My Worst Experience

My worst experience would have to be my job where I started out this school year in September. Over the summer, I resigned from my position as an aide after four years in a district to further my career and gain more experience. August came around and I had not found a job yet, which made me begin to worry. One day over the summer, I randomly hand delivered my resume to a school not even knowing if there were any openings. Later that week, I received a phone call asking if I could come in for an interview for an AIS/cafeteria position. Without hesitation I said yes. I went in for my interview and met with the principal and assistant principal. I felt my interview went well and they told me I would hear from them after the weekend if I got the job or not. To my surprise, the principal called me that afternoon and offered me the job. I quickly accepted and was so excited that I found a job for the upcoming school year. Little did I know that it would be the worst month of my life.

I attended Superintendent Conferences and introduced myself to anyone who came my way. I would say with a smile, "Hi I'm Christine, the new AIS and cafeteria position." The responses I would get were, "Good luck with that job" sarcastically or "God bless you for taking that job." I couldn't believe how rude and unwelcoming people were and knew I was missing something about my new job. I thought I was going to be an AIS (Academic Intervention Services) teacher, pushing into classrooms and being able to teach and work with students in small groups. I assumed the cafeteria position would be monitoring in the cafeteria for a few periods to make my position full time. I was wrong. My day consisted of pushing into only two classrooms for not even 40 minutes and spending the rest of my day (10:30-1:30) in the cafeteria where I was the head person in charge.

I was so upset that I was spending my days in a school where I didn't feel welcomed or like I fit in. Staff members were very clicky. The way the principals presented the position was not at all what I walked into and felt tricked into accepting a job that was not for me. I felt I would be wasting a year in a cafeteria, miserable and not gaining any classroom experience. Luckily, I heard word of a permanent substitute position in another district and was offered the job in October. I am currently still at this position and could not be happier. I work in a small elementary school, with an amazing principal as well as staff members. I am gaining classroom experience by subbing and cannot wait to see what the future has in store.


Vocabulary:
Experience- the process of doing and seeing things and of having things happen to you
Resigned- to give up (a job or position) in a formal or official way
Worry- to think about problems or fears
Randomly-chosen, done, etc., without a particular plan or pattern
Resume- a short document describing your education, work history, etc., that you give an employer when you are applying for a job
Hesitation- to stop briefly before you do something especially because you are nervous or unsure about what to do
Attended- to go to and be present at
Sarcastically- using or showing sarcasm
Rude- not having or showing concern or respect for the rights and feelings of other people
Clicky- when two or more people are always obnoxious to others around each other
Tricked- an action that is meant to deceive someone
Permanent Substitute- a teacher is a person who teaches a school class when the regular teacher is unavailable


Exercise: Fill in the blank
Look back at my story and fill in the sentence with the correct vocabulary word used.

                                                                Word Bank:
                     experience         attended           permanent substitute     worry       hesitation


1. My worst ______________would have to be my job where I started out this school year in September.

2. Without _______________ I said yes.

3. I __________ Superintendent Conferences and introduced myself to anyone who came my way.

4. Luckily, I heard word of a _______________    _________________ position in another district.

5.  August came around and I had not found a job yet, which made me begin to ___________.

Grammar Point: Commas
A comma marks a slight break between different parts of a sentence. Used properly, commas make the meaning of sentences clear by grouping and separating words, phrases, and clauses.

Write 3 sentences using a comma correctly.

1.

2.

3.