teaching
yesterday, I was part of a panel of 8 teachers interviewing 21 people, one by one, for four teaching positions. the entire process took 11 hours, including the discussion at the end and reading exerpts of "From Good to Great" at the beginning. as we were all filing out, I was last, and the principal looked up at me sternly from her large wire glasses. "so, I hear from the principal at H School that you're applying for a position there..?"
"yes!" I did a little victory dance. (but only in my head)
I stopped breathing, nodded. "mmhmm"
"so, is there something you need to tell me...?"
"no, just wanted to check and see what was out there!" I force myself not to giggle nervously.
"-- because we're trying to make these hiring decisions by friday, and this is already tuesday."
"okay. I'll think about it tonight and talk to you more about it tomorrow."
she watches me closely as I sidle out of the room.
"you know -- so that way you know what's going on soon, and I have time to.. think."
one nod.
on the way home I pull into a parking lot and start making a list of the pros and cons of working where I do. in the end I have 4 things on the pro list. 16 on the con.
the next morning I go over everything on the con list, point by point, behind the closed door of her office. I am reasonable, professional... she is complimentary, speaking to me in an openly positive way about my teaching for the first time in the year and a half I have worked for her. usually she just doesn't speak to me at all, occasionally writes me a little post-it note with something p0sitive, which turns out to be a "form letter note" that I see in the exact same wording on the desks of other teachers.
afterwards, I feel relieved, but resigned.. like they always say, "you can't teach an old administrator new tricks..." or something. that afternoon I don't want to go to my scheduled interview.. I call M, my friend from work, she says to go -- why not?
at the interview, four people are interviewing three people at the same time -- not the ideal format, but what the hell. I am okay, but not great... I am too aware that it has all been said before.
I wonder what I will have to do next if they call me back -- teach a lesson for them? interview again?
three hours later they call to offer me the position. I call my teaching friends, my dad, a former supervisor who's been teaching in the same district for 40 years. it slowly becomes clear that my mind has already made itself up.
the icing on my giant cookie? it's a traditional school year, so I'll have the whole summer off.
now to tell my "old" principal.... something tells me that she isn't going to like this..
and there we have it. 6 hours from "I don't think I'll go to that interview after all" to "I have a new job!"
yesterday, I was part of a panel of 8 teachers interviewing 21 people, one by one, for four teaching positions. the entire process took 11 hours, including the discussion at the end and reading exerpts of "From Good to Great" at the beginning. as we were all filing out, I was last, and the principal looked up at me sternly from her large wire glasses. "so, I hear from the principal at H School that you're applying for a position there..?"
"yes!" I did a little victory dance. (but only in my head)
I stopped breathing, nodded. "mmhmm"
"so, is there something you need to tell me...?"
"no, just wanted to check and see what was out there!" I force myself not to giggle nervously.
"-- because we're trying to make these hiring decisions by friday, and this is already tuesday."
"okay. I'll think about it tonight and talk to you more about it tomorrow."
she watches me closely as I sidle out of the room.
"you know -- so that way you know what's going on soon, and I have time to.. think."
one nod.
on the way home I pull into a parking lot and start making a list of the pros and cons of working where I do. in the end I have 4 things on the pro list. 16 on the con.
the next morning I go over everything on the con list, point by point, behind the closed door of her office. I am reasonable, professional... she is complimentary, speaking to me in an openly positive way about my teaching for the first time in the year and a half I have worked for her. usually she just doesn't speak to me at all, occasionally writes me a little post-it note with something p0sitive, which turns out to be a "form letter note" that I see in the exact same wording on the desks of other teachers.
afterwards, I feel relieved, but resigned.. like they always say, "you can't teach an old administrator new tricks..." or something. that afternoon I don't want to go to my scheduled interview.. I call M, my friend from work, she says to go -- why not?
at the interview, four people are interviewing three people at the same time -- not the ideal format, but what the hell. I am okay, but not great... I am too aware that it has all been said before.
I wonder what I will have to do next if they call me back -- teach a lesson for them? interview again?
three hours later they call to offer me the position. I call my teaching friends, my dad, a former supervisor who's been teaching in the same district for 40 years. it slowly becomes clear that my mind has already made itself up.
the icing on my giant cookie? it's a traditional school year, so I'll have the whole summer off.
now to tell my "old" principal.... something tells me that she isn't going to like this..
and there we have it. 6 hours from "I don't think I'll go to that interview after all" to "I have a new job!"
posted by la primera at 7:35 AM
2 Comments:
Nice work Primera! Way to kick ass. Whatcha gonna do with all that free time this summer....mom needs someone to do some landscaping around the house here...I, uh, just thought I'd mention it.
Typical of the LB is all I have to say. Trying to shirk his free loading responsibilities onto others. Drinks tomorrow?
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