July 19th, 2011
This has been the most anti-climatic end of my education. I can't decide whether I am happy or sad. I'm excited that I can sleep in, stay out late, and be a kid again. Most of all, I don't have sit through 9-hour long classes and pull all-nighters to work on endless and seemingly redundant projects anymore. The end is just around the corner and I should be ecstatic. I do start to feel excited but then I realize that next week is the start of the inevitable: unemployment. Being a student has comforted me to an extent, but I won't have that cushion anymore. I will just have waste away with my fake job (serving at a restaurant) I dread so much.
I call it a fake job because it isn't what I want to do. Especially, living the prospective dream as a student teacher, I was able to experience what life could be--colorful bulletins and instructional posters, the long term planners I enjoy writing (ehh..), and of course, the 30 smiling faces and snotty attitudes I would be blessed to see and experience every day. I should be happy I have a job at all, I guess. But serving in a restaurant for almost 3 years gets very tiring and you start to be less optimistic about the human population. By the way, I think that the class Restaurant Manners 101 should be a requirement to graduate high school and each person entering a restaurant should show their transcript before entering a restaurant. Well, I know. That's a bit spiteful. But I've had some of the worst people experiences in this job. I've been yelled at, gotten thrown up on, and dealt with criers and tantrum throwers, all while having to stand there and take it without a word. I guess it might not be too far off from teaching. You deal with a wide range of people, make a connection with them, try to sell a product (or a concept), adapt to their needs, and constantly monitor and check on their progress (with the food that is). Sounds about right.
From my experience and according to WaiterRant.com, teachers are one of the top groups of restaurant goers considered to be bad tippers (them and church groups). I don't know why actually but unfortunately this theory seems to come true whenever teachers do end up coming in. Whenever I meet a fellow teacher, I get really excited and I tell them about my experience and ask them about theirs. I feel like we had a great connection and every single time, very little is left on my behalf. Maybe it's because low pay, high-stress, lack of Restaurant 101 in their education, or just my tired, inefficient serving abilities.
One thing that I am proud of this year is my ability to juggle or multitask. From day one of my Master's and credential program, I worked 15-20 hours a week at my restaurant, was a full time student (with 24 units almost each quarter!), student taught for about 40 hours a week, played volleyball, took care of a puppy, had an invasive surgery (and a cancer scare), fought against a potential lawsuit, paid my bills, dealt with a death in the family, and even managed a boyfriend in the mix. I feel like superwoman. Actually, not yet. I don't feel too super right now. But I know that after this program I will be able to handle whatever is thrown at me, whether it is boredom and a dreadful serving job or a classroom full of rug rats referring to me as Ms. G.
