there seems to be a rumor going around at the school about me becoming the stellar sub at the school i'm at. at least that's my assumption, from the number of people asking me about it. i probably should ask the front office about it, if only so i know what to tell the people asking me about it, but i'm not quite sure how to approach it. still, i should think of a way to get my name in the running if it isn't already (assuming the opening also exists). being the stellar sub would be pretty cool until i get a full time teaching position.

the stellar sub is like a "head" sub. they get work first. they get paid even on days they end up not working. in some schools, they are the ones who find subs for their missing teachers. i'd give a helping hand wherever i'm needed in the school. best of all, it is a full time, permanent position. not sure if stellars get benefits or anything like that, although i'd imagine they would, and i'm not sure what they get paid, but just being guaranteed a job every day would help this family. heck, most stellars even get desk space!

all right, so the desk space isn't a big deal to me. the job is. they could give me a stellar position without desk space and i'd be happy.

hell, right now i'd take a maintenance position. i'd be in a lot of pain, but i'd do it!

saxy is still looking for another job, any job, to help fill the gap money-wise. mcat just called and is going to help us over the "summer hump" we're fighting with. i hate having to accept more money from him, he's already done so much, but we've already lost our auto insurance and are at risk of losing a utility or two. we've tightened our belts a bit more and are now starting to cut things out of the grocery bill, like fresh fruit. mind you, those cuts are just going to help pay the extra at the gas pump, but they have to be done at this point.

i keep telling myself it will get better, that we're doing better than we were in cali (taz is in a good school, we're in a decent neighborhood, we have job ops we didn't have before . . . i actually get to use that degree that took me years to earn), but the money end of things is quite frustrating. i want to help katrina victims, but can barely help myself at the moment. (i won't even go into the outrage i'm feeling towards our government right now.) i'm getting worn out just by the struggle to keep our heads above water.

january can't come soon enough.

assuming i get hired in january. although it would be nice to get hired before then.

but wait! this wasn't supposed to be a depressing post! the class i'm teaching is going fairly well, i think. the kids are already expressing their disappointment that i'll be leaving, but i've told them they deserve a "real" science teacher, not the fake one they got. they don't care. more than a few of them have expressed nervousness about the regular teacher - what she's like, what she'll expect, and so on, and i can't help much, not having met her before. i spent this weekend grading homework and prepping for a lecture and the unit test for next week. amazing how many assignments suddenly make it in when ids see they are failing.

really, i'll miss them too. despite the problems some of them drag in with them, the problems i have trying to do the best i can at a subject i struggled with myself, and so on, we're doing okay.

it would be nice to get the stellar position just to be able to see them every now and then.

now to get back to work on their test for friday. ;)