New Job!

Well, I have news to share!

Firstly, The Great Big Theatre Company.
I finally got my cheque in the mail. It was even for the correct amount! We won't be needing to take it to court then. HUGE relief! I did have lunch with a few of the cast members yesterday though. It was so good to see them and chat. I was already in Hamilton for a job interview, so it worked out nicely... which leads me to the next job

Summit Learning Centres:
http://www.summitlearning.ca/

I had mentioned this job a little bit in my last entry but the position now has changed. I was working as an occasional teacher, taking shifts when teachers were ill or couldn't make it into work.
My high school friend Lynley (who told me about the company in the first place) was recently promoted from her position as a teacher at the Cambridge location, to managing/teaching at the location in Milton. This meant that her position in Cambridge was available.
Yesterday I drove to the main location in Hamilton and had an interview for the teaching position. I felt the interview went well but had no idea just HOW well.
By the time I had lunch with my theatre friends and drove home to Kitchener, there was a message from Human Resources, asking me to call them back.
I was offered the position!

Let me tell you a little bit about the company and why I'm so excited about it.

When I originally looked into the centre, I assumed it was simply an adult learning centre where I'd be teaching. I didn't realize just how many hats I would be wearing.

The Summit Learning Centre is a private education facility that focuses on Labour Market Re-entry for adults who have been injured in the workplace and need to be trained for new jobs. Many of the students worked in factories or construction jobs but are no longer able to meet the physical demands of these jobs due to injuries. Each student has a case manager that works for Insurance Companies, who in turn work for WSIB (Workplace Safety and Insurance Board: they have that graphic commercial out right now with the chef that drops a pot of boiling water of herself...) Case Managers then assign the students to a secondary service provider (this is what we are) and students are trained for a new job.

Some students need their GED (high school equivalency), some need academic upgrading. We then also have skills programs such as customer service, health office administration, security guard, purchasing and inventory, parts clerk, etc. etc. There are MANY programs.

As a teacher, I'll be teaching the academic upgrades, as well as the skills programs. This means, I will have to upgrade my own math levels and then study and write the skills programs that I would be teaching.

The cool part is the "hats" I'll be wearing. I'm learning so much more about the business side of the company. I will also have the chance to take on a "social work" type of job, meeting with the case managers, cold calling businesses, helping students find job placements, and doing placement visits. I also will have the regular teaching duties of teaching students (no more than 4:1), and writing monthly progress reports.

The other great things about this company are their methods and overall atmosphere. They focus a lot on growth and the search for ongoing improvement. Part of their method uses the world "Kaizen" - a Japanese word that translates to 'continuous improvement'. Their main focus is employment. Self-motivated learning is a close second. I just love the atmosphere of the job. There is so much positive energy around this place. Encouragement between students and staff is continuous. It's just a great feeling and makes me SO excited to start.

I think it'll be a great opportunity/challenge for me. I look forward to what it brings.

I shadow Lynley tomorrow and then am on my own starting Monday. It's myself and another gentleman in Cambridge. I'll be one-on-one tutoring in the morning and then team-teaching in the afternoon with the other teacher.

I really think that this will be a great position for me with huge growth opportunities. Wish me luck!

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