developing professionally

My school district may be lacking in a few key areas, but one that it excels in is providing opportunities for its employees to attend professional development workshops.

At least weekly I get a mailing from a company called the Bureau of Educational Research (BER) with some workshop that's taking place at some airport hotel in the area. So far, I've been to a total of three of these workshops: "Co-Teaching in the Inclusion Classroom", "Motivating the Unmotivated," and the last latest and greatest was "The Best of the Best in Young Adult Literature."

Nerd Alert: I peed my pants all day at this last workshop. I died and went to nerd heaven talking and hearing about all the fabulous Young Adult Literature out there in the world.

When I interviewed for my job, the department chair asked me what my passion in English was -- was it British Lit? American Lit? Poetry? Short stories? Nope, none of those. It's Young Adult Lit. I can't get enough of that shiz.

Sitting in that workshop made me want to get my Masters in Library Science like ten bazillion times more. Our current librarian sucks. Like big time. With the help of her two evil henchwomen, they have succeeded in making the EHS library the antithesis of Disneyworld. The library makes babies cry, flowers die and the sky to turn cloudy.

It's a boring cold room with really craptastic books. Patti, the chief librarian is about as old as some of the browned books and doesn't keep on top of what's new in lit for high school kids. Hello Lady, that's your job. It just makes me want to be our schools librarian that much more. To help kids who don't like to read in the first place develop a love of reading. Hmm, novel idea (puns all 'round!)

Now, a little about these seminars. First, they're about $200 a pop, paid for by my district, thank you very much. They're usually at some hotel ballroom with all you can drink tea, coffee and hot chocolate, and sometimes muffins to boot.

There's always a BER workerbee in addition to the presenter. I would give my left arm and right leg to have the BER workerbee job. In effect, this girl gets paid to get on a plane on Monday, fly to a different place each day and introduce the presenter. Outside of signing people in, telling them how to get grad credit for the seminar, and telling people when they can take a bathroom break, and when the lunch break is, this girl sits and plays on her iPhone or reads a book.

Sign.

Me.

Up.

In fact, when I thought I was going to be unemployed this school year, I even looked into getting a job with BER, that's exactly how sweet the deal seems.

So back to the sweetness of attending.

Any day out of the classroom, when I can wear whatever my hearts desire is that day is a good day. And that's what these days entail. I get to learn about sweet stuff because I picked which seminar to go to. I get a freaking awesome book of resources to take home, and sometimes you get free gifts. Score!

My school also pays, in addition to the registration fee, for your lunch (up to $30!), parking if there is any, and mileage, up to a certain limit.

This mileage piece I forgot about until I was filling out my reimbursement form this morning. Because this last seminar was in Akron, 48 miles from my homestead, in addition to getting my lunch and parking reimbursed, I'm getting paid for my mileage! Whaaaa?! Amazing!

So this lucky girl got to attend an amazing geeked out seminar, AND is getting a check for $75 from her district.

Just add that to the perks list.