Still alive

Okay, adoring public. I am in Venezuela still and alive. I have had some amazing intense experiences. I have learned so much about havnig a personal relationship with God, the Venezuelan people, myself, and Spanish. Ive been an awesome translator when needed. I would love to stay here, live here forever. I love speaking spanish, i love being here in South America. I would love to be a full time missionary. But, sometimes, I think i already am. Some people are called to travel the world and some people are called to do work with students and teachers at home. Maybe i can do both, like i am now. I am so content and happy. Yay!!! More details when i return. For now, i am alive. No big D right now either. hehe...

Signing off...

Okay, I am off to save the world. Well, maybe not the WHOLE world, but hopefully touch a few lives... create a ripple effect... that sort of thing. You know, religion and all that aside, an integral part of who I am is that I truly believe that what I do makes a difference. Someone asked me that question - Do you really think it makes a difference? And my answer, after some honest contemplation, was - yes. I truly do.

Above all else, I hope that I always will believe that I have the capacity to effect positive change in the world. And I hope that everyone else can believe that about themselves also. Without that belief, the world is lost and all of the problems of today will just worsen.

So, from NYC, this is Jenny, signing off. I will return to a computer August 3, at which point I am sure I will have some crazy Venezuelan stories to tell (in spanish, so start practicing).

Best wishes to all.

(ps. check out mom's blogger and send her some love while Im gone. She's gonna be bored. http://jksmoments.blogspot.com Especially you, frank... haha...)

New Job!!

Everything works out in the end! I went on a job interview yesterday for a junior high school about 200 feet from my apartment. They told me that I interview really well, and they were impressed, but they asked me a ton of questions about my age... They also said they wouldn't be deciding anything until August. I wasn't feeling good about that.

Today, I went on another interview at a junior high school that is also in Astoria/Long Island City area, but not quite as close. The school, the principal, and the math AP seem great though. They half offered me the job, but then said they had received one more resume and have to interview the person. I left, and was about halfway home when they called me to say they had thought about it and didn't want to risk losing me, so they were officially offering me the position. Yay!!!

So... what is a math "coach?" Well... I wouldn't be teaching anymore. Essentially, it is a staff developer. The math coach sort of sets the tone for the department - training teachers, offering advice, a friendly ear... those sorts of things. The coach in no way disciplines anyone or tattles to the principal, so it should be someone that teachers can feel comfortable discussing their difficulties with. This school in particular will have 5 new teachers next year. Initially, they will be my primary responsibility - sitting in their classrooms regularly and offering as much helpful advice as possible.

I think this will be a good move for me. Training teachers is an exciting idea to me. An also interesting thing about this school is that last year, they began the AVID program, which is the same one I worked in for two years in Caldwell. I think that experience really helped me out in getting this position. The school also emphasizes technology a lot, which is a forte of mine. It seems like a good fit all around.

So, now I can leave for Venezuela with peace of mind. Ahhhh....