Job Readiness for Refugees

Iris in our front yard with the snow and hail we got a few days ago.

Woops! I haven't blogged in two weeks! We have been doing things that I mean to write about, but then I keep putting it off.

Right now--as in this weekend--I'm trying to decide whether or not to take what is a full-time ESL teaching position. It's a bit different than what I've done before and it will be more demanding due to the fact that it's full-time, and I will be lesson planning a lot more. It is a Job Readiness course for refugees. These would be students who have been allowed into the U.S. on a refugee status because of the conditions in their home country. My job would be to get their English and basic job skills up to snuff to get off of the government money they currently receive and get a job. This would be 16 hours of teaching, 4 days a week. Yes, in the community college world, that is full-time because of the amount of outside prep time that there is.

I really don't want to work full-time, plus try to take care of a home, husband, and trying to have a social life. On top of that, I've been struggling with insomnia quite a lot and worry about being over stressed and exhausted all the time. I don't want repeat the previous two quarters where I was so busy with work and my masters that I also had sleeping problems, lots of stress, and my hair was falling out due to the aforemetioned things.

On the other hand, this would allow me to keep my medical benefits that I'm in danger of losing (but if another teacher takes this class, then I could likely take his/her then vacant class), we could save a lot of money, and who knows what the summer holds for work. Plus, it could be really enriching working with refugees. I want to do what God wants me to; I'm just trying to know what that is. I told my boss that I'd let him know my decision at our staff meeting on Monday. Please pray that I'll discern His will.