My best day yet

My world is CHANGED. I accepted a position at a school for Thursday after checking the location that it wasn’t too far of a commute.  Then I did a little more research into the school. It was a Catholic school. I’m not Catholic. 

That’s fine, it’s good to try new things, right? 

Wednesday comes around, I’m at another school and they ask me if I’m back tomorrow. I say no, I’m at this other school. The students inform me that it’s a Catholic boys’ school. 

Oh no, what did I get myself into? This is totally foreign to me. I could have cancelled, but I had committed and going back on my word just isn’t me. 

I leave the house Thursday morning and the bus is late, so I call Tradewind to let them know I’m going to be about 10 minutes late. 

I get there, sign in, then meet the person in charge of the CRTs. He’s super friendly and made sure to not give me any classes for the first period so I can get situated and have a lesson on the school technology from the IT department. 

Then we go to the twice-a-week morning staff briefing, and I get introduced to the entire faculty. Not a round of applause I was expecting! I guess they like CRTs. 

I have my IT lesson, review my assignment, and I got placed in a textiles space for a class! I was overjoyed and so excited, since that’s one of my areas of specialization. 

Throughout the day, I taught textiles, English, and religious studies, and the students:

• Thought I was Irish
• Celebrated when they saw me coming after lunch and realized they had me again
• Kept asking me what footy team I root for (Aussie rules football)

All the staff were SO friendly, and asked how I was doing throughout the day. I felt so supported and welcomed. 

Additionally, it’s not a “Catholic school” but more of a “school that also has a religious studies component” with something like 75 mother tongues within the student body. And it’s still a public school. 

I wasn’t even half way home when I got a call asking if I wanted to work all five days next week there. I agreed to two, because I don’t quite have my living situation sorted out yet, and, y’know, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is kind of important. 

But after my day there, I think I am going to try and live nearby so I can work there more. 

And, they have a cappuccino machine for staff use and a fully stocked tea cupboard. 

Best. Day. Yet. 

– Kate