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Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Got My Back

Well, you've heard me do my share of complaining about work this school year. You've also heard me complain about grad school and some of the big concerns over my internship next year (where and when I'll be doing it in particular). I wish I could say that I have some reprieve from either of those issues right now, but instead I just have one of those tiny rainbows that lets you know someone's got your back.

Yesterday at lunch (our department eats lunch together instead of having after school meetings) the topic of next year came up in conversation. Someone who knew about my internship worries -- not being able to do my 200 hours at my school -- asked if I had gotten things taken care of. I said I hadn't and then the entire room suddenly became engaged in this giant brainstorming session about ways I could get my hours done while working full time. Some of their suggestions were things that just wouldn't work, but all were incredibly thoughtful and welcome.

If that wasn't nice enough, two guys in the department who have very much acted as mentors to me this year and really always offered me any advice and help I needed, approached me individually after that lunch. One stopped back in during my planning time and offered to cover my 6th period class (his planning period) here and there so I could leave school early to get in an extra hour or two at my internship school. The other came to me after school and offered me the opportunity to get in some hours by working with the counselors in the summer school program (which he runs). In addition to that, my principal has contacted the Counseling Department Chair personally by phone and email to request that I be able to complete my internship in our school.

I don't know if any of those things are possible, or if they'll happen, but in such an uncertain situation I find it very comforting to know that I am surrounded by people who are willing to bend and twist themselves and their schedules to help me out. This is a school where I've spent less than a year working. I probably haven't given it enough credit for being a really positive work environment through all of my complaints about the actual work-load. I do love the school and the people I work with. In fact, as scared as I was to work in Howard County's "ghetto" school, I think at this point I wouldn't want to teach anywhere else. I'm really looking forward to next year when I'll (hopefully) be able to take a deep breath and enjoy OM for all it's glory without being blinded by textbooks and lesson plans.

I love the half-full glass :)

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