Over the last few years I have worked at seemingly many
different places. I even had people over the last year or two ask me “so what
are you doing this year!” because they were just used to hearing me working at
different places. I’ve gotten lots of confused faces when I have had to tell
everyone that I was yet again working somewhere else, so I figured I’d share my
challenges that I have had to deal with to finally get a job I feel I will
enjoy.
I took psychology
classes in high school which got me enjoying the field and my freshman year of
college I declared my major in psychology. They tell you at the very beginning
that if you want to be a successful psychology major, you need to get at least
a Master’s degree to do pretty much anything. Literally through my entire 4
years of school I could not find something that I wanted to do with that degree…and
that was how I graduated…with no clue of what to do.
July 2008 – neurotherapy lab tech
Pretty much straight out of college through some
connections I got the opportunity to work as a lab tech in a neurotherapy
office. It was a great experience and I got to work with lots of different
people including children with special needs. This began my interest in
Exceptional Student Education. Unfortunately I was let go due to the business
not doing well. I worked there for a year and a half.
March 2010 – local high schools
Soon after I got let go, I got into substitute teaching. (Which by the way if you have no job,
substituting is an excellent job to do before waiting for what you want to come
around. If you have degree it’s around
$10/hr and if you are reliable, you will usually get 30 hours minimum a week.)
I subbed at only high schools so I could be done working by 2:30pm.
October 2010 – Oviedo High School
I learned of the term “paraprofessional” which is
basically a teacher’s assistant. I knew that I could not be a teacher with only
having a psychology degree, and at the moment I wasn’t sure I wanted to be one.
So I looked into being a “parapro”. This only required having a bachelor’s
degree and good track record, which I had with substituting. I got my first
assistant job at Oviedo High school working in a self-contained Autism
classroom. This was challenging at times with certain students, but all around
I enjoyed it. Unfortunately I was let go at the end of the year due to budget
cuts.
August 2011 – Forest City Elementary
I was hired on again as a paraprofessional in a
self-contained Autism classroom except now at Forest City Elementary. This was
the most challenging thing I had experienced. With 11 kids, lots of behaviors,
and never a time to myself, I ended up almost crying every day before I went to
work. But I didn’t want to gain a track record of quitting so I decided I would
make the most of it until…
October 2011 – Lake Mary High School
I got a call from
an assistant principal at Lake Mary High School for another challenging
position that was needed to be filled. This was a temporary teaching position
in a self-contained classroom with teens with emotional/behavior disorders. Through
2011, I had been getting information on what I needed to do to be a teacher and
started going towards that goal. Although I knew this would still be tough for
me, I knew that I needed teaching experience and I didn’t know how much longer
I could continue at Forest City. I resigned from Forest City and took on the
high school teaching position for 2 months. When that position was over I was
offered another paraprofessional position at the same school.
January 2012 – Lake Mary High School
I worked as a paraprofessional with students with
Moderate Intellectual Disabilities, severe disabilities, and also physical
disabilities. Still looking for teaching positions I was getting interviews
periodically through here.
February 2013 – Hamilton Elementary
I got an interview and was offered another temporary teaching
position to last until the end of the year. I had a hard time deciding if this
was something I should do or not, but I finally decided to take the risk
because at that time I had really decided that I wanted to be a teacher and
these assistant positions I was getting, were not fulfilling to me and I was
not enjoying them.
Thank God I made a positive enough impact that I was
offered this coming year a prekindergarten position for 3-5 year olds who have
disabilities. I have heard a lot of good things about this class and I am very
excited about it! My first contracted “big girl job” only took me 5 years, 130
applications and over 30 interviewsJ.
I had a lot of times where I felt like giving up and throwing in the towel, but
through lots of patience and prayer I persevered and it has paid off.
I now have peace and I know that I am right where I need
to be right now.
And that's my life at current!
