How did I get here?

One bachelors degree in liberal studies + one masters degree in teaching + multiple subject teaching credential = my own classroom/ dream job =)

That's how I thought it would turn out. I was wrong. It went more like this

One bachelors degree in liberal studies + one masters degree in teaching + multiple subject teaching credential = 3 years of substitute teaching + an early childhood special education credential

Thats 7 years of full time coursework + a semester and a summer of prerequisites.

I learned through this process to be open to where life takes me and allow myself to go places I never thought I would.

When I was a substitute teacher, I learned to not be picky and to not be scared. I ended up in all sorts of classrooom including from a month of middle school pe, to high school special ed (where I had to teach a sex ed lesson), to a day at the high school where all the expelled kids got sent (I was told by security to not be alarmed if kids lit a joint in my classroom!).

My favorite days of subbing were when I got to go to special education preschool classrooms. While far from peaceful, these classrooms were always amazing to me. Young children learning life skills and receiving services to help them reach goals. I spent a few days in a deaf and hard of hearing class in LBUSD which was a really neat experience. I discovered Mitchell Child Development Center in SAUSD and it was there that I realized that I wanted to shift dreams (although I'd already completed 6 years of coursework and had nearly 50K in student debt) and get my early childhood special education credential.

This realization started as a whisper, as a simple "what if" in my head that I tried to shut out. I had already chosen my path and just needed to wait out the recession to get a general education teaching job. I even got into a BTSA program through LBUSD to clear my multiple subject credential. I attended the first week of the BTSA program and then quit suddenly. I realized that all I was doing was postponing what I new I really wanted to do, special ed. The next week I applied to Cal State Fullerton's early childhood special education credential program and the rest is history....

except that history starts now!
after 5 interviews (Santa Ana, 2 in LAUSD, Irvine, and Pomona) I received a much anticipated phone call informing me that I had been recommended for hire by Pomona =)

I hope to document my first year of teaching here for all of you beautiful people to follow along with, as sadly, I doubt I will have much time to see you in person.