And so the long, tedious, expensive process begins...

As you all know, I graduated in May with an education degree. However, some of you may not know that I have not received my Missouri teaching license yet. This is because I first need to get fingerprinted and have a background check done. Ok, no big deal right? Well, first I had to make sure that I could get fingerprinted in Iowa after I got home from college. That was fine--no big deal. Ok, next step...making sure the Marion Police Department would fingerprint me. Again, fine, no big deal....except that they only fingerprint on Thursdays, and I called on a Monday. Ok, now I at least know that it can be done and when I can go. Oh, did I mention it is going to cost me over $50 for the Missouri fingerprinting/background check....and $10 to just get fingerprinted at the police department? And that's only the beginning....

Ok, so I have that part figured out, right? Well, not so much. I had read a couple of places that if a person needed blank fingerprint cards, they would send them to that person. Yet they fail to mention how a person knows if they need the cards. (Did I mention how confusing the government can be?) So, I was planning on going today, Thursday, to get fingerprinted, but I thought I should call and double check on the fingerprint card thing before I got there and felt stupid. It's a good thing I called because the police department does not provide blank fingerprint cards. Sigh....so I had to call and have blank fingerprint cards sent to me. And now I wait again.

So, I think I have all of that figured out. For now, anyway. The next step is to get certified in Iowa. Wow, who knew it could take me 6 months to finally figure out what I am supposed to do to be certified in Iowa?? (Did I mention how confusing the government is??) I started looking online, trying to find anything that would tell me what I am supposed to do. For a long time, the only helpful thing I found was an application for an Iowa teaching license. From what I could tell, it looked like I only needed to send that in. Wow, was I wrong. I was trying to find more information online and found a website that was saying I needed to get fingerprinted, have a background check done, take a class, take some tests, and pay lots of money! I was like, whoa!! Not cool! (Oh, I forgot to mention that at the beginning when I was having problems finding information I tried contacting someone....who, in turn, emailed me the application I had already found. Big help, right?) Anyway, I tried contacting someone again (this time a different person) and asked a whole bunch of questions on the class I needed to take, any tests I needed, if I had to get fingerprinted again, etc, etc. This lady was sooo much more helpful! She answered ALL of my questions this time....and it actually MADE SENSE. And....I found out I do need to take a class (ugh), but I don't need to take another test (yay!), but I do need to get fingerprinted again (yuck) and pay more money for the fingerprinting/background check (yuck, this time it's over $60).

Whew! What a process, right? The worst part, I think, (besides forking out a ton of money) is the waiting part. I feel like I have it figured out now, but I'm nowhere near being done with it all! I do feel better about it though. Those of you who know me well, know that I don't like not knowing what is going on. It has been hard over the past few months not knowing myself what I am supposed to do and also having to answer a whole bunch of questions with...."I don't really know yet." But I am glad I seem to have it figured out now! By the way, this is why I haven't posted anything recently because I did not know what to post!

Hopefully soon I can update you all with how the fingerprinting went!