Who Would Have Guessed?

Today, I had the opportunity to do something I never thought I would do.  In fact, that has been happening a lot lately.  Let me tell you all how this came about and lead up to today.

• Last school year I decided I needed to "put myself out" a little more---meaning that I needed to stretch a little.  If I intended to get a better job, then I would need to make my name one that people knew (hopefully in a positive way)
• I applied to be on a district committee called the JEEAC (Joint Educator Evaluation Advisory Committee.  The committee is legislated to be formed in each school district and have an equal amount of teachers, administrators, and parents.  The purpose is to advise the creation of a new evaluation system to be used.
• I was asked to be on this committee.
• After about six months on the committee, the district administrator in charge of the new evaluation asked that asked me to attend a Utah Education Association [UEA] (teacher union) leadership conference as a representative of the JEEAC committee and to be an evaluation expert for the Davis Education Association [DEA] (the local branch of UEA).
• I agreed.
• Shortly after agreeing, I received a request from DEA asking if I would accept a position as a state evaluation expert working with UEA.
• I agreed.

Now, those of you who know me understand how much I detest speaking in front of adults.  The UEA agreement was that I would be one of three who would present professional development to the local evaluation experts about the new teacher evaluation system. 

• We prepared and planned a professional development seminar for these local experts and now have a couple more to create and present.
• Because I have been working closely with UEA, I was asked to be on a teacher panel of experts to present to school district personnel, school board members, legislators, and anyone else who came to the UEA convention.
• This panel convened today.  Although we did not have many who attended--maybe 60 in the audience, representatives from University of Phoenix [UOP] were there.
• I have applied to work for UOP and one of the representatives was a professor I had there.  He recognized me and asked me to speak to the accreditation board as an alumni.
• I agreed.
• I also told him that I had applied to teach and he said as soon as I finished my doctorate to get back with him.

Whew!  And to think one year ago, none of this was even a thought in my mind.  Maybe, all the hard work will pay off in the near future.  That would be good because I owe a gob of money for student loan payments each month and desperately need additional income, or a much better paying job.