Last Tuesday - Becca and I pray to St. Joseph along the lines of: "Dear St. Joseph, you are the man. Even Jesus and Mary had to obey you in life. I really really need a job, and soon..."
Wednesday - The phone starts ringing off the hook with two different principals competing for my teaching services.
Thursday - Off to Tisdale Elementary School for an interview. The interview is with the principal and vice-principal only. Apparently their superintendent is ok with that. It goes well. They offer me a job on the spot teaching 0.80 fulltime grade one.
Friday - Off to William Mason School in Choiceland for an interview. The interview is with the principal and a superintendent. There is another candidate to be interviewed as well. Here I learn more about what the school division is actually like (it mirrors my teacher's college experience). The position in question is for teaching fulltime kindergarten/gr.1-6 social studies. I'm quite uneasy about kindergarten. Accordingly, I don't even shave in preparation for the interview. Alas, the interview goes well. Two hours later I am offered a job there.
You'd think I'd learn by now. Always be specific when praying. I guess I forgot to tell St. Joseph that teaching grades 4 and up perhaps would be more suitable for me. Nope. Instead I must choose between kindergarten, grade one, or unemployment.
Saturday - Work at the Co-op. There's nothing like shoveling snow, driving a forklift, and moving lumber around to clear the old head.
Sunday - Utter agony over what to do. I start looking into other options such as being a professional burger flipper at MacDonalds. To top it off, the Riders lose a nail-biter in the playoffs.
Monday - Decision Day. I wake up completely clueless as to what I should do. At first I was leaning towards taking the Choiceland position. Then, I was leaning towards taking nothing at all. After nearly two hours spent in the church, I decide, due to a lack of a gut feeling, to go with the best apparent rational decision out there. Becca later affirms this position. And so, we decide to accept the Tisdale Elementary School position.
...And then white smoke came rising from the Sistine Chapel
I will be starting at Tisdale Elementary School within a week. There I will teach core grade one subjects to 22 eager students. The position ends June 27th, and is not quite fulltime, which will be fine. It will allow me a little more time for getting accustomed to teaching grade one, as well as finishing my current Christology course. If I can manage alright, I may take another Masters course during the winter semester. But that decision can wait for another weekend. Also, the drive to Tisdale is upwards of 40+ minutes. If need be, Becca and I can move there during the Christmas break. Again, that's another decision that can wait for the time being.
It is a little nerve-wracking thinking about teaching grade ones. They're just... they're just... just... so small. But as one principal once told me, kids are kids. They might get bigger and more annoying, but deep down they're all just kids.
So that's the story of our weekend here. Thanks be to God.
I guess I should've listened to Garfield:
