Is this what we've been waiting for??

Jonesy got a job offer at Texas Tech University in Lubbock Texas! We're still thinking about it but we have mostly decided to take the job. I never imagined myself as a Texan even though my mom is Texan and my ancestors from her line were in Texas before it was even Texas but now I am looking forward to becoming an official Texan. YeeHaw! Jones is excited too because it's a great job and he really likes all the people he'll be working with. Ruth is excited because I assured her that they have movie theatres there that will be playing Wall-E the movie when it comes out on June 27th.

You're fired.

So, for those of you who don't know, I have been jobless for about a month now. I, Mr. Jones, got fired. Kinda. Not really. I still get a paycheck, still have benefits, and still collect retirement. I just don't have to go to work. In fact, I'm not allowed to go to work. My contract, which is up June, will not be renewed. So I need to find a new job before then.

Why did I get fired? Well, thats a long story. Suffice to say, I'm not a very good teacher in the classroom, and I have a habit of not treating the students like precious snowflakes. Oh, and I swear. A lot. That, and I came down on the wrong side of a political struggle at the workplace. Now, my boss didn't want to fire me, my co-workers (with two notable exceptions) didn't want me to leave, and there were a handful of students who actually liked me and my, ehm, unique teaching style. (They were, of course, all techs) But those that didn't like me, (either because of my lack of teaching ability, my caustic personality, or the fact that they perceived me as a political opponent) leveled enough complaints about me (real and otherwise, cause believe me, I know I did some stupid things) to the dean of the college and the president of the university, and the decision was made to cut me loose. And since I was a professional staff employee, the decision didn't have to go through and of the normal channels (committees and the likes) and the President was able to make the decision all by himself.

But why didn't they just outright fire me? Because if they had of, I could have filed a grievance or worse, sued them for unlawful termination. Why unlawful? Because the final complaint against me appears to be pretty weak. But by just reassigning my duties and choosing not to renew my contract, I am unable to file a grievance, (per my contract) and have no basis to sue them. Also, they don't have to tell me why I am being let go.

So the last month has been very hard for me. I have been depressed, angry, bewildered, and angry some more. But I have come to some realizations.

1) My family and I are extremely blessed. They might have fired me, leaving me without a paycheck, without insurance, and without a way to take care of my family. Instead, I have an opportunity to focus my time fully on finding a new job. And I am spending time with Havilah and the kids, which when it comes right down to it, are the most important things I have. Plus, I can look for some part time work and save up for when we move and any space between the end of my contract and the start of a new position. So all in all, it looks like Someone is still taking care of us.

2) I am not blameless in this. I did, in fact, make many mistakes. Some of them were due to ignorance on my part, and others because of pride. I have been so proud of being perceived as being a caustic, abrasive and sarcastic personality that I have been either unwilling or unable to change my behavior, (such as swearing and kidding around) with my students. And that behavior is just not accepted in a learning environment. And honestly, I'm not a good teacher. Give me a crew in a hands on environment, and I rock. But in a classroom, I am very weak. And it scares the crap out of me. So I cover that fear by joking with the students and swearing. Thus causing more problems. So maybe I need to get a non teaching position and just grow up. A bit. Around underlings, at least.

3) Spending my time being pissed of about this whole situation is not going to accomplish anything. So I need to focus my energy on finding a new job and spending my time constructively.

Umm, so yeah, thats what I have been doing. Anyone know of any job openings?