It Is All Worth It

Have you ever heard something like, "Yeah so-and-so wanted to major in such-and-such, but I talked them out of it. It just doesn't make enough money."? Too many people shy away from what they are passionate in, in search of a more lucrative career.

And some people do just the opposite. I had been majoring in electrical engineering when I first started at BYU. After a year I changed to math education. I really like teaching and tutoring; and I loved math. Now-a-days I sometimes wonder why I did that. Ok, so the circuits class gave my panic attacks whenever I thought about re-taking it, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't have gotten over it. And now instead of making money I am in a field that (in this area) recently rifted a chunk of their new employees due to budget cuts. Now I am tutoring on a fairly small hourly wage.

Often I don't have time to bemoan my fate, I am just having too much fun. I love going to a job where I often look at the clock and say, "Wow, I can't have been here for 3 hours already!" Or have the occasional student prefer to sit with me or even volunteer, "You are my favorite tutor." You never know how to take that from a student in elementary or secondary school. After comments like that, I have to re-evaluate myself: are they working harder with me than with any other tutor? am I challenging them enough? or do they like me because I am a push-over with them?

With adult students, it is different. I was tutoring someone back in December who was starting the 2nd part of calculus in January. He had taken the first part of calculus over four years ago and needed a crash-course refresher. After working with him the first day I was overwhelmed at all the calculus I didn't remember. I pulled out my old calculus book, and searched the internet re-learning many concepts so I could explain them to him. He was sharp and a hard worker. Unlike some high school students who bring the work to you without trying it on their own and expect you to give them all the answers; he had tried and brought very specific questions.

I only tutored him for a month, but I thought about him as his quarter progressed, hoping he was doing ok. The quarter ended last week and yesterday he came back to thank me for all I had done. He insisted he learned more from me in those few weeks than from his professor during the quarter. He appreciated my passion for math and teaching and that I was the reason he passed the course. I wished he could write me a letter of recommendation!

I guess teachers teach for moments like that. I may not be making lots of money, but I feel like I am making a difference.

In the Last Week

Subbing for 4 days this week, totaling 20 hours, I have worked for about a quarter of the hours I pull per month tutoring/managing at Mathnasium.

The clincher? I have made almost half of my regular Mathnasium paycheck.

I wish we could work out a schedule so I could substitute more often and not just when Cam is on break (which won't happen again until the end of the school year).

But don't get me wrong I am thankful for having the job at Mathnasium (the stability and the experience it gives)... I am just very thankful for when I can substitute too.

Taxes = Candy

Dallas does not take kindly to my spending time on the computer when he wants some mommy attention. Today, however, my computer time was not devoted to WoW - I was trying to do taxes.

Occasionally, Dallas would walk over to me and pat my lap and demand ask, "Sit with you, mommy." I was trying to explain how important taxes were, so I put in prespective.

"Dallas I have to do the taxes so we can get money. Do you know what we can get with money?"

"Umm, candy?"

"Yes Dallas, Mommy needs to do the taxes so we can get candy."

Sometimes Sims Is Like Real Life

Cam and I enjoy playing Sims. It is like real life, only better. We like making ourselves and reliving those great moments like marriage, the birth of the first child, achieving world domination...

Sometimes Sims even gets the details right like Dallas being born before Chelane, giving the kiddos blue eyes, or making Cam a famous painter... wait...

Other times it makes me wonder if it is showing us what is in store for the future. Cam made most of my family and had Karma and I rooming together at college before his character and mine met. For some reason when I moved out, Karma came along and cozied up in our basement. Cam didn't have the heart to kick her out, so there she stayed. And from our innocuous basement she progressed along to her life-long goal of world domination as the Evil Emperor.

Sometime I worry about Karma...

Subbing

I have been noticing a trend with me and new jobs: I don't sleep well the night before. I have a hard time falling asleep, I just can't relax for whatever reason, and I usually wake up early the morning after. I figure I must suffer from anxiety, but only new jobs. I slept just fine the night before my wedding...

Five years ago I substituted in a high school for three weeks for a friend on maternity leave, right at the end of the school year. Yesterday I substituted for the first time since then, for a half day in a middle school.

The ladies in the front office were very helpful and encouraging (I told them it was my first time subbing in the Kent School District so I didn't know what to do, etc.) and the classes were not bad either.

Unfortunately (for me) the teacher made the day a work-on-one-assignment-until-you-are-done day so that meant I spent five minutes explaining the assignment (this was an English class, so the assignment was a writing prompt) and spent the rest of the 55 minute period telling them they were getting too loud or splitting people up. Not much teaching just a lot of classroom management.

Some fun notes: I had three students ask me if I was a model... I know it doesn't mean anything, but it sure makes for a good day!

Tuesday I am substituting for another half-day in a high school math class. I am trying to rake up the days since Cam doesn't have classes for the next two weeks so he is home to watch the kids.

Poor Neglected Dallas

Last night, about 8:30pm, thirty minutes after Dallas' extremely loose "bedtime", Dallas wanted to play a game called Barnyard Bingo.

I didn't want to play with him (trying to unwind from work you know... and I was enjoying my time on the computer). Cam wasn't playing with him either, so we had Dallas go ask Jadon. Jadon was going to bed and therefore did not want to play as well.

What is a poor Dallas to do? He has Barnyard Bingo all out and ready as he sits by himself in the middle of the family room... just looking at it...

Until Dallas finds a friend.

Dallas picked up his Buzz Lightyear and asked, "Buzz you pay games wit me?" Buzz (or Dallas talking for Buzz) answered, "Yeah."

Dallas was so estatic. "Yay! Buzz you said yeah! Ok Buzz your turn." he said as he helped Buzz Lightyear take his turn by picking up a game piece. "Buzz you got boo tow (blue cow). Ok Buzz eye (my) turn." Dallas picked up his own game piece. "Buzz I got welwo iken (yellow chicken)."

Apparently playing for two is tiring, though, for that is all the farther Dallas made through his game with Buzz last night.

Part of me felt HORRIBLE for not playing with him (especially when he started playing with Buzz) but another part thought that this playing pretend would be good for him (and he did an awesome job taking turns!)

However thinking about it again this morning, I am a horrible mother and I could have played one, five-minute game with him...

Moral of the story: put your kids to bed on time.