasn't a ton for me to do, but I tried to find ways to make myself useful and helpful. We gave the kids a spelling test. Mostly, I listened to the kids and walked with them; we went to bell choir and I got to hear them practice for the Christmas concert. I still have notes in my sub journal from that first day; the students were very complimentary and so very sweet, and I bonded with them quickly. 

Spring semester, I made sure I was at Cooper as much as possible. I knew the Life Skills teacher for the special education program was retiring at the end of the semester. She got to work with those awesome kids, and she gets to teach some of the coolest stuff, including the jobs program and real-world applicable skills. She worked in a team that was strong, with two other teachers sharing the same students in a rotation, and a total of six paraprofessionals (two per class). One of the paras for the Life Skills class was retiring as well; she had worked with the district for decades and is one of the finest educators I have ever worked with. The other had worked near Stacia over at Craig the year before; right away, this guy and I figured out we could work together. He is calm and competent and excellent with the kids, and he's got a good energy I can vibe with. The whole hierarchy from administrators down was a system I felt I could fit into. 

So when that Life Skills teacher put in her retirement notification, I went to the principal and made it known that I was interested in the job.

I was not without complications. Though I had graduated, my degree was -checks diploma- a Bachelors of Arts in Educational Studies, Special Education and Elementary Education. I had planned on going through the licensure route, but I got through my undergrad classes more quickly than I had anticipated I would so I decided to forestall it and get my Masters. That is how I am currently enrolled; Masters of Special Education, which will license me...in 48 states. 

But not Texas.

Why not Texas? Because we are a finicky fellow who likes things just so, which means that we have our own tests and programs we would like you to get through, thank you very much. 

My options were: 

1) Forget about the job; get licensed through my Masters program, which would have me available for the 2023-2024 year. I could apply for reciprocity, but I would still have to take Texas special education test (as far as I am aware). Try then, if the job was still available.

2) Apply for an alternative certification program. 

The second one stuck in my craw just a bit, because it was a lot of money. Money after I had paid for college, taking relevant classes to this degree, and after I had paid for my Masters program which is also in the relevant career area. Money that did not include the additional fees I would have to pay, hundreds of dollars, to take the certification tests that the program was preparing me for. 

Finally, I weighed it: 

How much did I want this job?

There is currently a sign-on bonus for special education teachers through the district that would off-set the cost of the alternative certification program. It would be a lot of work. If all went according to plan, I would be teaching full-time (my first full-time job in many years), while getting my degree, and while completing this additional program, which is not insubstantial. 

But it meant enough to me to try. 

The principal said she would be happy to hire me if I got to the internship license state, which is where I am currently enrolled in an alt cert program and have passed the special education exam. 

Thus decided, I went to Region 14 and tried every angle to shave even a few dollars off the price. When that didn't pan out, I grumblingly paid for it, enrolled, took the practice sped test to prove test readiness, and registered to take sped exam.

I passed that with a 93%. 

First thing I did was contact Cooper and tell them that I was good to hire. But could not for the life of me get a hold of *any one*. Everyone was out at a training, it was summer. I tried to not fret about it, but I kept hearing others that had applied near the same time as me signing contracts and hearing about their placements. I learned that they had hired the other para for the life skills class; a more perfect candidate I couldn't have chosen. She is also a WGU student, going through the same program I just went through. We worked together last year while I subbed because she was a learning loss aide and her mom is a para out in one of the other classes; she is getting relevant experience so she can become a special education teacher too. 

Everything was perfect, but...I wasn't a part of it. 

Finally, getting frustrated and worried I wasn't going to get placed, I started accepting interviews at other campuses. I knew that I was only going to work one of three places: life skills, SAP, or DAEP. So when I got two interviews with SAP program right away, I was hopeful. That meant I had good options. 

My first interview was with Austin Elementary; my friend Christina was the assistant principal out there and I loved the campus and the program. The interview was with a principal that made me excited about the program: his energy and enthusiasm were contagious. The person overseeing the SAP programs was someone I had worked with as a sub, and she is so very good at her job and such a neat person that I knew I would have good support out there.

The second interview was over at Gabriel's old elementary campus; the assistant principal over the SAP program was a great selling point, because she is exactly what you want and need in an administrator overseeing a class like that. I had worked many days in the class and knew and liked the kids a whole lot; they were even the size that I had originally wanted, anklebiters the lot of of them. 

Absolutely hands down the best part of working in either SAP program would be the LSSP. This person has worked with Gabriel since he was over at Bonham, and genuinely respects and seems to like Gabe. That won me over, and I have been a huge fan ever since. When I got the privilege of working with him during a sub job, I like him even more--he's just a really cool guy. And I sincerely hope to see his rock collection some day, I am just trying to figure out a casual way to see pictures. I heard there were crystal skulls.

Both principals offered me jobs on the spot, to which I was incredibly grateful and flattered, and asked for a little time to consider. 

I called Cooper one last time to tell them I had other jobs pending, and to let them know that if they still wanted me, I was still interested in the life skills position. 

The principal lit up when she heard from me and said she was about to call me; apparently, there had been someone from downtown that was contending for the job, but they had just withdrew their request; if I wanted it, the job was mine. 

I sat and talked about it with my loved ones, and prayed about it a lot. It was a hard decision, and I feel so blessed to have had so many viable, quality offers. 

But in the end, I had to go with my gut: 

I knew I wanted to be at Cooper. 

There isn't always a reason I can articulate for why I am drawn to certain things; I usually don't question it. If it feels right, if I know inside that it is right, then I lean into it. Knowing myself and trusting in my own perceptions is something I rely heavily on. So I called the other principals and politely declined their offers, thanking them profusely for the faith they showed in me. Then I called and set up a time to meet with the administrator over at Cooper.

Today, I officially signed the paperwork: for the 2022-2023 school year, I am the Special Education ADAPT Life Skills teacher at Cooper High School.

Go Cougars!