Throwback Thursday: September 14

Throwback Thursday

I love this quote and think it is perfect for our Throwback Thursday reflection!

My question for you is, think of a time that you were rejected or didn't get something you wanted, but it all worked out in the end.

When I received my teaching certificate, I began eagerly and obsessively applying for teaching jobs. I applied all over southwest Missouri for any social studies position in grades 5 to high school. I had at least ten interviews, several with second interviews, but I was never offered a job. I kept getting rejection phone calls and one can only handle being turned down so many times before you end up feeling a failure. I thought I would never become a teacher!

I applied to one more job, but it wasn't as a teacher. I applied as a paraprofessional, an aide. I had an interview with four principals (it was for several different aide positions) and when I received the call from the principal at Upper, I was ecstatic! It was not a teaching position, but I was employed at a school. It was a start!

My first day was amazing! I met the most wonderful teacher who I would be an aide to. I then met the other classroom teachers and I knew I would learn so much from them about teaching.

The year began and I fell in love with my students. They were amazing and wonderful. I couldn't have asked for a better group of kids to introduce me to being a teacher. I helped them throughout the year and they helped me. I watched them grow and saw myself grow as well. I watched many different teachers teach too because I followed my students to their classes. I learned so many different ways of teaching and cool lessons.

When May rolled around, an ELA position opened for the 6th grade. I took a test to be certified in ELA and elementary and applied. I remember the day they called me to come in and teach a lesson. They had liked my interview, but wanted to see me in action before offering the job. I taught my lesson and was offered the job later that day!

So, I faced rejection, but in the end was redirected to my dream. I took a job as an aide when I could not become a teacher. However, I learned so much from my year as an aide, more than any teacher at college could show me, and I was hired as an ELA teacher the next year. I discovered through all of this that I loved 6th grade and I wanted to teach ELA over social studies. I found my calling because I had faced rejection.

Thank you for reading! Remember, everything happens for a reason!