I think I've been spoiled.

I got the call this morning at 5:30am. The school needed a substitute for the 8th grade Spanish class. I took the job. So why was it spoiling?

This was the school that I did my middle school student teaching. Most of the students already knew who I was and I already had a good relationship with them. I was expecting the worst though but I couldn't have expected it to go as well as it did. The students listened to me, did what I asked and we got through the the material the teacher had provided quite easily. I knew the teacher well, too so I had an idea of what she expected.

I have read accounts of substitute teachers' first days and many of them were nightmares. I decided I did not want a nightmare so I prepared myself ahead of time. The major cause of substitute nightmares are when the substitute goes in without maintaining control. Classroom management is always a struggle but can be more difficult for the sub because they're not the teacher. I wanted to make sure I had control right from the start. I had two methods to accomplish this: I wrote the teacher's agenda on the board, and I used a short list of rules that remained consistent throughout the class. It worked really well.

But is this a real substitute experience? I'm not sure. The students already knew me and I already knew the school. It was actually quite pleasant and not the dreadful experience some other subs have shared. I will continue to learn and add to my 'bag of tricks' as I substitute. I'm signed up for two more districts and I should have a fourth by the end of February. Hopefully this will give me full-time work for the rest of the school year and I'll be able to save for the big move.

So I have some goals in mind for 2010.

I am now officially certified and I already have some interviews scheduled for substitute teaching. Once I'm fully employed I will begin the process of getting certified in a few other states down south and then seek interviews with districts down there.

I will finish my book list from last year, finishing up Boundaries by Henry Cloud, More than Enough by Dave Ramsey, and Stop Acting Rich by Thomas J. Stanley. I have a few more books to add to this year's list and they include The Go-Getter by Peter B. Kyne, Integrity by Dr. Henry Cloud, and Scratch Beginnings by Adam W. Shepard.

Another goal is to save up roughly $4000 by June in order to move down south. I have not set a specific location yet, as I'm still doing research, but I hope to have a good idea by the end of March.

I have realized that my weight loss is at a stalemate until I can have the skin surgery. Most of what I have left is excess skin, so I cannot get a good gauge as to how much more I can lose until that's removed. My goal then is to maintain my current weight and physique through my current diet and exercise regiment.

Finally, I plan on making one of the biggest leaps of my life. Surgery was pretty big, but this time I am moving to another state, possibly with no friends or family. It is scary, but I have faith in God and He will guide my path. I feel drawn down there, and I believe it is where I will make my fortune. Wish me luck!

I'm starting this post with a review of my previous resolutions.

By the end of 2010, I will be down to at least 250lbs.

I didn't quite get down to 250lbs. I was at 270lbs for a long time, and right now I'm at a stable 280lbs. It really did get tougher as I lost more and more. I'm convinced that what I have left is mostly skin and that will take plastic surgery to remove.

By the end of 2010, I will either be working full time or hired full time as a science teacher with my newly obtained teaching certification.

I wasn't too sure at the time of this post as to how the process of going from certified to working worked but I understand it now. My certification is going through the bureaucracy right now and I should have the official certification within a month. As of now, I have been accepted at one district and I will have an interview for another on January 20th. So far I have applied at 5 districts total.

By the end of 2010, I will have read seven books [...]
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen Covey
48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller
The Millionaire Next Door and Stop Acting Rich by Thomas J. Stanley
Boundaries by Henry Cloud
More than Enough by Dave Ramsey
The Bible.

I made a great deal of progress on this list. If you check my list on the right hand side, I managed to get through the first 4 books. I have not finished Boundaries or More Than Enough but they are on the list. I will add more books in a future post.

By the end of 2010, I will have made more real-life connections than connections over the internet in order to ground myself with my community

I believe I have done this. I have had many coworkers a friends, and I've joined several real life groups as well. Online video games no longer dominate my social life and I feel I have a stronger connection with my community.

For the summer of 2010, I will have successfully maintained my primary job and a second part time job

The interesting thing about this resolution was that I wasn't expecting my company to offer so much overtime during the summer. It was a boon for me and I used it completely. The extra overtime served well as a second job.

By the end of 2010, my debt snowball will be smaller.

My debt snowball is considerably smaller, and I continue to pay down my debt.

Overall, I would say I was successful. While I did not meet all the resolutions, I do not consider them failures. I maintained the spirit of the resolutions and I will continue to build on those successes for 2011. Next up: Goals for 2011.