12 Years Later

Here we are. Over a decade later and it is the first time that I have posted anything to my blog. Some would say that I never took my blog seriously. I think that life got in the way and I never made time to make it a priority. My BlogSpot is a great way to keep a journal and I think that I need to get back to viewing it that way.

This past decade has been eventful. If that isn't the understatement of the century, I don't know what is. I've served a mission, transferred schools twice, went to New York with the choir at UTPB, joined a barbershop quartet, cut off an engagement, went on a cruise with my parents, found the love of my life and got married, graduated from college, and the list could go on and on. I think the most practical thing for me to do right now is to slowly fill you in on stories that I remember as they become relevant in my current life. 

Currently, my wife Megan and I live in Ogden, Utah. I graduated from BYU-Idaho in the fall of 2022, and I have been subbing in the Weber School district for the past year. Last spring, I tried to be a sub full-time for various subjects. However, most of the classes that I subbed for were math and music. I wasn't a huge fan of having a different class almost every day, and teaching a different subject consistently. If it was a subject that I am unfamiliar with, the days were spent simply babysitting and not teaching. I decided that my time is best spent as a substitute only if I get the chance to teach and feel like I am making a difference in the classroom, while helping the teacher that is gone by keeping the class moving along. With that being said, there aren't very many math and music substitute opportunities on a daily basis. At the beginning of school year, I made the decision to only sub for classes that I was asked to sub for. I have done a great job at making myself known in the district as being a reliable substitute, specifically in math and music. On the days that I don't sub, I go and work for my brother-in-law Grayson doing concrete. 

One of the big reasons that I decided to not continue to substitute full-time is that it doesn't pay very well, and the pay periods are really wacky. For a substitute, you get paid for working from the 15th-15th of each month, and don't get paid until the beginning of the next month. For example, if I work from March 15th - April 15th, I won't get paid until May 1st. It's pretty frustrating to deal with, but there's not much I can do about it. Whereas with Grayson's business, I get paid biweekly, and I get paid more. I believe that since I have a degree, I get paid $120 a day to sub, while I get paid $19/hour at Grayson's. That's a difference of about $4/hour, in favor of Grayson. 

Through this past year, I have been incredibly desirous to get a full-time teaching job. I have put in for 18 jobs, received 5 interviews, and 0 job offers as it currently stands. 8 of those jobs have been strictly in the Weber School District. I have gotten to a point where I just need a teaching job. Where are those other 10 applications for? Texas. 4 in Ector County, 4 in Midland County, and 2 in Andrews. That's right folks, things are looking like Megan and I might be moving to Texas. Megan has put in applications as well and received a call back from both Ector and Midland County. She currently has been offered a conditional contract in Midland County, pending her references and background check are good, which they will be. We have both gotten calls from Ector County, and that was a little over a month ago. With this week being Spring break in Texas, both of those county offices are closed, meaning we won't be able to get a hold of anybody this week. Our Spring Break is in 3 weeks, and we plan on going down to my parents in Artesia, NM and also going to Odessa/Midland to look at houses. While nothing is set in stone, it will be nice to see these houses in person rather than through Zillow, and also get a feel for the location of where we would want to live. As far as who knows about us potentially moving, only my parents on my side of the family know, and Megan's family knows, along with the people I have asked to be a reference for me. That will change this week when I call my Grandy to ask if we can stay at their house for part of spring break to go and look at houses and spend time with them. While I haven't been offered anything yet, it feels right and that something will be offered in Texas due to the sheer amount of jobs that are being offered right now. 

As it stands, if I am offered a job here in Utah, I'll take it. But, if I'm offered a job here in Utah and Texas, I'll accept the Texas job. I am only waiting on one application here in Utah, and that's at Orion Jr. High. I have had my application in there for about 2 months now. I found out last week that the reason they haven't done interviews yet is because they only have 2 applicants; me being one of them and the other is a current student teacher. I suppose I can understand wanting to have a larger selection of people, but I also feel that if they were to interview the current applicants, I would get the job. I had a really good job interview at Weber High for the band director position, and I feel like I would do a great job at Orion Jr. High. I connect with the kids great, every faculty that I've interacted with I get along with and seem to enjoy, and I know my content area really well. One thing that I'll have to keep in mind if I do get interviewed is that I need to bring more energy to the interview. That's what I was told in my last interview for the South Ogden Jr. High band position. 

Anyway, I'm willing to accept anything that happens right now. If we end up staying in Utah, I'll be happy because I do feel like I could belong here. I'm also very excited about the prospect of going back home to Texas. 

Riley (Blu)