Put on Pause

Life as Ms. Elder has been Put on Pause for a few months. It has shifted to become life as Katie, of Gerardy Photography. I am currently not known as Ms. Elder nor am I in a classroom setting. I received a job offer as a Photographer Assistant through Gerardy Photography doing School Portraits for all of San Diego County. This job consists of driving to and from different schools throughout San Diego County, setting up for School Picture day, posing children for school pictures, and grooming children (combing hair, fixing collars, wiping faces, etc) so that they look their absolute best in their school photo. I am also responsible for listening to the Photographer I am working with and her cues to adjust the child as needed to the appropriate posture.

When I was in Ghana, my good friend emailed me about job positions through her work that she "thought I would be perfect for" and encouraged me to create a resume and apply as soon as I arrived home. I remember it was very soon after I had been back in the States that I began creating a Resume, something I had never done before (I know, crazy, right?) and didn't have any desire to do before I left for Africa. God helped motivate me to make a resume, and He even reminded me where my sample educational resumes were so that I had a guide to follow. Two friends let me email them my resume and they kindly edited it for me so that it was the best that it could be before I applied for the job position. After applying, I received a phone call from a woman who works for the company. I would consider this a phone interview because we talked for quite some time and she informed me about the company and more of what is expected of me with the position. She told me at the end of our conversation that I should wait for another phone call from her about an interview. She needed to talk to her boss about working around my schedule ( I babysitt twice a month for the little girl my sister babysits, while my sister goes to school). Little did I know I'd be waiting about one week. *Keep in mind, the entire time throughout this whole process, I had an immense peace about it all. I knew God was in control, and if it was His will for me to have this job, He would make it happen. I just had this confidence in Him to work it all out, which brought about His peace. It was amazing.

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

After much waiting time, I heard from the lady who called me and we set up an in- person Interview for the following day. I said a prayer, asking God to give me words to respond to the questions that are asked because I know I am not very great at coming up with answers on the spot. God reminded me to simply be myself and that He would help me. And, He was faithful. I left the interview feeling great about how it went. I remember seeing another girl getting ready to be interviewed after me and it made me a little nervous because I didn't realize other people were still applying. It really helped that I had two people within the company who knew me (My friend, Erin, who recommended this job for me, and my friend Harmony's dad). God kindly reminded me again that it is all in His hands and I need not worry. My interview was on a Wednesday and she told me she would contact me by late Thursday or early Friday about whether or not they would offer me the job. I heard from her Thursday morning and she offered me the job! I gladly received it and was thankful for the peace that God had provided me with throughout this whole process. I think the key to having that peace was my trust in Him from the beginning and throughout it all. If only I could be that way with everything. Thankfully it has been a great lesson to learn for me! It was such a blessing, too, because I had a few more weeks before I began my training and was able to enjoy bit of summer and freedom.

Just because I got this job with Gerardy does not mean that I won't return as Ms. Elder in the near future. I certainly miss being in the classroom and adore seeing 200 children a day, especially the Kindergarteners! I believe though, that God has shown me through this job, that He will bless me and open doors when His timing is best for me to receive a teaching job. He knows what we need and He knows exactly the best time to give it to us...just when we are ready. I thought I was ready to teach full-time, but now that I am only working 6-7 hour days where I wake up at 530am daily, I know that there is no way I would have been able to handle this same schedule but working 10-12 hour days as a new teacher. I am so thankful for God's hand in my life and provision with this job. He literally handed it to me and it has been such a blessing. I honestly would never have thought to apply for such a position, but God knows me best, and knew I would be a great candidate to bringing about a smile in a child and giving 200 + compliments a day. This job is temporary because it is seasonal. As far as I know, I will only be working for Gerardy Photography until the end of October. That being said, my plan is to substitute teach in the Encinitas, Solana Beach, Rancho Santa Fe, and Del Mar School Districts, along with Poway hopefully, when I finish. I intend to apply to substitute teach in San Diego Unified, too, if they are accepting applicants so that I can sub for my friend's mom who is a Kindergarten teacher. I'd also like to get into San Marcos District, if possible. In order to find a teaching job, or long-term sub position, I need to "get my name out there" and do the best I can to make my face and name known in the classroom and schools. I say this because it is what I have heard from professors, principals, and teachers. Traveling to different schools in different districts with my current job has been neat for me to be exposed to new areas and schools as well as provided me to introduce myself to the principals at a select school as I feel led.