A Personal Update

Some good out of game news:  I really do have a job lined up in a few weeks.  (My contract arrived in the mail.)

When I graduated from college, roughly 19 years ago, it was with a BA in physics and an emphasis in secondary education.  (i.e., I got a teaching certificate when I finished my course of study.)  But with one thing or another, I never did end up teaching.  Oh, sure, I did some substitute teaching, but the biggest benefit I saw from my degree was a certain amount of self-confidence when I had to homeschool my autistic daughter.  (That and being able to watch potential employers' jaws drop when they saw I studied physics . . . always a quietly amusing sight.)

Well, one of the two high schools in this rural county lost its entire science teaching staff to retirement, and finding replacements proved to be difficult.  With school only about a month out, they were starting to become very worried.  Hearing about the openings, and recognizing that rural school districts may be able to waive some requirements in the short term, I decided to take a long shot:  I walked in to the Human Resources department and told them I was going to apply as a science teacher.

Amazingly enough, I was interviewed and verbally hired the next day, despite the fact I was completely upfront about my lapsed license, I didn't worry about whether or not my interview answers were the "right" ones, and I went into the interview figuring I was interviewing them as much as they were interviewing me.  (Which meant I was really "me" and not "this is me trying to impress people".)

I'll admit it:  part of me is scared to death.  (/inner scream of terror)  But I know I can do this.  It might take me a little more thought and preparation, but I've been a teacher in one form or another almost all my adult life, if you include homeschooling for years (which, I might add, involves much research), tutoring my kids, teaching everyone from young children to adults in church, or training employees at my last job.  (Enthusiasm, Anachan, remember enthusiasm . . . Science is exciting, after all.)

What this means, of course, is that my time to play SWTOR will most likely be extremely limited.  Between commuting to work an hour each way, preparations for classes (at least three varieties), any grading I might have to do, my normal "mom" duties (dinner, laundry, etc.--thank goodness for slow cookers), helping my kids with their schoolwork, still giving my 16-yr-old autistic daughter her homeschool assignments (under the supervision of her dad, who will be trying to get the "self-employed" thing going), trying to put together my house after moving, and studying for the required tests to complete my state license, I'm going to be one busy person.  (To be honest, I've found myself reviewing teaching strategies while hanging out in warzone queues or waiting for loading screens.)  On the flip side, Bioware may be thrilled, because it means I'll take longer to finish the Agent story . . . especially if on most nights, I only have time for a warzone or two.

Incidentally, it's a good thing I'm getting a job, because I totally fail at collecting unemployment insurance . . . who knew there were so many hoops through which to jump?