Working Mom Life

Kelly, over at Kelly's Korner, is having a link up for working moms. Since I fit that category I thought I'd join up and write a post about my job.

For those of you who are just meeting me my name is Ann. I live in Fairbanks, Alaska with my husband Dan and our two boys, Jonathan and Jason. Dan and I are both teachers. He teaches 7th grade math at North Pole Middle School and I am a building substitute at Ladd Elementary School.

Being a building substitute is a busy but very fun job. I'm assigned to one school and I show up there every day. If no teachers are out for the day I spend my day helping out in classrooms around the building. Some days I read with kids others I help them with math. Basically anything the teachers need help with I'm there to help.

When a teacher is absent I get to teach in their classroom. One of the advantages of being a building sub is that I already know most of the kids, I know all the school rules, and the kids know me. As a result I don't get mistreated. The kids know that I'll see their teacher when they return and that I will definitely see them again. I really enjoy getting to build a good relationship with the students.

Another distinct advantage of being a building sub is that I don't have to do any of the planning or grading. If I know the teacher well I might grade the papers I collect but I take nothing home which means when I'm home I'm just mom. It's wonderful to be able to leave work at work. Although I would like to have a classroom of my own in the future this really works for our family right now.

My tip to other working mom's is to find a routine. When we all get home from school my boys know its dinner then homework. After homework is done they can play until bed. Having that schedule helps eliminate fights over when homework is going to get done.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you'll come back again!

The Brough Family

Ann, Jason, Jonathan, Dan

Dan's New Job

So my plan was that I'd be far enough in my telling of our move to Alaska that the post about Dan's job would conveniently coincide with the first day of school. But today is the first day of school and that didn't happen. I wanted it to work "perfectly" but perfect doesn't exist so now is as good a time as any.

We decided we were moving to Alaska sometime after Christmas. People who know us really well probably weren't very surprised by this decision. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love this place and how badly I wanted to be back in Alaska. It wasn't a decision we came to lightly. We spent a lot of time agonizing over the decision, talking pros and cons, jobs and daycare, friends and family, timing and transitions. A lot of tears were shed, almost all by me, and a decision was made. We would move to Alaska with or without jobs.

I should note here that things in our life have never fallen "perfectly" into place. We have moved into three of our homes after dark on the last day of the lease at the previous place. All but one of our jobs have been offered the day before the last paycheck for the previous job. Seriously it's all LAST MINUTE! For some reason I thought this time it would be different. Silly, silly me!

In May Dan got a call for a phone interview at a middle school near Fairbanks. It was for a position teaching math. It seemed like the perfect opportunity and it was May, we weren't moving until July, so having a job now would eliminate some stress and anxiety. The interview went well but Dan didn't get the job. We were crushed.

In June we came to Fairbanks for my 10 year high school reunion. While we were here Dan got a call for a math job at a different middle school in Fairbanks. This job was much closer to where we would be living. We were excited, we started counting on the job perhaps before we should have. Again the interview went well but Dan didn't get the job.

We both applied for countless more jobs and received countless rejections. At moments we started to doubt whether we were doing the right thing. But the we had passed the point of no return. Dan had resigned his job and the position was already filled, there was no turning back. And honestly I don't think it was ever a serious consideration.

So we packed, we cleaned, and we moved. We checked for jobs every night but there was nothing. Then one night in Edmonton a job came available. A middle school math position at the school where Dan had his first phone interview. So Dan applied. The school year was coming soon so the posting said the hiring process would be expedited. Less than 24 hours later Dan got an email asking him if he was interested in interviewing. He looked at the available times and they were all before we could possibly make it to Fairbanks. So he contacted the principal with other times and we hoped that he was flexible.

At this point the earliest we could possibly arrive in Fairbanks was late evening July 26. Dan got a response from the principal asking how 9am on July 27 would work. Dan readily took the time. So less than 12 hours after we arrived in town I drove Dan to his interview. (we arrived in Fairbanks so late there was NO way I was going to try and show him where to go, it was easier to drive him) And he rocked the interview and got the job. So with less than two weeks until the school year started Dan was employed. Last minute, of course, and yet so perfect!

And I'm SUPER PROUD of my husband!