Oh... I just can't wait to be a teacher!

In a horrible economy where everyone is getting laid off, it is quite possible that one of the "worst" fields to go into is education. Teachers are getting pink-slipped and even tenured teachers worry about the stability of their job. Classroom sizes are increasing. In the primary grades, when the foundation of reading and writing is being taught, many students who need the most attention are bring overshadowed by those who have behavior problems. It is safe to say that someone going into a career in this field is adventurous, unusually optimistic, and perhaps even a little crazy.

By the way, I just became a credentialed teacher and am currently pursuing a Master's in Teaching. What was I thinking? I chose teaching because of its stability and how conducive it is to the family life I dream to have. Of course, first and foremost, I love working with children, and it was almost perfect when I decided to devote my life to education. Now, instead of preparing for my own classroom and having this stable job I had worked for, I am competing with laid off teachers and ex-substitutes from all over the country who are interviewing for the same positions as me.

If I ever had a glimmering notion that maybe I was special and my passion for educating our youth would stand out on my resume and cover letters, that thought has quickly been humbled by my "superior" competition. Perhaps if I had more experience I would get hired. Now that's quite a paradox. What came first? The teacher or the student?

This adventure has been full of ups and downs: the excitement of an interview, the crushing feeling of another rejection letter. It's almost like dating (something I have been lucky enough to avoid because of a wonderful boyfriend) or acting (something I used to pursue). As I take my daily vitamin, I raise my glass of filtered water and think "here's to... FINALLY, HOPEFULLY, SOON becoming a teacher!"

I Was Born to Two Computer Programmers...

My parents put together our first few computers in the early 1990's, as that was their trade from the former Soviet Union upon our arrival to the US. They were big, bulky computers with black and white screens. Uninviting. Dull. Obnoxiously hogging a big chunk of space in our small apartment.

I got my first flip cell phone in 1996, which weighed about 2 lbs in 6th grade. It was my mom's old phone that she gave me when she upgraded to a new one. Even though I was only to use it in emergencies and it was so goofy looking with it's long antenna, my friends were all fascinated by it. It made us feel like the girls in "Clueless."

My experience with technology was always advanced, even though that was not my choice. I could have cared less about the latest innovations, but could not ignore them. My parents were on top of it all. For my 18th birthday I got the first version of an iPod. None of my friends knew what an ipod was. My mom had gotten on the wait list for it about a year before it was even available. Ironically, I was one of those people who didn't even need/want one. I was (and still am) perfectly content with the radio and my CD collection.

I could care less and live in an old-fashioned bubble, but technology has influenced my life the same way my parents did. Today, my mother is a Social Media Marketing expert and my father is a Senior Programming Engineer. I am in my mid-twenties and I still ask them to help me with documents, setting up my phone, etc. In this way, I cannot relate to most people my age. However, because of my parents, I am proficient in technology. Hopefully this will help me find a job as a teacher!