2009 Essay Contest Third Place Winner
By Janieoe Rogers Blount

My First Job

We hear oonstsnur about "going {freen';· I "went {freen" in 1957 when I took myfirst teaohing jot» Found out quickly how muon I did not know!

T was a hard working, tractor driving oettile loving farm girl and had just turned age 20 (had some students older) when myhigh school baSketball cosci; went to a small Nevada County sebool end needed a math teacher. (Guess I was all he could ttnd.)

What a salary! BUT was to me--$/ 2700 for nine months. I had never seen $/ f300 at one time!

I did not ow;n a oar so I rode a bus (with the ssudonts) to school, borrowed a oar, or oaught a ride to all sotivities that teachers were expected to attend. Those were all teachers meetings, PTA, work the ball games, sponsor a otsss. and often sponsor a class play.

TeaohfJrs WfJre expected to so dressed up (my ffJfJt still eotie from those high iieels). Did not have much time to sit in a class as all work was done on a blaok board with casllc-no such thing as oopy meotuno.

From tllat ''first fob" I made manyfriends, Visited many homes: ate some vflry good meats after 'being invited home by a student, had some {freat aard games, and was treated livery speoial" for the most part even though some parents and more students would have liked to "kill me" at times.

count that ''first job" (though I was ve.r,y (freen) as a beginning to a rewarding :30 years of teaohing and then a happy retirement!