Let's Start at the Beginning

Welcome!

My blog is currently undergoing a face lift so I thought maybe I should start like it's the beginning of my blogging adventure.  Which it sort of is because even though I think about blogging to the point of an obsession, I don't put much on here very often.  I hope that will be changing this year. That will be changing this school year.  Inshallah.  (God willing in Arabic)

The Beginning

I went through a pretty rough year in 2011.  I won't share all the details (I feel embarrassed still about the whole thing and a little ashamed).  Basically I started a new school, a split grade, AND a new department - gifted education - which at the time was my dream job. 

So I thought. 

It was the most stressful position I have ever held in my 16+ years of working - including babysitting jobs at a very early age (in case you're trying to add up how old I might be). My principal did not like the gifted department (little did I know until after I was placed - which my district mentor knew but placed me there anyway - yes, I'm not sore about it at all) and proceeded to "pop by" my classroom on a daily basis to evaluate me.  Daily, folks.  Daily.  Oh, the stress.  I would plan, prep, and stress every night to make sure things were perfect.  I would practice/rehearse my lessons.  I met with the district coaches and my district mentor to go over my terminology.  Did I mention I taught at two different schools?  All this stress was primarily from one school - basically a part time gig.  The other school?  Love!  And the principal loved and supported me.  Even at my most lowest days when I cried in her office (very unprofessionally) and sought advice about the other school.

Long story made shorter...I ended up walking away mid-school year.  I just couldn't take it anymore.  I wasn't enjoying my job.  My eczema (a skin condition I have) flared up uncontrollably from the stress.  I decided no job was better than this job.  I still miss those kids and the staff from the two schools.  If it wasn't for that pesky boss...but it led me to where I am today.

United Arab Emirates - Teaching Abroad

That's right, I teach in the UAE.  If you are not good with geography, that is the same country as Dubai.  It's near Africa and Saudi Arabia.  Even though it is in the Middle East *gasp* it is perfectly safe.  In fact, I feel safer living here than I did in my stateside home of Phoenix, Arizona.  There are definitely ups and downs like any job or any place you call home.  

I ended up teaching abroad because I was at my rock bottom.  I was super broke, finding a teaching job mid-year absolutely impossible.  I was working through a temp agency barely above minimum wage and not able to afford the bills or food for the fridge and my dog.  So I thought "what do I have to lose?" and applied for an overseas teaching job.  The rest is now history.

Join me this year as I share my experiences over the past two years (heading into year number three abroad!) and my new journey moving forward as a new mother of an adorable baby girl at a new school and a new grade level.

I missed Vegas this past summer as I was still in school.  Oh yeah, and eight months pregnant and on the no-fly list but I've been catching up on what I missed through A Burst of First's awesome Vegas linky.  Find it here. One of the things I've read over and over is to find your niche.  Mine has been staring me in the face since last year at the Vegas I Teach K conference when everyone was floored when they heard where I flew from and where I teach.  

So I am updating my blog to reflect this little tidbit about me.  I am an overseas teacher living and working in the Middle East.  And I don't speak the primary language of my students and parents (Arabic).  Just a few words here and there but not enough to string a sentence together.  

What topics and questions do you want to hear about in upcoming blog posts?

First Year Bliss Linky Party

Ah, my first linky party.  I am linking up with The 3am Teacher to commemorate her first year of blogging by sharing my favorite first year memory.  Don't forget to grab her button and share your own story before time runs out!



I, too, have barely been blogging a year (my has it been that long?) and I am still learning.  Still.  Learning.  Slooowlly...like my students.  Perhaps it's because I spend too long perusing other people's blogs and neglecting my own???

Wait a minute, this was supposed to be about my favorite memory.  Right.  I think my favorite blog memory from this past year would have to be when I hit the "publish" button for the first time.  Since I was little I have always wanted to be a writer and there is something to be said about being able to type in your blog address and see your own words fill the screen.  Especially when you view your blog counter and see that your page actually encountered some traffic.  I have loved learning about blogs and am excited to pursue my blogging even more this year to document my year of teaching in the Middle East.

A special thank you to those who have chosen to join me on this journey and a best wishes for Michelle for another year of blogging bliss!

A New Adventure...Take Two

Okay, I walked away from a very difficult teaching assignment in February and have not been able to find consistent full-time employment since.  When everyone said the economy was bad, I arrogantly thought it wouldn't affect me.  So here I am knee-deep in craziness with constant bill collectors using up my cell minutes.  What's a girl to do?

Move to the Middle East.  Crazy?  Absolutely.  Nuts?  100%  A cool adventure?  That too.

I interviewed through a company called Teach Away and in just 2 weeks I will be flying away from the States to live in the UAE.  Hopefully in Abu Dhabi.  Some of the details are not set in concrete yet.  Which I keep trying to convince myself is part of the allure and the fun of the adventure and not the stress producing events that lead me to wondering "What the heck do you pack when you don't know what city you'll be in or grade you'll be teaching?"  Hmmm...

Did I mention I am also packing up to leave my house and visit my parents this Monday?  As in two days from now Monday.  Looking around my house there is still so much to do.  Not to mention the mail forwarding, address changing, going to be gone two years kind of things to do.

Part of my to do list looks like:

• Create new account of cheaper incoming overseas transfer (to still allow me to pay US bills in US currency)
• Order enough contacts for a year (and, gulp, receive them in time)
• Weed through my important paper documents
• List out my potential tax things for next April, seeing how I will be trying to do them from the UAE
• Get a VPN on my computer -- I need to Skype!
• Make duplicate house and mailbox keys, just in case
• Buy a car cover
• Sign up all my bills for paperless statements and auto payments (after setting up a new bank account)
• Sort through my clothes for appropriateness (my personal version of What Not to Wear)
• Order a new UAE friendly powersupply cord for my computer

And on, and on, and on.  Until my head spins.  Because of course I have a million TPT things I want to do and post before I go for Back to School usefulness.

Next on my list would be getting ready to go see some of my girlfriends for one last outing.  Then home to tackle a few more things off the list!