One assignment left.

 I took two classes as you may recall. Spring term is almost at the end. 

Between both of those classes, I have 1 assignment left.  I currently have an A in each class.  On this final assignment, I just need a 20/60 and I will pass the class with a C.  I need a 50/60 to keep my A in the class. 

Normally I am stressing and trying to write the assignments by tonight as they are typically due Sunday by midnight.  She has given us till Wednesday at midnight since this is technically our final. Is is the same class that I mentioned last week I had 1% of it done and I had to write a grant. I am happy to say that at about 3pm last Sunday inspiration struck and I was able to bang it out. I am pleased to say I got a 10/10 on that. 

Ok, I updated ya'll. Now I need to go try and find some inspiration for this last assignment. 

Just wait till you see what I have planned for myself in Summer at the local community college I mentioned going back to. 

It's a no

I had an interview for the position I really wanted on April 1st. On April 2nd I was called to the principal's office to be told I did not get the position. They bothered to send an assistant principal to take over the class I was subbing in to get this news. I thought I was going in for a second interview. Then I had to go back and spend 4 more periods trying not to cry. I found out at lunchtime who got the position. Any guesses?

 It turns out the person I mentioned in my last post who was thinking about applying did indeed get the position. I was CRUSHED on Tuesday. I finally understood what it felt like when people would use the word GUTTED.  By Wednesday I was feeling a bit better.  I am totally fine with it now. Even if I wasn't there isn't anything I can do about it. They have not announced her getting the position as they are trying to fill her position first. Mighty convenient that her position was posted that exact night. School systems are notorious for running slow.  I don't think I ever even had a chance. If only I knew that beforehand.  So now I have lots of decisions to make. Soul searching and all that jazz.  I did at least find out I can be in my current position till May of 2025. So I have plenty of time to see what opens and hopefully find something even better. 

I have two papers to write this weekend. It is official Sunday as it is after midnight. I have 90% of one paper written and like 1% of the second. Basically, I have the footer modified from what the template says. 

Off to bed! The second paper is about UDL principles and writing a grant based on a previous assignment we did. Basically, I have to make up a fake museum display that can be made inclusive and write a grant requesting funds to make this display possible. 

Time gets away

 Wow,

Sometimes it feels like time is moving like a snail and others it feels like it is flying! I cannot believe how long it has been since my last post. Almost TWO MONTHS?  WOW!

That is how long it has been since I have avoided doing my school work and chose this route to avoid it rather than read. HA! Lets see- since my last post. My daughter has had a birthday and is now 8. My daughter has had oral surgery to get some toofer work done. I found out my job is eliminated for next year.

:Record scratch sound:

Someone on a local parent page for our county posted a list of potential new school start times for next year. The screenshot they posted cut off our school name so I went to digging.  I found the original document in the school board's agenda for the next meeting. I also found a document about school staffing levels for 2024-2025 school year. In this I could see that a lot more special needs paraprofessionals were added and one position was eliminated. Mine- Classroom substitute in all grade levels. I brought it to the secretary's attention that afternoon and she was unaware. She had actually just learned about the time change possibility from her husband that works at a middle school. Later that week she told me that the principal said I would have one more year. While that is nice, I know that I am on the chopping block. I have every faith that there will be a position I can move to so I have not worried about that. 

However, knowing that your position is gone technically after this year is not cool. I do know there is someone retiring in the front office this summer so that spot will be open so that is my fall back. The problem with that is I will never be able to interact with the kiddos on campus. I have developed a relationship with quite a few and would miss seeing them. I really have no desire to go back into being a paraprofessional. Once you leave that world and basically become your own boss you do not want to go back to being under someone. Having to watch what you say and not step on anyone's toes. 

Now, to change direction and circle back to my post details from Jan. I have been working on getting myself back into my old college and it is now finally settled. I had to jump through hoops to get a conditional admission. They don't want to full admit me till they get the transcripts from UWF for the two classes I am in. I just wanted to be admitted enough so that I could choose my classes in the time frame I qualify for. Seeing as I have 40+ credits my choice window is first. I didn't want to wait and then have to choose from the leftovers in May when they got my transcript. 

I went and met my advisor which is the same one I had the last year of my AA and everything was supposed to be cleared for me to choose my own classes on Monday 3/4 when it opened. I was not able to- I emailed him with a list of the classes I wanted hoping he could put me in them. He emailed me back two days later asked me to fill out a form. I did and then sent to him.  He then said it wasn't clear to resend- So I did it a different way and resent. In the meantime one of the classes I wanted filled up. I am not thrilled about that.  I do still have the class but now it is a physical night class. Bleh!  

He also was not thrilled with me trying to sign up for 6 classes.  I had to explain to him that A. I always done that & B. I have taken 6 classes and worked previously as well so I can do it. I like to look at the syllabus on the first day and then decide if I want to keep the class. He also recommended if I am going to take 6 that I change the timing of one which I find to be totally bizarre. My plan was 5 C classes (12 weeks long) and 1 B class (6 weeks long). He recommended I change it to 4- C and 2-B. Why in the world would I short myself time? Short summer classes are brutal and you have like 2+ things due a week whereas the C would be more like one thing a week.  Normal terms are 16 weeks and the short version is 8.  So summer classes are more intense no matter what. I also reminded him for the umpteenth time that I do not work during the summer. That school work becomes my job at that point. 

Speaking of jobs.....    

Mine= eliminated.

However....

When I started on my AA I had a specific job in mind that required an AA.  The position is officially open and I applied for it last week.  Fingers crossed because it sounds like competition is going to be fierce. It is for a career specialist- Someone on campus that works with kids to help them get into college and prep for success in the future. It is a 40 hours position and is listed in the staffing plan as one being on campus in each HS. It would be rewarding and still have me interact with students. After helping people get into debt for so many years this would be a job to actually help people in a positive manor. The position helps with finding scholarships and invites colleges out to speak to students. The position is also a test proctor which I have actually done multiple times the last month so I am fully aware of what that entails. Emergency sub which I know all about subbing. It would also be a 10k pay bump from what I am making now which is always needed. This job would put me back at what I was making with my old job. The position posting closes 3/14 but we are on Spring Break currently anyway. I assume interviews will start the week afterwards. 

The potential problem is a coworker that is thinking about applying as well.  I have talked about this position for TWO YEARS off and on. About a month ago she mentioned that she should look into it. If she applies I fear she would get it. Because she has been at the school for like 7 years and is an amazing paraprofessional in my husband's unit. She is the only one that truly does the job well. Last I knew she was going to talk to her husband first to weigh the pros and cons. She did promise to tell me if she applies though.  Better to know than not to know is my line of thinking.

Ok I have stopped writing and went and filled in our tax info I have been dreading. Thankfully we are getting a refund. I was a little stressed about that because they have taken nothing out of my checks for federal this year.

I REALLY need to go start this assignment!

Till Next time!

Uno reverse card has been played.

 This was a much better week despite me starting Tuesday off with a head cold.

Thursday afternoon I had a moment that changed the trajectory of my future. Keep in mind I had just built a game plan for the future in the last few weeks.  It seems as if my first plan is now my discarded plan. 

I am changing colleges back to the one I am receiving my AA from. Never mind the fact that I am currently $1400 in the hole for the two classes I signed up for. I cannot get my money back at this point as it is past the drop date.  I can drop them period but I have to pay for them so might as well finish them if I am able to. 

I had looked at the degrees my prior college offered first before I looked anywhere else. I found one that I was interested in and started making a game plan. Business and Organizational Management BA to be exact. As I was looking into all the classes I realized that it required an internship with a business. Umm, I need to work and there is no way I could do that so I just walked away from it. I found the one I signed up for and moved on. On Thursday I was assigned to help proctor testing with a teacher I have never been with. I know them and their sister works at the school but I just have never dealt with them directly. I told him how I finished my AA and starting at UWF. He mentioned his wife was in the college I had just finished and was in her last term of the Business degree. I asked him how she did the internship since he had also just told me that she worked at a middle school. It seems she was able to do it at the school over the summer!  She worked with the secretary and the bookkeeper for the internship!  This totally blew my mind as I didn't think they would allow that. I ended up booking a meeting with my advisor for Friday and emailed the person in HR who is my contact about school stuff. I heard back from her first with a request to call her. I did and she said she sees that degree a lot and that people are short by like one class or they would be certified to teach a subject. That if I can take the correct classes I will be able to be certified to teach Business Education 6-12 with only my degree.  In other words, I wouldn't need a subject area test like I would with a generic degree. I also spoke to the advisor at the college to get more information. I didn't think I could start till Summer but he mentioned that I might be able to in Spring B if there were classes open still. That would be great because with this degree I would need one specific prerequisite before a second class. The earlier I could get stuff started the better!

Then I ended up getting a list of the two classes that most people miss one or the other of from the HR person. Turns out BOTH of them are on my pathway. One is actually that prereq class I have to take. I might have to take some night classes in person but that is what it is. I can do that with it being local to me. I also may be able to accelerate depending on when classes are and in what order I can take them. 

The biggest one of all?

The cost!!!!   UWF is $13,138.xx   The local community college is $7800 for a BA. So even with the loss of the $1400 to UWF, I will still up by almost 4K. The two classes unfortunately will not be able to be counted towards this new degree. They are basically a waste of time and money. I am still planning on finishing them though. Unless I suck at them and then I will drop them with a W and move on. 

One class shouldn't be a problem. The second class is all about group projects which sucks. 

So this is my update for now. 

I don't know how

 I don't know how I am going to make this going back-to-school thing work. 

Oh, I guess I should update ya'll since you have no clue what I am talking about.

I just finished my AA but after a whopping four weeks off I am going back to school! 

I was accepted into the University of West Florida. I just started classes on January 8th and will be working towards a BA. I cannot rush this degree though like I was able to with my AA. I completed a 24-month program in 15 months with that one. With this BA I will not be done until Spring of 2026. This makes me a bit sad but it is what it is. I have worked out a schedule for myself already of what classes and when to take them and they will be spaced out since I plan to take more classes in summer as usual. I have summers off from work so it makes the most sense to take more then. This is the plan below.

I felt so good the first week of January and everything was great. I felt in control and like I was going to rock everything. 

Then the second week hit, and I feel like I ran into a roadblock. I have not even opened my journal since Sunday night last week. With school starting and me being so last minute (I applied on 12/20/23) and then having an advisor meeting on 1/8/24 (the first day of classes). I feel like my head is spinning.  My financial aid has not even hit yet and I had to sign up for a payment arrangement. I was told when financial aid hits it will cover the remaining payments so that is what I am banking on. This school is not the most expensive by any means but it is still costlier than the local CC was. They were $112.92 and this one is $218.98 so that is a big difference. I could have done other stuff that was like $560 a credit hour so I should be happy but my heart hurts for the money output. Then of course that lovely imposter syndrome is back and I feel less than. 

I have completed all the assignments for this week of school but they were basically introduction posts and syllabus quizzes. 

I am taking

UDL Community Learning

 &

 Teaching at Risk Learners

The bright side is I do not have to take any more math courses. The downside is I will have to complete a practicum in the Fall of 2025. I will have to find a non-profit that works with kids and complete 100 hours. They don't care what time the hours are done at least. I will have to find a place first of all as no one in my county has done one and it will need to offer night and weekend hours for me to be able to do it. I do have a list of places people use that are local to the college (5 hours away) so that I can try and find similar places here.

Off to try and catch up on ya'lls posts.  

New Year- New ?

Happy New Year!!!  The ball has dropped.  It has been a full day into the new year. I actually made the above for IG but it works for here as well. :)  So I am still having a hard time figuring out the best way to get pictures on here. I think I found something that is OK and it will have to do. Basically, I make a draft on my phone in the blogger app and upload pictures one by one.  Then I save the draft.  This post is that in action.  You do have to title it and type at least one word for it to work. So now I have a bunch of pictures I have to type a post around. 

It does let me move them at least.  I am making an effort to spend more time with my daughter. So far we have Watched the Barbie movie/ she played with sidewalk chalk outside/ I took her to the park/ today our plan is the watch the Netflix movie Leo. I'm a pretty hands off mom. My mom was a hands off mom. I don't want to be like that anymore. How long will this last? I hope for a while. I am trying to work on myself and this journal is an immense help. 

 The pictures seem to be a smidge stretched but it is better than no pics. 

I also realized that I feel better- Like way better. WAY, way better.  LOL  It hit me a few days ago and I decided I need to document how I am feeling and my life. It is too easy to forget things. I realized I am not having brain fog anymore. Last time I felt this way I had cut all carbs and sugar. I had not cut carbs or sugar so I wasn't sure why I felt so good.  Could it be because I was on Christmas break so no stress. Could it be the iron? Could it be the no gluten???  I'm thinking it might be the gluten. Because by cutting carbs last time in effect I cut gluten as well. I have cut the sugar out and am still eating carbs but GF ones. Also eating whatever fruit & veggies I want. I last lost in 2019 and I was eating pretty much anything I wanted protein, veggies, fruit wise. LC on anything else. There is no official name for my way of eating. I kinda call it wholefood-ish/ LC/ GF  LOL

I have an update on the grumpy neighbor dog. Yesterday was a New Years Day miracle!  We're friends now!  He will let me pet him and give him love.

Here are some pictures I posted on IG.  It shows the printer picture sticker compared to the digital copy.  

This is the printer that I am using for my sticker pictures.

Was torn between blue and brown. As you saw last post I went with this one. I prefer the spiral.

I still bought this one because it is soooo pretty! 

      

I ordered these in 3 colors.  I hope I love them!  

    

This is the same information that I wrote in my last post but it is just written out clearer. 

This is a page I added to my journal yesterday

  OH I JUST HAD AN IDEA  I need to add a page to record what I do with my girlie every day. \

The purpose of this one above is to keep track of spending for food. I also added the checks to check off that I uploaded the receipts to Fetch, Coin Out, and Amazon shoppers panel. I have been doing Kroger delivery which I can't take pictures of so that sucks but it is what it is.