What a month!!

Holy Smokes!! I can't believe it's been a whole month since I've posted on this blog. I have good reason though, I promise. Ok...maybe I could have taken some of my free time to post, but that has been few and far between this last month.

This past month has been totally taken over by helping coach our Middle School's volleyball team!! As a former student athlete, volleyball was a major part of my life from the 8th grade through college. I love the sport and have missed being involved with a team since then. I also wanted to get some coaching experience under my belt and the head coach graciously allowed me to help her out this year! I had an absolute blast! Those 7th and 8th grade girls were like little sponges--soaking up every bit of coaching and advice we would give them. They had a great team and really improved over last year's team. I'm so happy to now have that experience down to be able to hopefully make me stand out from the rest when trying to get a teaching job next year. I really hope this isn't my last coaching experience as I LOVED IT and want to coach at the middle and hopefully high school for many years to come.

Another exciting educational adventure has just begun for me. This Monday, I started my first round of online classes. This minimester, I have three classes and so far am doing great with them. It is a little weird getting back in the swing of school and trying to balance it with subbing, Thirty-One, studying for the Praxis II & family time. But I feel confident that I will be able to make it all work and get all my ducks in a row to start lateral entry by the end of summer in time for the next school year.

Speaking of lateral entry, I spoke with a teacher friend who is currently getting her masters from a university not far from us and told her I was hoping to take my lateral entry courses from the same university. She told me that she thinks that they have a program where you take your lateral entry courses for your certification, but when taken with a few more classes, they also count toward your Masters Degree. So when you finish, you are not only certified, but certified with your Masters in Teaching! I would love to do that...especially seeing that in the education field, the more you have under your belt, the better!!

To my followers...I promise I won't wait another month to post! And thank you for taking an interest in my little blog and your well wishes in my new journey!

The difference a year makes...

February 11th, 2012. This is an anniversary of sorts for me and my family. This is the day that one year ago, I was given my life back. This is the day that gave me the chance to finally realize that I have a dream of becoming an educator. This is the day that I became me again. For you all to understand how much this dream means to me and my happiness, I wanted to tell you how I got to this point...

I graduated from North Carolina State University in 2004 at 22 years old and ready to conquer the world! I "knew" to be successful in life I would have to find a high-power corporate job and work my way to the top!

So I got my first job at a home medical company working in their corporate office. It was an OK job and I met some very good friends, Jamie & Na'im. I'm so thankful that years later, after all 3 of us have left that job, we have remained great friends! A year and a half later, I got a huge step up job working for our County Manager and Board of Commissioners. This job should have been the end of my story. I worked under the Clerk to the Board, Cheryl, and she was the best boss and became as close to me as family! After working there for 2 years, I got offered a position with the State working at the Courthouse in a new program that was being implemented. It was a lot more money and since I was getting married and buying a house, I felt this was the right move to make. Boy, was I WRONG!!!

So I said a tearful goodbye to Cheryl and went to work at the courthouse. It wasn't so bad at first. I worked with 2 other women--one of which was my relative. Over time, these 2 women became very close friends--which ended up not boding too well for me. For the next two years, I dealt with hostility, harrassment, sabotage and one of the worst work environments I could have possibly imagined. It got so bad that now I no longer consider my own relative a family member--and neither do my husband or parents. I ended up having constant chest pains that felt like a heart attack, high blood pressure (155/110) & horrible anxiety, among other health problems.

The one good thing about going to the courthouse was that is where God led me to Thirty-One!! My friend Sarah brought a catalog filled with beautiful treasures and asked me if I wanted to take a look at it. I'm a purse/tote/organizing bags fanatic so of course I wanted to check it out. At the time, hubby and I were working very hard to get out of debt (still are!) and so I knew I wouldn't be able to get everything I wanted in the catalog--which was EVERYTHING!! I flipped to the back of the catalog and my life was changed. I saw the beautiful items worth over $300 but I would get it for only $99!! I figured what could it hurt. I knew I could do the 2 or 3 parties it would take to earn my money back and then I would be done. I had tried a different direct sales business in the past and was just not good at it at all--and that's putting it nicely. John likes to say that I couldn't sell honey to a bee! He's so sweet!! But I talked to him about it and even though we were both skeptical that I would make anything out of it, he agreed it was worth a shot. Like he said, even if I just made $50 a month, that would be enough to pay a bill or two!

So I contacted a consultant that was featured in that season's catalog that lived near me--about 45 minutes away. Little did I know this woman, Jen, is a powerhouse in the company--achieving the highest title of Senior Executive Director in just a little over 2 years! I knew I was in good hands. So on May 1, 2010, I signed up under Jen and got 2 parties booked. Well, just wanting to make enough to pay my kit price back happened in my first party! Those 2 parties multiplied and I started having friends and random people wanting to sign up to do what I was doing--Partying for a Living!! I promoted to Senior Consultant the same month I signed up, then to Director in September, 2010 & then to Senior Director in April, 2011. I had finally found my happy job. It wasn't the typical 8-5, M-F, get up go to the office kind of job. It wasn't the corporate powerhouse I thought I was SUPPOSED to have. It was better!!

However, the courthouse job just kept getting worse and worse. I cried every morning having to get ready and drive to work and then cried every night knowing that I had to go back to the courthouse the next day. Saturdays became my only good day of the week. Sunday around 4-6 p.m. I would think about having to go to work the next day and face "them" and the tears would just start flowing. I was absolutely miserable.

The last straw was when I finally had to go to see my doctor because my heart was beating through my chest and my chest pains were so severe that I couldn't take a deep breath. Dr. Scott's nurse opened up a new box of tissues for me at that appointment and by the end of it, I had cried through the ENTIRE BOX of tissues. He told me right then and there that if something didn't change, I was going to end up very sick, or worse, dead. That truly scared me. He said he wanted to take me out on medical leave, but I was so afraid of the retribution if I had gone out on medical leave that I begged him not to. Dr. Scott told me that he would give me a few weeks to "figure something out" but if it didn't get better, he wouldn't give me the option of going on medical leave. He said that as my physician and knowing that my health was being affected, he would HAVE to step in. This was January 31, 2011.

On February 2, 2011, I got information from a friend of mine at the courthouse that the State was offering a severance package to those that would volunteer to leave. It was called a Voluntary Reduction in Force and it was only being offered to the Judicial Branch. That included me!! I sent in my application to see what I would be offered. John and I agreed that if we could at least get 2 months pay out of the deal, we could make it work. And me being happy and healthy again would be so worth it. I got my estimate back 2 days later and I saw my sign--I got 2 months pay EXACTLY...just what we said we needed. As an added bonus, I found out that I would get my health insurance paid for a full year. I was so excited and overcome with God's grace. I knew this was my sign to finally GET OUT! A week later, February 11, 2011, I was able to pack up and walk out with my head held high. Even through one last sabotage from "them"--I just didn't care! I was going to be out of there and I was so happy!!

So now, a year later, I am happier and healthier than I have been in 3 years. My blood pressure is totally back to normal, chest pains are a thing of the past, and my anxiety is nothing more than just a distant memory. It wouldn't have been possible without God bringing Thirty-One in my life. I know that. I trust that. I believe that. I couldn't understand for a long time why God was making me stay in this awful job at the courthouse when I was so miserable. But I can now see the amazing plan He had by bringing Thirty-One into my life and blessing this business so that when the opportunity came, I would be able to leave and John and I would still be able to provide for ourselves.

And now He has led me to this new and wonderful journey that I am so excited to embark on. I am so happy that I can now look over this last year and see so many wonderful changes and great advancements I have taken in my personal and professional life! I hope to be able to use this experience to help the students that I teach understand that there is always a light at the end of whatever tunnel you are going through and someday you WILL be able to look back and see how much stronger you are for making it through!

Itching to get started!!

I hate waiting to get started on new adventures! Like a kid waiting for Christmas or enduring the slow countdown to a fantastic vacation, I can't wait for the day to hurry up and get here so I can begin working on my new teaching career! Unfortunately patience is not one of my strong points when it comes to exciting endeavors.

I have completed about all the prep work I can, including getting my transcripts and SAT scores sent in, enrolling in our local community college and getting set up for the Praxis II exams that I will need to take. But I feel like I haven't actually been able to get started yet on my new career. Similar to Billy Crystal in "When Harry Met Sally," now that I know what I want to do with my life, I want the rest of my life to start right now!

In the meantime, to keep myself busy, I thought I would update everyone (I actually have some followers--WOO HOO!) on what my timeline looks right now so that y'all can keep up with me:

**As of today--I've ordered my transcripts and SAT scores, enrolled in the community college to take 15 credit hours to pull my GPA up some from college (unfortunately I had a little too much fun while getting my degree in my younger days, thus my less than stellar GPA) and I've gotten set up for my Praxis II exams (0543-Mild to Moderate Disabilities and 0511-Fundamentals).

**Within the next week--I am going to find the Praxis II exam study books and begin studying for my big tests

**March 12th--Mini-Mester classes begin at community college. I'm taking 3 classes for 9 credit hours all online so that I can work them around my schedule of substitute teaching, coaching volleyball, studying for my Praxis exams and my Thirty-One business (WHEW--think I have enough on my plate?!)

**April 28th--Praxis II exams day! Mark this day down on your calendars--I'll need extra specials prayers that day! I want to take it early enough so that if I don't pass one of the sections, I can retake it over the summer.

**May 7th--Mini-mester ends--3 classes down, 2 to go!!

**May 21st--Summer session classes begin--just 2 online classes (6 credit hours) this time. This is also my 30th birthday! Who would have thought I would be changing careers at 30?! Not me, that's for sure, but so happy that it's happening!!

**June 7th--Last day of school for High Schoolers! I know this doesn't have anything to do with my education and teaching career, but it will be the end of my year as a substitute and we will definitely miss the graduating class! They are such a great group of kids!

**July 30th--Last day of summer session!! 15 credit hours--DONE!!

**July 31st--I plan to have an appointment set up that day at the RALC (Regional Alternative Licensing Centers) to meet with the director with my SAT scores, transcripts, Praxis II scores and community college grades and get set up for Lateral Entry teaching!!

I hope to have a job lined up by then or at least be able to get one within the next week or so after my classes end. The thing with EC around our area...there's always openings! I would really love to be able to work at the school I've been substituting at this year, but will take what job is offered to me.

I've got an exciting few months coming up and I'm so excited to have this blog now so that I can share the ups and downs with y'all! Now if March 12th will just hurry up and get here!!! :-)

New Adventures

Isn't it funny the road that life takes us on to lead us right where we should be? I graduated from college in 2004 with my Bachelor's degree in psychology and went straight into the governmental work force. I did 3 years of work in the County Managers Office and then another 3 working in the courthouse for the District Court Judges handling Family Court. I moved up the ladder...I made a lot of money...I had a lot of high up connections...I was MISERABLE!!!! I wasn't happy with the people I worked with or the job that I was doing. I wasn't making a difference...I wasn't helping anyone.

After a lot of contemplating, praying and struggling, I made the decision to leave the governmental corporate ladder and try to discover what my true calling was...what can I do that will make a difference with my life? I was able to leave my job due my home-based business, Thirty-One, in which I am a Senior Director. I was able to work from home which was wonderful and gave me the time I needed to recharge my batteries and begin to find my path. I thought maybe that was my destiny, but soon I got bored being at home. My husband and I don't have kids, and there's only so much housekeeping you can do during the day. I decided I wanted to look for a part-time job...something to get me out of the house, but nothing too crazy! I remembered when I first got out of college, I was a substitute teacher for a few months and loved that job! So I went to our local high school and talked to the principal about maybe subbing a few days here and there. He signed off on my paperwork and told me they would call me when they had some work. I was happy...I could make my own schedule and work when and where I wanted (there are many schools in our school system)...it was perfect!

However, my whenever, wherever plan did not go quite according to plan. I got a call a week later from the principal saying he had a substitute job for me, but he needed to talk to me about it first to make sure I would be interested. I was confused at first...why wouldn't I want some work...I signed up for that! He told me that the job would be for a full-time substitute role, as the teacher had quit the first day of school (not sounding great so far) and the job was in the EC (exceptional children) department (now I was scared!) But I said of course I would take it thinking that it would be no more than just a few weeks and then I would go back to "my plan" and continue searching for my new role in the work force. Little did I know that I was about to find my passion!
I worked with the Inclusion Students in the high school, going with them to their classes and teaching a Curriculum Support class each day. I was so unsure of myself, but amazingly I took to this job so naturally. Eventually, the position became filled by an old classmate of mine, but it was too late...I knew my life had been changed! I had discovered the one thing I never thought it would do but am now so passionate about...teaching. But not just becoming a teacher...I want to teach EC.

I am now in the process of studying to take the Praxis II for Special Education for Mild to Moderate disabilities and am hoping by August to get hired on as a Lateral Entry teacher in our school system! I love the job, I love the kids, and I love love LOVE knowing that I am truly making a difference and helping these awesome kids!!

I wanted to create this blog as a way to post my journey to becoming a teacher, as well as the many adventures I will encounter along the way! I am so excited for this new avenue in my life and hope to be able to share my ideas, interesting tidbits and crazy mishaps in this process of my new life!