The Reference Fiasco and How I'm Fixing It

So two posts in one day, I know it's a lot for no reason... But, I wanted that backstory-ish post first.

Now, I am applying again. This is my second time. Last time I applied, I had an incredibly weak reference as I mentioned last time. I had asked my department manager from Sears to write me a reference a month before the application was due. I gave her the directions the JET provided for me, my reference, and I summed it up in a note I gave to her with the form. When I went to get it, the reference was in a plain envelope, sealed, not signature and it looked wrinkly and ill-treated. I was concerned about the lack of a sealing signature, so I took it to the HR department to have it put in an official Sears envelope and signed by her. Instead, she opened the envelope and took out the letter. Unfortunately, I saw the "reference." It was about 6 lines long, tops, not on official letterhead, not in an official envelope, not signed and sealed, not anything that a reference should be. Despite my asking repeatedly, she did not get to me until a week before the application was due. So, I had no time to find a new reference.

To prevent this for my new application, I have already done a few things:
1) We need two references, so I started looking for two in my field.
2) I am in teaching, so I have asked a well-respected professor for a reference. He works in adolescent literacy around the North-East, in New York, Massachusetts, etc.
3) I have had the chance to do an education related internship at a writing center that I started in a high school. So, I asked my advising teacher for a reference relating to my actual work.
4) I have already asked both of these people for the references. I asked both of these people in April and got a response that they will write me a reference. I now just need to give them the form when it comes to the appropriate time.

When the fall comes and it is time to apply and the forms become available, I will get my reference as early as possible to make sure everything is done correctly. This was probably one of the most stressful parts of applying because it felt the most out of my hands. I could not force my references to write them, I could not make time for them to write them, all I could do was wait and ask them about them. But, I am already better prepared than I was last time.