Tag: masters

The NEWS and moving forward..

The bell rang and recess was over. I was walking up to my class and settling my students down so I could begin my lesson, when my class phone rang. It was the secretary telling me to go down to my superintendent’s office, and that he needed to see me at that very moment. I waited for the substitute to come to my class and hurriedly left. My legs couldn’t move fast enough! This is it … this is the moment that I’m going to find out whether or not I got the job; the dream. If not, what’s plan B? Do I apply anywhere else or wait? So many scenarios went through my head as I walked into his office. He walked in, sat on the couch in front of me, and was about to tell me the news. As he was saying, “Thank you for applying for the ES position…”, my stomach tumbled into a million knots and I expected him to say, ‘we are sorry but…’ Instead he said, “I am happy to offer you the ES AP position for 2017/2018”. I froze … I wanted to scream… jump… shout. I remember looking at him in a daze, as in, did I hear correctly? I’m sure he read my face, so he repeated it again, and the second time around, I was sure he said what he said.

I asked if I could scream! I couldn’t believe my ears! He showed me my new contract to sign and asked, “Do you still want the position?” Do I want it? Are you serious? Of course I do! I read the contract, asked a question and then signed. He congratulated me, we shook hands, and I literally ran back to my principal to share the news. I then ran to my AP who was leaving the next year, and then ran to my class to continue teaching. How I taught that class, I have no idea. I was on cloud nine.

I quickly called my husband and family, excitedly screaming the amazing news into the phone. I ran to one of team members and just put my thumbs up on her glass door because she was teaching. She ran to the door, hugged me and ran back in. I simply couldn’t believe it! My dream was coming true, and there truly is no better feeling in the world.

When I found out having my PTC on my CV made a huge difference, I was so grateful. I couldn’t wait to enroll for PTC 2017. Slowly news traveled, an email went out and everyone started coming to congratulate me in person, by email or phone. It probably took a few weeks for it to fully sink in that I got the position, and that I wouldn’t be in a classroom anymore. Ten long, beautiful, exasperating, and soul shaking years in a classroom; years spent working myself to the bone, planning my vision, pushing myself forward, and finding ways through one challenge after the next. However, I still had months ahead of me of a workload that would be the heaviest I had handled yet.  

Two days after signing my new contract, I received an email from PTC saying the schedule is out for Summer 2017. I had written down which two courses I needed in order for me to graduate. Right then and there I logged on, enrolled, secured my place and paid. I was now all set to go and couldn’t wait to travel.

January hit and everything was becoming so real. I was doing three jobs at once: teaching, team leading, and shadowing my current AP whenever he was free. All my free periods would go to being with him. He showed me the ropes and was so patient with me. I was going to all the ES leadership meetings every Sunday and Wednesday. I would stay after school to catch up with my grading and planning. Time was flying and next thing I know it was June. As I was packing my classroom up for the next teacher to take over, I felt so strange. So many mixed emotions zapped through me while I was packing up. I barely took anything with me, and left and reorganized everything for her. All I took to my office was a box with my personal things.

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The Working World

2007 was the first year I joined the workforce as a responsible adult, an experience ripe with anxiety of course. I was an on-call substitute in one school, and applied for full-time work at two other schools. Meanwhile I continued subbing at KG Land for three months every day, waiting for the opportunity to teach full-time. I had two interviews and chose the offer that best suited me, which was at a very good school.One of the top 3 schools in Kuwait. I could not wait to start working there.

Come September 2007, I was a homeroom teacher. I had my very own class and a curriculum I had to teach from. I remember how afraid I was and how overwhelming everything seemed, but I loved every minute of it. Getting to know my class, their parents and working in a team of six was a wonderful experience.  By the fifth month, I had formed my long-term goal which I intended to achieve after completing ten years teaching in a classroom. That goal was to become a principal one day in a private school.  I didn’t see myself being in a classroom for the rest of my life. I just got that feeling right then and there. There aren’t a lot of Kuwaiti’s working at private schools, let alone any principals or assistant principals. I wanted to break that trend, and be the first Kuwaiti female to take on the challenge.

I had to have a plan in order to reach my goal by the tenth year of teaching, so I visualized it and drew it out. I knew that to be an assistant principal or principal one needed their masters and a principal certificate. After researching and locating the programs I needed to enroll in, I decided to begin my masters while teaching. The school I was working in at the time offered a Master’s program, so I enrolled and graduated with an MS in Interdisciplinary Studies and Educational Leadership Certification, Buffalo State SUNY in June of 2011. I was so sure of what I wanted, that all the obstacles and struggles it took to get there felt like mere necessity. I was also building a family at the same time, and felt equally dedicated to it.

I gave birth to my daughter, and only two weeks later attended class in order to graduate with the same class I began my Masters program with. Yes, it wasn’t easy at all. Having sleepless nights, new mother and trying to recover after giving birth did NOT stop me and still went to class.  It was a 2-year program and I attended classes after working hours. In 2011, I received my masters and graduated. Now all that was left was my principal certificate.

I asked around and heard about The Principal Training Center (PTC) and The Ontario Principals Council (OPC). I compared the two and chose the most feasible option. However, I put my principal training on hold for a while to focus on my children, whom I gave birth to in 2010 and 2012. Still, nothing was going to stop me from continuing along my path.

So meanwhile, I decided to save money in order to complete my principal training in two summers. I chose to do the training through the PTC in Miami. From 2012 to 2016 I saved up exactly the amount I needed. During that time I was also team leader for third grade for two years, accumulating leadership experience to help pave the way for my principal training.

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