Documentary: American Teacher

There was a free screening in Los Angeles at Mount St. Mary's College on November 16th at 7 pm, so I went to check it out (I am finally taking the time to write about it). The documentary is about how the label as teacher has been so under-appreciated in America that it has been embedded in our culture. The documentary follows four teachers from all around America and introduces all the problems they go through in trying their best to teach their students. It shows all the sacrifice, the genuine passion, and the struggle of it all. Teachers inspire, they are hardworkers (and work more than some people assume), they are dedicated, but at the same time they are career is misunderstood and underpaid. The quality of a country takes it all the way down to their teachers. In America, the situation does not look so good.

For more information and screenings, please visit: http://www.theteachersalaryproject.org/index.php

CSET I and II - May 5th, 2012. Here we go!!!

I never really took the CSETs in Social Science when I applied for the credential program at UCI. Instead, the requirement was waived because I completed a subject matter preparation program (SMPP) in Social Science while an undergraduate.

I've always thought it was a downside because I wasn't sure whether schools preferred SMPPs or CSET scores. Being that I'm having such a difficult time finding a teaching position, I'm starting to believe that they probably prefer CSET scores.

As a result, I'll be taking the CSETs! That way, I can show them that I've passed the CSET exams as well as completed the SMPP in Social Science.

I'm probably a little rusty with history, so I purchased CSET study guides at the Orange County Department of Education and let me tell you... they are so NOT worth it!!! Two booklets for $86.20!!! When I finally got them, I flipped through them and the quality is not worth it. We'll see how this goes.

The dates for my CSET exams will be:
May 5th, 2012: CSET Subtest I - World History; World Geography
May 5th, 2012: CSET Subtest II - US History; US Geography
July 14th, 2012: CSET Subtest III - Civics; Economics; California History

Yay for all the substitute assignments!!!

I substitute all this week, except for Friday which is Veterans Day. :) :) :)
Please keep the substitute assignments coming!

Anyways, while substituting at UNI High School today, I saw this:

A Good Laugh is Needed: Cartoons, Pictures, etc.

XD
To be continued...

Update on WIN Program.

Dear Life,
Can you PLEASE give me a break here?? Seriously? Why are you making it so hard for me?!?!!? *sigh*

"Diana,
I will have to double check on your WIN application. It may be on hold since you have not completed our training yet. I don’t think that your workshop proposal would be feasible at this time. There have been a lot of changes in the jails recently, which resulted in the entire WIN program being put on hold for most of last year. We are getting back on track now, but this is not the time to rock the boat.
Thanks!"

Other than that, I recently got a voice message about the Global Tel*Link, a Jail Management/Inmate Telephone service, telling me I have an inmate at a correctional facility trying to contact me via collect call but cannot get through because I'm required to open a direct billing account? I didn't want to take any action yet until I confirm first with ReadOC if this is something that involves the WIN Program or not.

www.gtl.net

My personal project: WIN Program

So I signed up to become a volunteer literacy tutor for an organization called ReadOC and they are directly related to the Orange County Public Library.

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Read%20OC/About%20READ%20OC

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Read%20OC/Volunteer%20Information

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Read%20OC/

They have a variety of different programs available for volunteers, but the one program I chose was the WIN Program.

The Working for Inmate Literacy Now (WIN) Program is a "One-to-one tutoring to help inmates in the Orange County jail system gain a second chance by demonstrating their ability to learn and letting them know that there are programs and people available to help them improve their reading and writing skills."

But my overall goal is not one-on-one tutoring; my goal is to go above and beyond all that and create a workshop that would benefit a wide range of inmates. A writing workshop that will gradually help them with academic writing (concentrating on overall literacy--writing, reading, and speaking).

Therefore, I sent the following email to the appropriate person:

"Hi Rebecca!
... Regarding becoming a literacy tutor, I believe I signed up mainly for the WIN program (and have already submitted the clearance form awhile back for a background check).

I was actually going to ask you as well as the others in charge of the ReadOC program if we could work on a long-term project together that would benefit the WIN Program?

I've been in the process of developing a few writing workshop curriculum (three different ones to be exact) and would like to introduce all the curricula to you all at a set date in January? I'm hoping to be able to provide workshops for the inmates in the Orange County jail system (that way, instead of just tutoring one inmate at a time, I would be able to concentrate on a group instead?).

Of course, when going over the curricula, I would have project proposal ready and can even model an actual lesson plan with everyone. The workshops would include about five-ten lesson plans each. As for measuring whether the workshops would be successes or not, I would do a pre-writing test and a post-writing test to look for any improvement.

I know it's a lot of work, but I do have a teaching credential in Social Science and a supplemental in Language Arts. I have been very passionate in teaching academic writing. Of course, all this would be done as a volunteer.

I believe this project has a lot of potential, but in its beginning stages, it's more of a work-in-progress.

Please tell me what you think. If it's not practical, I will totally understand. If ReadOC would enjoy trying out this new project proposal, which day in January would be best for me to present it?

Sincerely,
Diana Nguyen"

I'm extremely confident in getting this program/project to work. I've always been complaining about how great my resume is and how it befuddles me how I am not able to find a full-time teaching position. I then came to the conclusion that instead of moping around and whining about it, I should do something more that would allow me to stand out from the other applicants.

This is my chance...
And who knows, if it turns out successful, maybe it'll turn out to be my calling instead.

Update on how I'm paying the bills.

I've been getting by through substitute teaching in the Irvine Unified School District and private tutoring. Both have been doing fine. Last year, I was only subbing at two different schools in Irvine. This year, I've bumped it up to four different schools. As for private tutoring, last year I was only tutoring a total of three students. This year, I'm tutoring a total of six students. All due to referrals. :)

It's more money to pay the bills, but it really takes up my afternoons and evenings (sometimes weekends).

I'm really hoping to get my own classroom for the next academic school year.

Once again, wish me luck!