Working as a Program Assistant

In my last post I mentioned how I was blessed to get a job that started right out of college.  Well this post is going to go into a little more detail about it!

It was around early November that I began to look at the school district website for job postings, anything that could get my foot in the door with the school system and gain more experience.  After a week or so of checking the district's website I saw a posting for a Program Assistant I position at the local Early Learning Center.  Even though I didn't have any experience with preschool I decided to apply anyway.  A few days after applying I received an email asking to accept a job interview; I couldn't have been more excited and nervous.  Right away I started doing research on the school itself and what requirements the position would require.

Interview day arrived and the nervousness intensified.  I still remember the first question that was asked of me, "Are you comfortable changing diapers?"  Well of course I am, ha ha.  The rest of the interview went smooth after the ice breaker question.  I remember leaving the interview room with anticipation of wanting to know the result, did I get the job or do I continue to look?

A week later I received an email stating the position had been filled, and I almost broke down crying...didn't the interview go well?  Am I not qualified?  How am I suppose to find a job in the school district during the middle of the school year?...  A few short minutes after receiving that email my cell phone rang, the caller ID stating the school district's name.  The little hope I had for getting this job started to come back.  The phone call was one of the HR women from the district offering me a part-time position for the one I applied for (the original application was for a full-time position).  I accepted the position and wrote down everything I would need to complete before the start date.

God was so good to Michael and I by allowing me to get a job in the education field right after college.  This job may not be my "dream" job, but it has been such a pleasure to get out of my comfort zone, learn about preschool and how to work this specific position, and expand my skills as an educator.

If you're wondering what a program assistant is and what exactly they do, it's essentially a teacher's assistant with a little heavier work load.  I didn't realize how much documentation went into a position like this, but it isn't a bad thing at all...I actually really enjoy documenting and observing for specific things that go on in the classroom.  Along with documenting, I get to help decorate the bulletin board, clean the classroom, take care of the kids, and help out with classroom management.

The mornings are early and the days fly by as I get to work alongside an amazing preschool teacher and another nice program assistant.  The kids in our class are so wonderful and their smiles make me want to wake up every morning eager to go to work!

After College: What a Shock

Student teaching is finished and my undergraduate career is complete.  Four and a half years ago I thought this day would never come!  I've been done with college for over a month now and it is still difficult trying to adjust to the "real" world.  Timing couldn't have been better though, especially with finding a job... Even if that job has absolutely nothing to do with your degree, but more about that later.

The last semester of college during student teaching was an up hill battle.  The first half of the semester was very rocky, both emotionally and physically.  I enjoyed my first placement and the learning curve it offered but constantly struggled with never feeling "good-enough", or feeling as if I'd never be a good teacher.  The last few weeks of that placement I had just about gave up on my dreams...as if I was at the breaking point.  It was also physically tiring because of the long commute to and from the schools, and then add the long days/rehearsals (leave for student teaching at 6 AM, arrive at home around 7 PM); by the time I would get home I was ready for bed.

The second half of the semester was much better in both areas.  I was at an elementary school and the days were considerably shorter.  The teacher I was with was very welcoming, kind, considerate, and loving.  I never realized how much I would enjoy teaching in a K-5 setting, but after that experience I know that is where God is calling me.  The commute was still the same but I was able to get home by 4 PM everyday.  I learned so much about how to effectively run and manage a classroom setting, teach music in various ways while implementing strategies to reach different learning domains, and most of all learning how to exemplify my own teaching skills and strategies into the classroom.

Commencement arrived way too fast and the degree I had been working towards was finally handed over (well at least a paper stating I would get the degree in the mail in eight weeks or so).  I was so eager to finally be done with classes and start living life as a "normal" married person without college stress.  But what I didn't realize is how difficult it would be to transition into the "real" world.  I have been struggling a lot with finding friends, finding a church to plant my roots, my spiritual life, finding routine, etc...

God answered my prayers in giving me the opportunity to get a job right out of college!  That job being a Program Assistant at the Early Learning Center in town, which is the fancy term for being a teacher's assistant at a preschool.  Going into this job I thought, "preschool...this should be simple; not much different than kindergarten, right?"  Wrong!  Preschool is a whole new world compared to the K-12 school setting, and it has definitely been a learning experience for me.  I have the opportunity to learn something new each day about early childhood education, which has opened my eyes to how much work goes into the education of three through five year olds.  It is surprising to find out how smart young children are!

College held so many great experiences and I wouldn't change any of those experiences for anything.  This new chapter in life has been fun so far, but the transition has been rough.  I'm hoping to get plugged into a church somewhere, start playing set in a worship setting again, build my faith, and to get used to this post-college life soon!

Was transitioning into life after college this difficult for you?  What are some of the difficulties you found that followed after graduation?