Well, I seem to have adjusted fine to not applying for the job in Virginia.
On the plus side of all this, I had a friend (the one who dragged me into PESDHH last year) offer to write me a reference. That would have been the third one I needed. Oh well. Maybe another job will appear. In the meantime, here I sit in my nice comfortable life and I don't have to get up the bravery to leave my comfort zone. I really was going to go through the process before I found out about the time frame for services. I filled out half of the application even before I found out what I needed to know.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
More about jobs
I heard from Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind. The job sounds just like what I want. I have gone round and round in my mind about moving. I want the job but how in the world can I get the house ready to sell. I don't want to leave my friends. I really want a job like that.
Well I had no students today so I took time to call down to Virginia and talk to someone about services for my son. There is a good chance it will be 2-3 years before anything would happen. Not a possibility since I need him doing something during the day while I work.
Despite all my thinking, wanting and not wanting to relocate after talking to them I am feeling depressed. I thought maybe this was my chance to do what I want to do for a job. I keep thinking maybe I should continue the application maybe a miracle will happen. I don't know what to do.
Well I had no students today so I took time to call down to Virginia and talk to someone about services for my son. There is a good chance it will be 2-3 years before anything would happen. Not a possibility since I need him doing something during the day while I work.
Despite all my thinking, wanting and not wanting to relocate after talking to them I am feeling depressed. I thought maybe this was my chance to do what I want to do for a job. I keep thinking maybe I should continue the application maybe a miracle will happen. I don't know what to do.
Monday, April 09, 2007
A Long Post about Job Prospects
This morning I found out about an instructional technology resource teacher job at a school for the deaf and blind. My ideal setting, well the deaf part anyway. This is the first job of this nature that I have seen posted in the almost two years since I graduated. The only problem is that it is in Virginia. I tried calling them for more information but the school is closed this week. I'm not sure if this is a classroom position or if it is a more traditional instructional technology position. There is definitely staff training involved but then it talks about how the applicant should have knowledge about behavior modification techniques. It does not list experience as being required. I don't know how much computer troubleshooting/maintenance is involved or how much knowledge of networking is needed. It also says for next school year so I'm wondering if it is for only one year or if it would be ongoing.
I am weak in the computer maintenance and networking departments. My training was all in the instructional field and after just a couple years there is a lot more software out there that I would need to get to know, but I can deal with that.
Interestingly enough, since January I have been working with a deaf-blind boy and have gotten to see the effect of blindness. I can sit here rationalizing that this was God preparing me and maybe He is. But the fear of change is great and the thought of getting the house ready to sell is daunting. At least I got the new roof on, but the whole house needs to be painted and tons of stuff needs to be donated to the Salvation Army or sold at a yard sale. Then a lot still needs to be packed up and stored before I could even put it up for sale. It's enough to make me stop right now even thinking about moving.
And that is the least of my problems. There's my mother. She has beginning Alzheimer's and during this past year I have seen lots of deterioration. She lives with me. There is the distinct possibility that I will eventually have to sell anyway so that she can go into assisted living. We bought the house together. As a result of that, I have been looking at the house thinking about what I need to do to get ready to sell.
My daughter is another problem although she is thinking about moving in with one of her friends when her friend graduates from nursing school. She is only 21 and has not finished college. If she moves out I don't know that she will ever finish.
My last and biggest concern would be my son. He's 23 and has Angelman Syndrome. At this time he is still living at home. He has 15 hours a week of support staff who take him out into the community and I have two days of after school respite for about 4 hours each. I can survive without those services if need be, but he is also in a sheltered workshop/daycare setting all day. I need that or I can't work.
If I relocate I have no idea how much time would be involved in getting some kind of a day placement and setting up transportation and before and after workshop care for him if my hours are longer than his. I put out feelers to the Angelman Syndrome mail list asking for information from parents in Virginia and after I talk to the school I will contact the local Mental Retardation office for information if it looks like this is a possibility.
In the meantime, insecurity is taking hold. I don't know that I can do all of the work. Would I have to write grants? make technology plans? buy equipment? I have never done those kind of things. I really have little faith in myself sometimes and a great fear of stepping out of my nice secure world.
There is also a job at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf-an ideal place for this job-but they want three years experience and more software knowledge than I have. I would love to work there or at Gallaudet's Clerc Center.
I am weak in the computer maintenance and networking departments. My training was all in the instructional field and after just a couple years there is a lot more software out there that I would need to get to know, but I can deal with that.
Interestingly enough, since January I have been working with a deaf-blind boy and have gotten to see the effect of blindness. I can sit here rationalizing that this was God preparing me and maybe He is. But the fear of change is great and the thought of getting the house ready to sell is daunting. At least I got the new roof on, but the whole house needs to be painted and tons of stuff needs to be donated to the Salvation Army or sold at a yard sale. Then a lot still needs to be packed up and stored before I could even put it up for sale. It's enough to make me stop right now even thinking about moving.
And that is the least of my problems. There's my mother. She has beginning Alzheimer's and during this past year I have seen lots of deterioration. She lives with me. There is the distinct possibility that I will eventually have to sell anyway so that she can go into assisted living. We bought the house together. As a result of that, I have been looking at the house thinking about what I need to do to get ready to sell.
My daughter is another problem although she is thinking about moving in with one of her friends when her friend graduates from nursing school. She is only 21 and has not finished college. If she moves out I don't know that she will ever finish.
My last and biggest concern would be my son. He's 23 and has Angelman Syndrome. At this time he is still living at home. He has 15 hours a week of support staff who take him out into the community and I have two days of after school respite for about 4 hours each. I can survive without those services if need be, but he is also in a sheltered workshop/daycare setting all day. I need that or I can't work.
If I relocate I have no idea how much time would be involved in getting some kind of a day placement and setting up transportation and before and after workshop care for him if my hours are longer than his. I put out feelers to the Angelman Syndrome mail list asking for information from parents in Virginia and after I talk to the school I will contact the local Mental Retardation office for information if it looks like this is a possibility.
In the meantime, insecurity is taking hold. I don't know that I can do all of the work. Would I have to write grants? make technology plans? buy equipment? I have never done those kind of things. I really have little faith in myself sometimes and a great fear of stepping out of my nice secure world.
There is also a job at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf-an ideal place for this job-but they want three years experience and more software knowledge than I have. I would love to work there or at Gallaudet's Clerc Center.
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