I remember back when I went to college. I prepared for months. I made lists and organized my new things I was taking to the dorm with me. I fretted, counted, recounted – and still once my parents got me into my dorm we took a look around and saw all of the things we had overlooked that other girls had brought with them. My folks hopped in their car and took a not so short trio to the next town in search of a store big enough to carry the items I needed.

I was not a restful day.

My daughter is not old enough for college yet, but I have been helping my best friend’s daughter get organized for her first year of college. My best friend works a lot and I am off in the summers, so I rose to the occasion and got involved in list making and shopping trips and packing, packing, packing.

One cool tool I did not have back in the day was the CampusReady app on Facebook. You can do everything from design your dormroom in 3D before you even more in to setting up a gift registry so your friends and family knoiw what you need to prepare for the big move.

I keep adding items to the lists, remembering that day when I moved into campus for the first time and found myself a whole lot less prepared than I thought. However, since we are smack dab in the middle of the information age, making up for things you have forgot to pack is easier than it was twenty years ago.

For example, Sears department stores has an innovative program that allows you to browse and buy online almost anything your new college student might need (like microwaves, dorm fridges, twin XL sheets and other bedding) and then have the items made ready for you at a Sears store closer to your child’s school. It sure beats trying to over-pack your car trunk or rushing around after you’ve arrived in a bustling University town trying to locate everything you need. And, who wants to pay shipping? Not me. I love that you can just pick the stuff up at any Sears store.

I mentioned XL twin sheets in my last paragraph. Don’t overlook these. Most colleges have beds in their dorms that use extra long mattresses and a standard twin sheet set is not going to fit right. XL sheets do not cost more than standard sheets, but you need to make sure you have the right size for your bed. If you are unsure, then Sears allowing you to order and pick up at a local store is just the thing for you. Check your kid into the dorms, measure the mattress, fire up the laptop and go to Sears,com to order your sheets. Not a bad way to get things done, huh?

And, while you’re ordering from Sears, make sure you make all of your purchases via Upromise.com. Upromise members who purchase on Sears.com are automatically entered into CampusReady for a chance to win money to use toward your child’s tuition. You can also enter for free by going to sears.com/campusready.

School starts in just over a week. I go back to work Monday.

I love that I am able to segue from my associate job into the classroom teacher job, at the same school I was at last year. I know most of my students and am already comfortable at the school. I have a support system in place, several good friends on the staff, and know what I need to do to fit in and be a productive part of the school community. It’s a blessing to not have to fumble along in a brand new school and face class after class of students I have never seen before.

All those years ago in college I had thought I wanted to be an English teacher. I had an adviser as well as the chair of the communications department talk me out of that plan, instead convincing me I had a great career in writing. My career has been exciting, involved a lot of writing, and allowed me to accomplish a great number of interesting things. However, I never stopped knowing I would make a good teacher.

So, when I got divorced, I took a look at my life and decided to start over and accomplish some of my original goals in life. It feels good. I love my job and I adore the students. I relish how each day is different and the challenges keep coming my way. It is also easy to admit that having the summers off to be with my daughter is a dream come true. It is actually a little bit like having the best of both worlds – a satisfying carer AND the time I need to spend with my child.

I went out before my trip north this summer to visit my dad and I bought a cheap laptop computer. It’s an HP and it does the job, but it’s weak when it comes to gaming or other programs that might take a lot of power. I was looking at my dad’s Sony Vaio and wondering if I should have shelled out just a little more money for something more powerful. I waver on that issue. I like that I was able to walk out of the store with a laptop for right around $300 – one that cost so little that I skipped the extended warranty and just told myself I would replace the thing if anything happened to it. I like that it cost so little that I do not get nervous about my 6-year-old who is sitting on the bed playing with the laptop as I sit over here on the desktop PC.

Do I dare to load Photoshop on my laptop, though? It would probably buck and scream and start to smoke. I am pretty sure the district will not be giving me a computer when I get a teaching job (unlike Pasco County), so I will probably be taking the cheap HP to school with me. I won’t be too concerned with damage or theft, but will it do the job if I need to load a lot of new software?

I went this morning to talk to my old supervisors. They want me to come back to my old school and in fact, they are already working on the master schedule with me in mind. However, nothing is EVER set in stone in our district. Things can go wrong. They have not been able to speak to the principal yet to get the final word.

In the meantime, this afternoon I got an offer from the high school where I interviewed last week. I had to ask the gal in personnel to give me two days to work out my issues and hand her a final answer. I really do prefer to go back to my old school, but we have to ensure the spot is actually open. I do not want to turn down the other high school if I cam not 100% certain things are going to work out at my old school. And, we probably will not really know about that until Wednesday morning.

High. Anxiety. Situation.

Yesterday afternoon, not too many hours after my interview, I got a broadcast e-mail that went out to everyone at my old school. One of the teachers in my department is leaving – to be the vice principal at the high school where I had just interviewed.

That would mean I would have an advocate at that school. Even better, it would mean a vacancy at my old school! I have to jump on this one.

I had a teaching interview today. It went very well. The school is beautiful and newish. I liked the people I met who I would ultimately be working alongside. I like that it is a high school, close enough to home, and a job teaching classes that interest me. I am, however, just slightly apprehensive about the population I would be teaching. Don’t get me wrong. I love the strugglers. I have a place in my heart for them over and above a typical student. It’s just a tough group and I have heard about the high rate of teacher burnout at this particular school.

I need guidance.

Things are getting ready to ramp up in my job situation – I hope. In a week or so, the district will open jobs to others than the displaced teachers. There will be a small period where voluntary transfers will be considered first. Then, it’s open season, so to speak. I have watched positions at a lot of the schools I like come and go and it has been nearly excruciating to not be able to apply for the positions. In a couple of instances, I got as far as drafting a letter and then had to stop myself and remember that even if I did get an interview, the district hiring people would reject the recommendation for the school.

I’m hoping and praying that something opens up at my old school. That is where I really want to be.

I just posted an article about being the kind of parent who gets involved and makes sure your children stay academically sharp over the summer. One of the points I made talked about sitting down with your kid and helping them to choose a book that engaged them on a personal level.

For some kids, reading is a chose. For others, it is a delightful escape. No matter, all children need to be reading as often as possible. The more they read, the better they get at reading. The better they are at reading, the more they read. It’s an unending circle.

More often than not, someone just needs to spend one-on-one time with a child and help them to find at least one book that captures their interest. I LOVE to read, but a textbook on Economics puts me to sleep and is often a struggle for me to comprehend on a satisfactory level. I’m no different from anyone else. If we are honestly interested in what we are reading, it is easier to read.

For some kids, the text that hooks them might be a sports magazine, or a book about robots, or a story about a princess. One genre I have found interests a wide variety of children of school age is fantasy adventure. It just seems to resonate with children, probably because children have more vivid imaginations by nature than their adult counterparts.

Here then, is one reading suggestion along these lines: Chin and the Magic Stones: Book One – Becoming Guardians by L.J. Salazar.

It has adventure chock full of riddles. It has an entire world of fantasy vivid with the potential of magic. It has lessons in the value of positive thinking, and it has a protagonist that kids can relate to in our modern world. If you think your child would find joy in the fantasy genre, this is a good first book to give them as they embark on their new reading journey.

Clocking in at a brief 108 pages, Chin and the Magic Stones will not overwhelm a struggling reader. And, it will leave more confident readers anxious for the next book in the series. It is generally suited for young readers from the ages of 7 to 11, but we all know that kids read at many different levels at any given age, so this is a book actually appropriate for a much broader age range.

And, in the end, it all comes down to helping our children make reading choices that will not only engage and excite them, but also have a positive impact on their lives. Anyone who experiences Chin’s adventure along with him will come away with the benefits of some of the lessons he learns about believing in himself and understanding that positive thoughts lead to self esteem and the fulfillment of dreams. These are lessons we all need to learn – over and over.

Salazar is the father of an 11-year-old son, so you can rest assured that this story is coming from someone who understands the age group for which he is writing. On the surface, this is the exciting adventure of a boy and his dog (the extraordinary Eagle). On a deeper level, it’s a handbook for positive thought.

Take a look at Chin and the Magic Stones on Amazon’s website. You can pick it up for less than $10.

It’s summertime. At least for now, schools all over the nation are out for the season and kids (and teachers) have the opportunity to recharge and relax. I know that from a educator’s standpoint, we NEED this time to take a step back. Teachers would have meltdowns regularly if they did not have summer breaks. I know a lot of people see teaching as a job where you do not work as many hours in a day or as many days in a year as most other salaried folks, but they fail to take into consideration the almost constant engagement you have with students and their families throughout the school year. Teaching is indeed a job you take home with you.

However, that wasn’t my point. Sorry about that tangent.

My point is that, as parents, we need to make sure our kids still have opportunities to learn over the summer break. It is true that a good bit of time at the beginning of each school year is spent reteaching some of the skills kids seem to lose over the summer months. That’s not going to change.

You can help your kids stay just a little bit sharper, though, with minimal planning and effort.

Keep your kids active.
When I was a child, summer meant being outside from morning until late-night sundown. We ran and built forts and skateboarded down hills. We built dams in the creeks behind my neighborhood and explored old civil war bridges and chimneys in those same woods. Of course, I grew up in the DC outskirts of Virginia, where summers were temperate. Here in Florida I have to put a little more effort into figuring out places we can go to be active without getting to heatstroke. We load up on water and hit the local beaches and parks.

Help your kids stay interested in reading.
Especially with struggling readers, summer can mean months without picking up a books. Sit down with your child and help them find a book or magazine that is in their interest area. Find fun reading material that will wake up their imaginations. And, no matter how old your child, offer to read aloud to them. Even your teens will benefit from some reading aloud by mom or dad.

Find some fun lesson ideas.
If you are really motivated, you might even do some research and find some fun lessons online to help bolster any areas your child struggled in this past year. You don’t have to be a teacher to find a search engine and type in “lessons multiplication grade 4” – or whatever the relevant subject may be. You would be surprised at the massive cache of free worksheets and lesson ideas out there floating around in cyberspace.

I found some worksheets and learning strategies I am going to use this summer to help my daughter with some of the reversals she struggles with in reading and writing (b, d, p, etc.). I am also going to take things a step ahead and work with her on multiplication and division. She did not cover that in Kindergarten, but she loves math and actually delights in working ahead.

Anyway, my message is simply this – use the summer to keep your kids sharp. Believe me, the teachers will love you this fall. Parental involvement is something that has been proven to make a difference and teachers can tell which kids are receiving more parental involvement than others.

The job market is just plain. I never thought I would be swept up in the firestorm of layoffs and cutbacks that are tossing so many people into financial turmoil – but I did. A few weeks ago the school district sent out letters to those of us being cut due to lack of seniority.

It’s a hard pill to swallow, because I pointedly made a move to change careers three years ago. I went back to school and got certified to teach. I know my new career is not over and this is just a bump in the road, so I have decided to take the time that has been handed to me to do even more coursework.

Teachers are a group of people who enjoy learning. Therefore, teachers are continuously taking classes, going to trainings, and voluntarily adding to their knowledge base. Often, at their own expense and on their own time. I’m taking a series of courses on how to teach reading right now. And, I am looking for other courses that will add to my knowledge and make me more hirable for my next interview. My preference, due to being a single mom, is to take my classes online.

No matter what your professional field may be, continuing to add to your knowledge base is always a good thing. Not only will you stay on top of the most cutting edge Job skills and theories in your field, you will position yourself above other job candidates when you are up for a new position.

Of course, your resume will reflect your degrees and additional training, but now there is also another way to showcase your expertise. Learn.com recently launched a program called Skill Score. Think of it like you would a credit rating. Your Skill Score will directly reflect your skill, knowledge, and job readiness in any given Job Profile. You can take courses that increase your expertise in a particular field or access continuing education courses for fields such as nursing, teaching and accounting. You can even earn entire certifications.

Employers will ideally be able to look at your Skill Score and use it as a valuable tool in the hiring process. It is a simple indication that you are actively seeking to gain new knowledge and keeping ahead of the pack. A Skill Score is a measure of your potential worth as an employee.

I decided to check out how Learn.com’s system works by signing up for a free account and taking a course. Now, it looks like Education is not yet available as a Skill Profile or a Course category, but I have faith they will adding it soon. Just take a look at their IT category and you’ll understand why I say that. It’s full of amazing courses and other categories will follow suit.

In the meantime, I poked around a little more and in the Business section I found an entire category of coursework on Instructional Design. I’m not sure why this does not come up when you search “education”, but it should. More and more schools and businesses are offering training and coursework online. Even when looking for a teaching job, I am seeing more opportunities for people who know how to design courses that are being offered on our state’s virtual high school platform.

One of the Skill Profiles that interests me is Human Resources, Training, & Labor Relations Specialists. Based on my career before teaching, this is the area I am now looking for work outside the schools. Now that I have been in education, I see that training and instruction is my passion. Once you sign up for a particular Skill Proifile, you simply begin working through the courses. It’s all planned out for you.

Since a lot of employers will see my skill set as suited to HR, but look at my lack of experience in the field, working through my Skill Profile will show me where I already have strengths and where I need to focus on improvement and skill aquisition. This is going to be a more valuable tool for me than for anyone interviewing me

Another series of courses I’m excited about is the package that would give me an entire year of access to course work in Instructional Design. The cost is amazingly reasonable. And, if you only want a 6 month access window, you will pay less than you would eating out at a fast food restaurant for 2 adults and a child. I kid you not.

Instructional Design has five separate courses – Design Concepts; Analysis and Objectives; Evaluation; Planning and Implementation; Process, Needs and Roles. These are the kinds of skills I really want to be able to add to my resume. I’m looking forward to the additional confidence these courses will afford me when it comes time to apply for instructional jobs that may have been out of my comfort zone before.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: online learning is such a gift. As a single mom, I can be here at home with my daughter and still continue to advance my learning, add to my qualifications, and ensure that I stay at the head of the pack in this tough job market.

…, just not in Florida.

I’m stuck in Florida. At least until my daughter is 18. I cannot imagine her father being alright with us moving away. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, because the job situation here in the schools is horrific. I suppose I thought it was like that everywhere.

It’s not. When I was up in WV visiting family, I took the time to check out postings in various counties. In the county where my dad lives there are already posting for at least 4 high school level special education teachers. In the town where a lot of my family lives and at least four of my relatives teach – they have already posted job openings for 5 high school level English teachers and 4 high school level special education teachers.

It’s enough to make me feel like drawing blood, I tell you. I want to pack it all up, find a cross country moving company and just move to a place that actually has the money and desire to hire teachers. Instead, I am stuck in a district that has cut almost 1000 instructional and support jobs during the past two school years.

I know the courts like to see children living close to both parents, but at what point so they become sympathetic to the fact that the mother is struggling to support the child. Sheesh.

Jack Hanna has been well-known since I was young. I grew up seeing him make the rounds on late night talk shows and TV specials. However, I have never been to any of his appearances.

Today I took my daughter to see Jack Hanna at Busch Gardens. I bought season tickets in January and made it my goal to go at least once a month. Here we are near the end of April and I realized we had not been to Busch Gardens this month. I was thrilled when I looked online and saw that Jack Hanna was scheduled to appear today. He will also be at the park next weekend, for any of you who may be in the area and missed today’s events.

He is just as endearing in person. I like the way he seems to blunder about verbally, almost stepping on his own words – all the while sounding casually informative. He’s never boring and his sense of humor is understated, sneaking up on the unsuspecting.

We had a great time and will make a point of seeing him the next time he is in town.

*sigh*

That was me releasing the pent up stress I have been holding onto for the last week and a half – ever since I took the FTCE certification exam for English 6-12 here in Florida. I went in so confident. I’ve been immersed in literature all my life and I have spent the past three years absorbing everything there is to know about teaching theory, methods, and best practices. Still, I came out of that exam with my ego deflated.

Today, though, I came home to an envelope in the mail from the testing center. I got that crazy heartbeat in my neck feeling right away. I tore open just a bit of the envelope and peeked inside. I was just looking for the word “PASSED”. I saw it right away. What relief. The notice came just in time for my application packets.

I can hardly believe it is the end of Spring Break week for me. I got a lost less done than I had planned. I still need to put together my packet of job application info, so I can be ready once the schools start looking at how to fill the teaching positions for this fall. I have my copies of my certifications, my letters of recommendation, my resume, and my various cover letters ready to go. I’ve been getting my office supplies in order to see what I need to have on hand for the coming month.

One thing I need to do is order a new set of address labels. Generally, I order mailing labels through Vista Print. I’ve found that you can always find a good deal on one thing or another there, the quality is consistently high, and the customer service is easy to work with no matter what might come along. I’ve ordered labels from them in the past, as well as photo wall calendars, annual Christmas photo cards, business cards, and even some t-shirts I designed to promote a website. If you look around for online codes and special links, you can always find what you want for free.

Right now I can get the address labels free. I only have to pay shipping. Usually, when I order from Vista Print, I upload my own design, because there is only a very nominal fee and I like to have a completely unique look happening. Plus, I like to be able to show off my graphic design skills. However, I have been browsing through their database of existing designs and found something I really like. They have a ton of designs that are appropriate for the education industry. They even have 21 designs under the category of special education – I’ll be going with one of those.

In other news…

A Reading Endorsement is a rider a teacher in Florida can earn and add to their certifications. It is required for all reading teachers and now that most schools have the pick of the best during the job shortage, anyone who teaches English really needs to have it.

I decided to go ahead and begin working on mine this spring. It has 5 competency areas and a practicum, and is at least 300 credit hours of work. I recently signed up for one of the competencies in an online cours4e,.

In the meantime, a friend of mine who already has her Reading Endorsement asked me if any of the coursework I did at St. Pete College when I was doing my teacher certification could be applied to the endorsement. I heard back today that I do not have to take competencies 3, 4, and 5 – just 1 and 2, as well as the practicum. I can get all of the coursework out of the way early this summer and all I will have to do this fall is the practicum.

That’s some great news to offset my anxiety about yesterday’s exam results.