Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Happy Reading Week

It's reading week, and all of my students are working hard on their term papers that are due next Monday. I can't wait to read them. I have just finished marking the mid-terms, but I will save comment for a later blog . . . . . . nothing to worry about though!

As for me, I am now officially 38 years old. It was my birthday last Sunday. I can't believe that I am already 38. Since I started teaching full time, I have had 8 birthdays. Amazing. Even more amazing is that I have had the same job for such a long time. Before I became a teacher, I used to change my jobs quite regulary. In order, going backwards from teaching, here are a few of the jobs that I have had before the year 2000:

Flea market vendor (on and off from 1992 - 2000)
On-line antiques dealer
Pub manager
Bartender
Waiter
Magazine editor / graphic designer
Barnwood furniture carpenter and marketer
Purchaser for a large oil and gas company
Owner of a souvenir / food shop in Eau Claire Market & Chinook Mall
Assistant for a British important shop and company
Real Estate agent for Royal LePage
Customer Service / Marketing Agent for a tablecloth and linens company
Salesman for Futureshop
Computer assembly technition for an electronics company
Snack shop manager
Activities monitor for the ESL program at the University of Calgary
Bookshop clerk for WHSmith / Classic bookshop
French tutor
Cook for Dairy Queen
Waiter in a Chinese restaurant

I wonder if I missed anything out there . . . gosh that's a lot of jobs. Basically, that lists what I did roughly from 1988 - 2000. As you can see, not many of those jobs lasted more than a year. Now, what is my point for all of this . . . I guess my point is that it took me a while to "find myself", but once I had found myself I stuck with it. Now look at me . . . I love my job, and I'm pretty happy. Or at least I will be happy until I read all of the term papers . . . . just kidding!!

6 comments:

Natallia said...

Scott! I was shocked with the variety of jobs you have tried! You are a very experienced and happy man because you have a job that you really enjoy. Not every person is successful in finding his way in this life. I think your enthusiasm, humour and dealing with young people help you to look younger than your age. You are an outstanding teacher! When I am listening you I forget that you are speaking a foreign language!

We will,we will rock U!! said...

You're my idol...
I envy your such rich experience!!

Oksana said...

Hi Scott!
Wow! You changed a lot of different jobs that means you have a huge experience almost in everything. It's exetremely important and valuable for us as your students, because you are not teaching us grammar and writing, but life in general... :)

Hadline said...

Hello scott
you belong to the lucky people who have a passion in their life. I think that teaching is your passion. The most difficult is to find what to devote his life to. I think that once you find it, it is pure happiness.

Jason said...

Holy cow, you did a lot different jobs before, and you worked as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant before, and that surprised me. A few of them are relative to teaching English, how come you chose teaching esl? I heard there is a master of teaching program in education building, and some are doing esl teaching. are or were you a part of it? because it seems quite many people know you.

We will,we will rock U!! said...

Wait!! you said that you were a waiter in Chinese restaurant before??
So, you must be able to speak very good Chinese, right? haha