Yep, that's right! The job search is over and I am going back to Preschool!! I am now officially a Teaching Assistant at the Mountainland Headstart Preschool in Provo. I feel very lucky to have this job. I know that it is a result of my hard work all summer, faith, and the recommendation of a friend who worked there already.
Way back in May I went on a hike with this friend that worked for Headstart and she highly recommended that I apply for a job there. She warned me that they take forever to hire people and the interview is intense. She was very accurate about both!! After I gave them my application, I called Headstart every week asking about the status of the process. My friend made one phone call and recommended me when she knew they were beginning to look at the applications at the end of the summer. Then they finally called me in for an interview. I am grateful I was forewarned of what it all involved because it gave me greater peace of mind going into it. The interview involved being asked questions by a panel, filling out an intense test-like packet, and reading a children's book to stuffed dolls while being recorded. I didn't think I did well on the packet, but a week later they called me and offered me a part-time teaching assistant position in the morning. Even though I would rather have full time and I had some other options that would make a part time afternoon position better, I took it. I am lucky that this position was at the Provo center, too, because there are 8 centers all over, including in Heber. This center is about 5-8 miles from my apartment, so I am not complaining.
Although the position is called Teaching Assistant, I usually tell people I am a preschool teacher because I WILL be teaching 4 days in a row every 4 days, excluding Fridays and weekends. Pretty much I'm a teacher without being responsible for filling out all the paper work like the teachers have to do. There are other things they do, too, but that is the main difference. When I teach I am responsible for deciding which activities are available to the kids to do. I really wish I new more about what that involved, but I don't yet. When I am not teaching, I am responsible for getting the snack ready and observing the kids and writing down how they are meeting our developmental goals that we have for them. I am really excited for this experience. The funny thing is that I still don't know exactly what I will be required to do because I haven't been given a job description yet. They are a bit slow with paperwork stuff at Headstart... I should get it next week during pre-service training, hopefully.
This class is a full day preschool, meaning the 4 year old kids stay from 9:30am-3:30pm. In the middle they are put down for naps. :) I work from 8 am- 1 pm and then another part time teaching assistant comes in. We also have a classroom aide who is responsible for developmental activities with the kids and not teaching. The way the schedule is set up, I will be doing the most stuff with the kids and the other assistant mostly helps at lunch and puts them down for their naps. It's a little sad because she has been a teaching assistant and teacher before, but it's okay. She has a baby of her own and that is why she chose to be only part time now and she is why I am not full time.
The best thing so far as been running across toys that I remember loving to play with when I was a child. Colored shapes, Lincoln Logs, colored bears, a brown Fisher Price house, rubber band board, etc. I have to be honest, I am pretty excited to play with those toys again. :)
My first week was full of boring meetings and starting the set up of the class. This week we went on "home visits" where we meet the kids and their guardians and get an idea of where the children our developmentally. The kids I've met so far are really good and so I am really excited to play with them and teach them. We have a few kids who will be turning 5 years old this fall so they are much more advanced than the others, so it will be interesting... and fun! We are still working on setting up the room. We have to have it done by next Tuesday when we have an open house for parents. School won't start until Sept. 15th. Next week we have MORE meetings where I hope to be given more instruction so I know what I am doing. :) I am just really grateful to have a job and a car to get me there.
