So the topic today is “excitement.” Well, this is my first post to this daily prompt feed. And this is only my second post after a long hiatus. I posted a short blog last night about the possibility of a new Terminator film. I can say that I’m not really excited about that since I didn’t particularly care for the last two film in the series.
But I digress. Excitement. What is it? If you look in a dictionary, it could say something like this: “a feeling of great enthusiasm and eagerness.” I agree. It’s a strong feeling towards something that makes one feel…well…excited. One thing happened to me a couple of months ago. This was the initial feeling.
It was July 18, 2013…a Thursday….afternoon. I received a phone call and was offered a job as an adjunct instructor for one of the extended campuses of the community college close to my area. I spoke with the woman on the phone for a good fifteen or twenty minutes and talked about my background….personal, education, and teaching experience. After I spoke with her, I felt an uplifting enthusiasm I have not felt in quite some time. I could preface this by saying that I have been basically unemployed for a while and this was very good news. So yes, I was excited! This was also good news because I decided to go into the world of education after thinking about it off and on for the past several years.
I began an online teaching program through the university I previously graduated from several years ago with my bachelors and masters degrees. I was going for secondary speech and theatre education, since those areas comprised my educational background. I was doing well up until this past summer. Shortly after I began the program last fall, I quit my place of employment to pursue the program full time. Well, I also quit for other reasons but that could be another post for another time. Anyway, over the summer I realized I needed to return to work full time after poor results of my interviews for teaching positions this school year. I went on several but was unable to secure a position anywhere. I think it was mostly because of my lack of teaching experience, and the only experience I had was the occasional substituting I did for the public schools here in my hometown. And, as the fall was coming closer I didn’t think I was going to be able to complete the program because of having to return to work, and at the time I didn’t know what I was going to be doing. So I had to drop my classes I had for the summer and fall and withdraw from the program.
And now, here I am. I received that call about two months ago and I am teaching now…at the college level. It’s a whole new experience and I’m still getting used to it. I only have ten students in my class…so that’s a plus. Not too big, not too small. We’re getting ready to start the fourth week of the semester this week and it is a work in progress for me getting used to it and figuring out my lesson plans. Some of the excitement has disappeared, but I am still happy that I’m here. The pay may not be much, but it’s something, and it is a step in the door that could lead to other possibilities.
I am very thankful for that day in July and that one phone call.
A Writer's Voice 