Time for an update! I've been super busy lately working my two jobs. Today was actually my 18th day straight! My first day subbing was Friday. I was told to go to the website and try to log in every day. When the system finally lets me in, that means that my processing is complete and I'm eligible to begin. I closed Thursday night, came home and watched tv, then decided to try to log in before going to bed. It let me in! I also noticed an opening for the following day. It was a half-day in an English class. I'm certified to teach English, so it sounded perfect! I didn't have to work at my other job till 5 Friday, so I accepted it on a whim. I accepted the job at 11:45 PM and reported to the school at 8:00 AM, haha.
The teacher did not leave me any specific instructions. I checked the sub folder, and the lesson plan was dated November-something. The emergency lesson plan folder was empty. On the board, however, was written the current date and the following:
1) daily journal
2) GEE test prep
I could not find the daily journal topic anywhere, so I made one up myself, simply so that the students would have something to do upon entering the room (a "bellringer" activity). I then searched around the room and managed to find the GEE practice test booklets and the Scantrons. These were in three separate locations, and the tests were for Science and Social Studies. I figured they had to take all of them eventually, and couldn't find an English one, so I handed those out. Scantron tests require the use of a pencil for mechanical scoring purposes. None of the students brought a pencil. The teacher left me no pencils. There were no pencils in her cabinet, lockers, or desk. I borrowed some from the teacher next door and instructed the students to take both tests silently. Turns out some of them know nothing about either subject, and others just don't give a d@mn, so they all just marked random answers without giving it any thought. I spent the next 80 minutes managing the noise level. The teacher didn't leave any activities for early finishers. It was horrible.
Monday I began my long-term position in Spanish. Things are MUCH better. I have a lot more control now that it's my class. I'm not there for just 90 minutes; they have to deal with me for the rest of the year. I get to teach these kids, so I can plan things to take up all of class time. I'm learning their names, so they don't feel like they can get away with anything simply because I don't know who they are. It's still a little challenging, because I'm young, because I'm new to the school, and because I'm technically just a "sub," but it's going alright. I heard reports that some of the classes are unbearable. I've consciously devoted extra effort to those classes and they've actually turned out to be some of my "best."
Here's something interesting. Spanish is currently the only foreign language offered at the school! They are supposed to have French, but they couldn't get anyone to teach it. Another thing: there are only TWO Spanish teachers at the school! There's me (who just started this week) and Ms. Allen (who just started in August). The two of us together teach all students currently enrolled in a foreign language. Crazy!
One thing I've noticed is how disrespectful some of the students can be. I never argued with a teacher; I never left my seat without permission; I never cussed in the classroom; I never took anything off the teacher's desk. Some of these kids don't seem to think twice about it. A few of them just sit there the whole class without even opening their book. They don't bring a pen or paper to class. I've given them something to write with and then they put their head down and go to sleep. I let them do it because it's better than them having off-topic conversations with another student across the room while I'm trying to teach those who are interested. I have a total of 193 students. I've been told that over 60% of them are failing (and were failing before I stepped foot into the classroom).
I actually have a parent-teacher conference in the morning concerning a student's poor grades. I really don't have much to say about it, as I haven't yet given them any grades myself. I cannot explain any of the assignments they've had because they didn't come from me; I don't know what they've done. Furthermore, as a sub, I do not have access to the grade records (stored electronically), so I cannot even tell her what her son's grade is. All I can do is introduce myself, assure her that I'm qualified to teach Spanish and that I'm here to help, and make her aware of the upcoming assignments. It pleases me to know that this parent cares about her child's success, but I don't yet know the student, what work he's done, and what he's capable of. I guess we'll see how it goes.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
After calling the school board every day for two weeks, I finally got an appointment. Apparently there is only one person who does fingerprinting and he is a heart patient who had complications and was out all that time. I filled out more paperwork, gave my prints, and was told to wait. It's actually pretty cool. I walked in expecting to find paper and an ink pad, but it's all digital. There's a glass screen you place your fingers on and a built-in camera snaps the shot. The images are then sent to the computer where they can be viewed in black and white.
While I was waiting for them to be uploaded, another applicant walked in to have her prints taken. She was a classy, well-groomed, good-looking black woman. The man who does fingerprinting is also black. He immediately started hitting on her. While playing with her fingers, he made note of her wedding ring and asked her if it was real. She told him it was and he said, "Well that's a shame. ...Yes, indeed." He then said something to the effect of, "At least I get to have control of you for a few minutes. Even if that's all it is, I'm glad for that." The flirting continued and I felt really uncomfortable.
Some small talk ensued. He said he hopes it freezes tomorrow so that he can take the day off. He proceeded to brag about how he gets paid regardless of whether the school board is open or not, and that he'd stay at home watching tv every day if he had his way. I asked, "Didn't you just have two whole weeks off?" He said yes, but it wasn't enough.
He was quite the character. I'm kind of appalled that someone like that is so "important" and "irreplaceable." There's a Spanish class that's been without a teacher for six weeks now. The principal wanted me there five weeks ago, but everything was held up because of lazy eternal vacation guy. Furthermore, his lack of gratitude is almost as shameful. He should be grateful that the complications have been resolved and that he is able to return to work. He should be grateful that--with all the economic crisis and budget cuts and unemployment rampant today--he still has a job. It's frustrating that people take what they have for granted. But, I guess I do it, too. I imagine we all do. Perhaps we can all learn a lesson from this. I'm going to make a short list of things that I usually overlook or fail to appreciate to the extent that I should.
1. A roof. Think of all the homeless people who have no shelter to protect them from the hot sun, harsh wind, rain, and unbearable cold. Even those who go to homeless shelters have little privacy and no place to call their own. They have to share everything with unclean, unemployed wanderers.
2. Good food. I'm happy to say that I've never experienced starvation. I've always had food, and at least once a week I will dine at a restaurant. When I go out, I buy expensive drinks. Other people order off the dollar menu every day or beg for money on the side of the road because they cannot afford such luxury.
3. A car. I cannot imagine having to walk everywhere. It would take me so much longer to do anything. I always complain about red lights and slow drivers, but really driving is an incredible convenience.
4. A job (or two). I'm so thankful to have income every week. Even though some days I dread going to work and I count down the hours until I get off, I am truly happy to be blessed with a paycheck.
5. Friends. I consider myself a fairly independent person, but my life is so much better because of my friends. They provide me with support, love, laughter, and overall happiness.
Now tell me, what are you thankful for? Some time today, stop what you are doing for five minutes and really think about the important things that have gone unappreciated in your life lately. Next, tell yourself that there are thousands of people out there who do not have those things. I think you'll come out of the experience with a renewed sense of gratitude for the small things. Perhaps you'll even feel inspired to give to a charity.
While I was waiting for them to be uploaded, another applicant walked in to have her prints taken. She was a classy, well-groomed, good-looking black woman. The man who does fingerprinting is also black. He immediately started hitting on her. While playing with her fingers, he made note of her wedding ring and asked her if it was real. She told him it was and he said, "Well that's a shame. ...Yes, indeed." He then said something to the effect of, "At least I get to have control of you for a few minutes. Even if that's all it is, I'm glad for that." The flirting continued and I felt really uncomfortable.
Some small talk ensued. He said he hopes it freezes tomorrow so that he can take the day off. He proceeded to brag about how he gets paid regardless of whether the school board is open or not, and that he'd stay at home watching tv every day if he had his way. I asked, "Didn't you just have two whole weeks off?" He said yes, but it wasn't enough.
He was quite the character. I'm kind of appalled that someone like that is so "important" and "irreplaceable." There's a Spanish class that's been without a teacher for six weeks now. The principal wanted me there five weeks ago, but everything was held up because of lazy eternal vacation guy. Furthermore, his lack of gratitude is almost as shameful. He should be grateful that the complications have been resolved and that he is able to return to work. He should be grateful that--with all the economic crisis and budget cuts and unemployment rampant today--he still has a job. It's frustrating that people take what they have for granted. But, I guess I do it, too. I imagine we all do. Perhaps we can all learn a lesson from this. I'm going to make a short list of things that I usually overlook or fail to appreciate to the extent that I should.
1. A roof. Think of all the homeless people who have no shelter to protect them from the hot sun, harsh wind, rain, and unbearable cold. Even those who go to homeless shelters have little privacy and no place to call their own. They have to share everything with unclean, unemployed wanderers.
2. Good food. I'm happy to say that I've never experienced starvation. I've always had food, and at least once a week I will dine at a restaurant. When I go out, I buy expensive drinks. Other people order off the dollar menu every day or beg for money on the side of the road because they cannot afford such luxury.
3. A car. I cannot imagine having to walk everywhere. It would take me so much longer to do anything. I always complain about red lights and slow drivers, but really driving is an incredible convenience.
4. A job (or two). I'm so thankful to have income every week. Even though some days I dread going to work and I count down the hours until I get off, I am truly happy to be blessed with a paycheck.
5. Friends. I consider myself a fairly independent person, but my life is so much better because of my friends. They provide me with support, love, laughter, and overall happiness.
Now tell me, what are you thankful for? Some time today, stop what you are doing for five minutes and really think about the important things that have gone unappreciated in your life lately. Next, tell yourself that there are thousands of people out there who do not have those things. I think you'll come out of the experience with a renewed sense of gratitude for the small things. Perhaps you'll even feel inspired to give to a charity.
Friday, February 4, 2011
The World Stops
Once again, I've let quite some time pass since updating this blog. I still have not started subbing. I have called the school board every day for two weeks, but apparently the guy who does fingerprints has been ill and out of the office. They keep telling me to call back again later. It's completely ridiculous to me that everything stops because one person is ill.
I had put in a "two-weeks' notice" at my other job and requested that they schedule me to work on weekends only, to accommodate my school job Monday through Friday. Since that is being delayed, I told them I'm available to work any time until further notice. They've really been taking advantage of that. Since school started, about half of our staff (high school students and people with another day job) cannot come to work until after 4:00. The morning people we do have aren't very reliable. Two are new hires. One injured her arm and has been out for over a month now. One got fired. One is in the National Guard and got sent back to Iraq. One has called out the past four days. What all of this means for me is that I've been getting a lot of hours and that--due to being short-handed--I've been super busy. We've also been doing a lot more business than usual because of the cold weather; people heard that it was going to freeze today so they've been coming in all week to stock up on water and soup and everything else.
Today was supposed to be my day off (my first since Saturday). I was looking forward to sleeping late, running a few errands, playing videogames, and possibly going out. Work called. The closing office cashier called out for tonight AND tomorrow morning. They asked if I could work tonight, and I told them no. I closed Wednesday (off at 10:00 PM) and opened Thursday (in at 7:00 AM) and proceeded to work 10 hours with no break. I wanted my day off. I was scheduled to close tomorrow, but there was no one else they could call to open the office Saturday because the only other person trained to do it is out of town. I accepted that I'd have to open Saturday. Then I realized--wait, no one is there to close tonight, meaning I'm going to come into a huge mess in the morning. So I agreed to work tonight as well. Now I'm working 9 days straight.
All the customers freak out because it's cold outside. All the employees call out because it's cold outside. It's the like world stops because it's cold. It's winter, people...get used to it. Put on a jacket and let's go.
My dating situation is also stressing me out. The person I've been with since last January hasn't had the time for me lately, and hasn't even called or texted for a good week. All of my efforts have been ignored, so I figured it was over, went out one night and met someone and we've been talking. This one's really boring though and, although sweet as can be, I don't think it's going to work out. Recently a friend from high school moved back, saw me out, and started hitting on me. I question this one's motives and, to be honest, I'm just not interested. I met someone else still at the bar and made out and went home and cuddled and we've gone out a few times. Since then I've found out that this one has a shady past. Then my ex sent me a six-page long text message apologizing for the lack of communication, finally wanting to talk and work things out. So I dismissed the other three in order to repair things with my ex. But now the ex is back to ignoring me and I don't know what to do anymore. I really don't want to be alone on Valentine's Day, but I'm starting to think it's for the best. Another part of me, though, enjoys the freedom of going out and talking to whoever I want and not being tied down...being 22. My world doesn't stop just because you don't text me.
I had put in a "two-weeks' notice" at my other job and requested that they schedule me to work on weekends only, to accommodate my school job Monday through Friday. Since that is being delayed, I told them I'm available to work any time until further notice. They've really been taking advantage of that. Since school started, about half of our staff (high school students and people with another day job) cannot come to work until after 4:00. The morning people we do have aren't very reliable. Two are new hires. One injured her arm and has been out for over a month now. One got fired. One is in the National Guard and got sent back to Iraq. One has called out the past four days. What all of this means for me is that I've been getting a lot of hours and that--due to being short-handed--I've been super busy. We've also been doing a lot more business than usual because of the cold weather; people heard that it was going to freeze today so they've been coming in all week to stock up on water and soup and everything else.
Today was supposed to be my day off (my first since Saturday). I was looking forward to sleeping late, running a few errands, playing videogames, and possibly going out. Work called. The closing office cashier called out for tonight AND tomorrow morning. They asked if I could work tonight, and I told them no. I closed Wednesday (off at 10:00 PM) and opened Thursday (in at 7:00 AM) and proceeded to work 10 hours with no break. I wanted my day off. I was scheduled to close tomorrow, but there was no one else they could call to open the office Saturday because the only other person trained to do it is out of town. I accepted that I'd have to open Saturday. Then I realized--wait, no one is there to close tonight, meaning I'm going to come into a huge mess in the morning. So I agreed to work tonight as well. Now I'm working 9 days straight.
All the customers freak out because it's cold outside. All the employees call out because it's cold outside. It's the like world stops because it's cold. It's winter, people...get used to it. Put on a jacket and let's go.
My dating situation is also stressing me out. The person I've been with since last January hasn't had the time for me lately, and hasn't even called or texted for a good week. All of my efforts have been ignored, so I figured it was over, went out one night and met someone and we've been talking. This one's really boring though and, although sweet as can be, I don't think it's going to work out. Recently a friend from high school moved back, saw me out, and started hitting on me. I question this one's motives and, to be honest, I'm just not interested. I met someone else still at the bar and made out and went home and cuddled and we've gone out a few times. Since then I've found out that this one has a shady past. Then my ex sent me a six-page long text message apologizing for the lack of communication, finally wanting to talk and work things out. So I dismissed the other three in order to repair things with my ex. But now the ex is back to ignoring me and I don't know what to do anymore. I really don't want to be alone on Valentine's Day, but I'm starting to think it's for the best. Another part of me, though, enjoys the freedom of going out and talking to whoever I want and not being tied down...being 22. My world doesn't stop just because you don't text me.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Officially Ridiculous
I haven't forgotten about this blog and I haven't abandoned my resolution of writing more (yet). This past week has been CRAZY! I don't feel comfortable posting the details, but things are under control now...mostly. The rest of it should be cleared up later this week.
In other news, I still haven't started my sub job. I'm still waiting on one more letter of recommendation. The application called for three and I requested five, but only two have come in -_-'. I sent a message to the assistant principal so she doesn't think I'm dragging my feet or that I've lost interest. I don't like for things to be out of my control--especially when they concern important matters such as employment--so it's frustrating. I've done everything I can do, but I still won't be hired or paid until other people take care of things on their end.
I also realized that I've lost my social security card... I needed it to claim my ABO license and apparently misplaced it. It's ridiculous. I've had an ABO for four years; I was just renewing it. They changed the law since the first time I applied, so I had to make a second trip with the SS card. They fingerprinted me and took my photograph. Then I had to make a third trip to pick it up. They told me I needed the SS card to pick it up, too, so I had to make a fourth trip! I've already paid for the darn thing, so really it already belonged to me and they shouldn't have the right to deny it to me. I provided multiple forms of picture ID. They really should just mail the darn things and be done with it. I'm not even sure why those cards expire in the first place. Anyway I'll be making a trip to the social security office some time this week. Yay.
I told my other job not to schedule me weekends only, because I thought I'd start the other job this week. Now that those plans fell through, I'm going to see if anyone calls out. If so, I'll work their shift to get some hours. If not, I've got some vacation and personal time I can use to still have a check. I've also got the new Kingdom Hearts game to play and pass the time :)
In other news, I still haven't started my sub job. I'm still waiting on one more letter of recommendation. The application called for three and I requested five, but only two have come in -_-'. I sent a message to the assistant principal so she doesn't think I'm dragging my feet or that I've lost interest. I don't like for things to be out of my control--especially when they concern important matters such as employment--so it's frustrating. I've done everything I can do, but I still won't be hired or paid until other people take care of things on their end.
I also realized that I've lost my social security card... I needed it to claim my ABO license and apparently misplaced it. It's ridiculous. I've had an ABO for four years; I was just renewing it. They changed the law since the first time I applied, so I had to make a second trip with the SS card. They fingerprinted me and took my photograph. Then I had to make a third trip to pick it up. They told me I needed the SS card to pick it up, too, so I had to make a fourth trip! I've already paid for the darn thing, so really it already belonged to me and they shouldn't have the right to deny it to me. I provided multiple forms of picture ID. They really should just mail the darn things and be done with it. I'm not even sure why those cards expire in the first place. Anyway I'll be making a trip to the social security office some time this week. Yay.
I told my other job not to schedule me weekends only, because I thought I'd start the other job this week. Now that those plans fell through, I'm going to see if anyone calls out. If so, I'll work their shift to get some hours. If not, I've got some vacation and personal time I can use to still have a check. I've also got the new Kingdom Hearts game to play and pass the time :)
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
New Opportunities
So lately I've been feeling weird because I finished my education and have been searching for employment (that is, my career; meanwhile I've been working at my other job). I had an interview at a high school several weeks ago and hadn't heard back. I didn't get discouraged. I just figured that it wasn't meant to be at this time. Well today I finally got a call back! The principal told me that he had already filled the English position (for which I applied and am certified), but he offered me a long-term substitute position in Spanish. The teacher has a ruptured disc in her back and is unable to finish the school year. This is a GREAT opportunity for me. I was planning on subbing this semester anyway until the start of the new school year. Long-term subs make $30 extra a day than regular subs. Furthermore, I'd have guaranteed employment, whereas other subs might get called or they might not. Additionally, I won't have to hop from school to school, and I'll be working with the same group of students from now until May. I'm a little nervous, though. I have a minor in Spanish which is more than the sub they currently have, but I have away from Spanish for three years... The vocabulary is still there, but I'm afraid I've lost a lot of my fluency. My fear is that I'll have a native Spanish-speaker as a student who will run laps around me and I won't be able to keep up. Then the kids won't respect me and I'll be humiliated. But, this isn't my area of certification and the principal knows it. Also, I won't really be a "teacher," so they shouldn't expect me to be an expert. I've been told that the teacher will leave me her lesson plans, so that will be a huge help.
Also....the principal told me that an English teacher is retiring in May and that I'll be the front-runner for that position in August! She also teaches seniors which is GREAT because they're like adults. They're a lot more mature than the freshmen who are making the adjustment to high school and whose bodies are still hormonally unbalanced. It's also British Literature which is the area I'm most passionate about. I'm so thankful for this opportunity. Everything is falling into place and I really feel like it's meant to be. It's also kind of weird because a teacher I observed ended up becoming my cooperating teacher for student teaching (totally unrelated to my observation), and another teacher I observed is the one who is retiring who I am possibly replacing!
In other news, New Year's was fun. My friends and I went to Austin for a convention. The convention itself was really lame, but we made up for it with bar-hopping downtown, random adventures, and relaxing in the hot tub. It was nice just to get away. It seems the people of Austin really like to party. 6th Street reminded me a lot of Bourbon Street, and I want to go back to New Orleans now. Here's a couple pictures from the trip:
Also....the principal told me that an English teacher is retiring in May and that I'll be the front-runner for that position in August! She also teaches seniors which is GREAT because they're like adults. They're a lot more mature than the freshmen who are making the adjustment to high school and whose bodies are still hormonally unbalanced. It's also British Literature which is the area I'm most passionate about. I'm so thankful for this opportunity. Everything is falling into place and I really feel like it's meant to be. It's also kind of weird because a teacher I observed ended up becoming my cooperating teacher for student teaching (totally unrelated to my observation), and another teacher I observed is the one who is retiring who I am possibly replacing!
In other news, New Year's was fun. My friends and I went to Austin for a convention. The convention itself was really lame, but we made up for it with bar-hopping downtown, random adventures, and relaxing in the hot tub. It was nice just to get away. It seems the people of Austin really like to party. 6th Street reminded me a lot of Bourbon Street, and I want to go back to New Orleans now. Here's a couple pictures from the trip:
I've also been keeping on track with my New Year resolutions! I went to a class at my gym Monday, and I'm going to another tomorrow before work. I also purchased an exercise mat and some small towels. I'm still posting to this blog, so I'm writing. Being more patient is something that I'm still figuring out. It's probably the least measurable of my goals, but probably the most important.
Finally, I feel like my relationship is falling apart. This has been going on for several months now and nothing has improved. It's really hard to hang in there when the other person doesn't make any effort to help the situation. I'm pretty sure it will be ending soon, but another opportunity has surfaced here as well. I've met someone who is very sweet and there is a mutual interest. We're currently planning two events later in the week, so I'll see how it goes. More on that later!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
New Year Resolutions
I'm leaving tomorrow to attend an anime convention and celebrate New Year's Eve in Austin. Because I'll be without internet access for the next few days, I'm going ahead and posting the list of resolutions I've decided to work on in the upcoming year. They are in no particular order.
1. Work out more! I’m not trying to lose weight. I weigh 135 lbs and I am very happy with that, but I’d like to build muscle. I’ve secretly wanted a six pack for a very long time. Playing videogames, watching tv, and chatting online for hours at a time have failed to yield any results toward this goal (go figure), so I’m taking a different approach. I actually received a one-year gym membership to Plex as a door prize a couple months ago. I'm taking this as a sign from the universe that it's time to take steps toward this goal. During all of the holiday chaos, I didn’t have time to visit the gym…but I did today! I’ll be one of the many who begins in January and--hopefully--one of the few who hangs in there beyond March and through this time next year.
2. Write more! This blog is my first step. Writing about events in my life really helps me to clear my mind and make sense of my emotions, but I also love creative writing. Writing poetry, short stories, and fanfics is one of my favorite hobbies. Last semester, however, working two jobs really interfered with my leisure time. I want to devote more time to this in the upcoming year. It would be great to have a small poetry collection or short novel by the end of the year!
3. Be more patient! This is a big one for me. Because of the multiple roles I play daily, I get stressed pretty easily. Last year my schedule went something like this: get up early in the morning and teach all day; go to my night job or to my night class; come home and grade and write lesson plans; rinse and repeat. Now I’m done with student teaching, so I’m dealing with only one job—an office cashier at Brookshires. One job is definitely easier to manage than two, but this one really tries my patience. I deal with the public (enough said, right?). Responsibilities include selling and redeeming lottery; selling money orders; sending and receiving Western Unions; cashing checks and Coinstar vouchers; servicing ATM, self-checkout machines, and Coinstar; accounting for all cash flow in and out of the store; ordering change; ordering uniforms and name tags; handling customer complaints; processing refunds and returns; answering the phone; overseeing all front-end employees; scheduling breaks and lunches; training new employees; and assisting with voids and alcohol scans. It takes me only about five minutes (uninterrupted) to count all of a cashier’s cash, checks, WIC, coupons, and stamps. But it takes me about thirty minutes to do this because of cashiers needing assistance, issuing change, answering the phone, and helping customers at the office. When someone interrupts me from my work, it breaks my concentration and causes me to fall behind. I tend to get frustrated and snappy. I want to control this in the upcoming year. This change will help me to enjoy and better appreciate the 40 hours of life I spend weekly at my job.
1. Work out more! I’m not trying to lose weight. I weigh 135 lbs and I am very happy with that, but I’d like to build muscle. I’ve secretly wanted a six pack for a very long time. Playing videogames, watching tv, and chatting online for hours at a time have failed to yield any results toward this goal (go figure), so I’m taking a different approach. I actually received a one-year gym membership to Plex as a door prize a couple months ago. I'm taking this as a sign from the universe that it's time to take steps toward this goal. During all of the holiday chaos, I didn’t have time to visit the gym…but I did today! I’ll be one of the many who begins in January and--hopefully--one of the few who hangs in there beyond March and through this time next year.
2. Write more! This blog is my first step. Writing about events in my life really helps me to clear my mind and make sense of my emotions, but I also love creative writing. Writing poetry, short stories, and fanfics is one of my favorite hobbies. Last semester, however, working two jobs really interfered with my leisure time. I want to devote more time to this in the upcoming year. It would be great to have a small poetry collection or short novel by the end of the year!
3. Be more patient! This is a big one for me. Because of the multiple roles I play daily, I get stressed pretty easily. Last year my schedule went something like this: get up early in the morning and teach all day; go to my night job or to my night class; come home and grade and write lesson plans; rinse and repeat. Now I’m done with student teaching, so I’m dealing with only one job—an office cashier at Brookshires. One job is definitely easier to manage than two, but this one really tries my patience. I deal with the public (enough said, right?). Responsibilities include selling and redeeming lottery; selling money orders; sending and receiving Western Unions; cashing checks and Coinstar vouchers; servicing ATM, self-checkout machines, and Coinstar; accounting for all cash flow in and out of the store; ordering change; ordering uniforms and name tags; handling customer complaints; processing refunds and returns; answering the phone; overseeing all front-end employees; scheduling breaks and lunches; training new employees; and assisting with voids and alcohol scans. It takes me only about five minutes (uninterrupted) to count all of a cashier’s cash, checks, WIC, coupons, and stamps. But it takes me about thirty minutes to do this because of cashiers needing assistance, issuing change, answering the phone, and helping customers at the office. When someone interrupts me from my work, it breaks my concentration and causes me to fall behind. I tend to get frustrated and snappy. I want to control this in the upcoming year. This change will help me to enjoy and better appreciate the 40 hours of life I spend weekly at my job.
These are my goals for 2011. If you have writing exercises, meditation strategies, or tips for working out, let me know! It would also be cool to have a work-out partner—both for motivation purposes and to make it a little more enjoyable. Maybe you have chosen the same things to work on this year; if so, we could share our strategies and progress. Or, if you just want to post your encouragement, that would be great too!
I hope you all have a great weekend and a happy and safe New Year's. I'll post pics from my trip upon my return.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
A Little about Me
This is an introductory-type post where I will share 15 random facts about myself as well as a recent pic.
It was taken at the Louisiana State Fair last month. Pina colada + funnel cake = the perfect day off!
15 Random Facts about Me
1. I’m an only child
2. I speak English, Spanish, and German
3. I don’t eat seafood…at all
4. My shoe size is 13
5. I have lived in the same town for 22 years
6. I have never dated anyone younger than me
7. I finished college in 3 and a half years with only A’s and B’s
8. Sometimes a few lines of a song get stuck in my head and stay there all day
9. I’ve come up with a nickname for nearly all of my coworkers (i.e. Ebony =
10. My friends and I go to anime conventions and dress up as our favorite characters
11. I refer to cheesy rice as “sleazy rice” and refried beans as “refined beans”
12. I secretly hope that some day refined beans will give in to sleazy rice…
13. I usually do not go to bed before 2:00 AM
14. I have a black belt in tae kwon do
15. My ideal vacation spot is a quiet beach with warm sand and clear water
And now, the pic:
It was taken at the Louisiana State Fair last month. Pina colada + funnel cake = the perfect day off!So that's a little about me. Now leave a comment and tell me some interesting things about you!
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