SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER!
School actually ends on Thursday but one of the perks of supply teaching is its flexibility. If I want a day off, I take one. Don't worry -- it's not something I get to take advantage of too often as I have to maintain my glamourous lifestyle - haha. My brothers are currently in the air right now, on their way to invade my home with their smells and good humour - at least I hope... (Grouchy Tim better have stayed in Regina... something about working on a never finished deck has made him an ornery soul). Their arrival prompted me to take the next 2.5 days off and thus I am calling the year done early. I have much planned... but I won't give our plans away... I promise to blog more frequently now that I'm done working until September.
I actually thought that I'd be much more excited about having a couple months off. I was waiting for the weight to lift off my shoulders... but on the way out of the school today I went to say goodbye to a few fellow staff members and we got to talking about the hiring process, school politics and other NON-joyful topics and I left feeling rather down. You see, I had a FANTASTIC year. I met loads of colleagues, was welcomed into the fold of a wonderful school... I really thought that I was nearing the end of my "supply" days. Then May rolled around and there was a load of staff restructuring... 14 teachers alone at my favourite school were losing their jobs and back on the hunt for a job (with priority naturally). They've all since been placed. Then there were at least 5 LTO's (Long Term Occasional positions -- like a temp contract, for example, covering a mat leave) -- none of these people have jobs for September. The problem seems to be low enrolment numbers for next year??? I'm still looking. I have been told that there will be a rash of hiring at the last minute (end of August, beginning of September). It's just hard to not be jaded in my situation. I was talking today to a girl who is a total eager beaver. She is devastated that she will possibly be back on the supply list next year after an LTO... I just laughed inwardly. Same thing happened after my LTO 3 years ago. An LTO helps but is not a guaranteed step to a permanent position. I'm not sure those exist unless you know the right people. In my district, they stress knowing the right buzz words (which I didn't last year having come from BC and different buzz words).... It's a silly system they use to determine your suitability in the classroom. You can be dumb as nails but if you can memorize what "balanced literacy" is and how it would look in your classroom you half way to nailing your interview. Problem is, most interviews you get are "filled positions" -- you see, there are quotas for the number of interviews required per job. Still, filled interviews are good practice. Last year at this time I'd had 4 interviews -- all with positive feedback, and with the warning that I needed to learn the Ontario lingo (read: buzz words) for things. This year I have had zero. None. Nada. I'd feel bad if i weren't alone but I know that I'm not and therein lies the problem. If only I had chosen something where there was demand. Oh well, I happen to enjoy my job most days and that's what counts. If I am supplying again next year, at least I have a school administration that likes me and will keep me working steadily.
