Finally Official!

I have been waiting and dreaming and waiting some more to finally be able to write this post. I have accepted a teaching job at Cascade Elementary in Orem, UT. I will be teaching 4th grade and couldn't be more excited. I have known for several weeks now, but was waiting until I finally signed my contract to post about it. (I signed it yesterday!)

I feel extremely blessed to have this opportunity. After I accepted the job, I learned some details about what went on behind the scenes in the hiring process. First of all, when I interviewed at the school, I recognized one of the teachers in the interview (Cherie). I had met her as a substitute teacher a while back at a different school. We had an instant connection because her sister was my professor at BYU-Idaho. What a small world. Cherie transferred to Cascade Elementary and this will be her first year there as well. She will be on the 4th grade team with me. The principal also recognized me when I walked into the interview because I had met him while subbing at his school a few weeks prior.

After meeting me as a substitute, Cherie couldn't remember my name. She wanted to recommend me to be interviewed, but couldn't. She even asked her sister (my former professor) who I was, but my professor couldn't remember either. I learned that there were over 550 applicants for my position which is unbelievable. Apparently my application stood out thanks to my overhead projector story. I saved my money when I was a child to buy an overhead projector for my pretend classroom. I finally got it, but used it so much within the first month that I burned the light-bulb out. I was nick-named "projector-girl" at Cascade Elementary for this reason.

When I went to the interview, Cherie recognized me as the girl she had previously met, and I ended up being projector girl which she didn't know. I was surprised when I got the phone call offering me the job. When I interviewed I was VERY ill. My nose was so runny and I felt horrible. I didn't want to cancel, so I went anyway with plenty of medicine running through me. I didn't feel like I interviewed super well because my mind was so fuzzy.

I have met with the 4th grade team to plan the year out and have spent lots of time, probably too much time in my classroom. It's looking good, but I still have quite a ways to go. I recently got my class list and am anticipating having 24 students which is a pretty small class size. I'm hoping my students love the movie theater theme I'm working so hard to create. Pictures to come.