Saturday, July 9, 2011

First Interview down, second next week

I had my first ever teaching interview last Wednesday. There were dozens of applicants working on writing samples when I arrived. They were all in their twenties, tall, blonde, tanned and wearing designer clothes. I must have stuck out like a sore thumb. I hope that is to my advantage. The interview itself wasn't bad. It was conducted by a panel of 5 people: a vice principal, 2 English teachers, a parent representative and the chairperson. I think I did well. I can only hope for a call back. They asked basic questions such as to how would I handle a problem student, other than essays what assignments would I give, how would I keep parents informed and why I thought literature was important? I was confident in my answers and I made sure to ask them a few intelligent questions as well.

I received a phone call from another school district yesterday. They asked me to come in for an interview this Monday. It is for a substitute position. At this point I will take anything. I am thinking that for the next 7 weeks this will be my life. At least I hope it will be. I started a summer class at a local college last week. The professor mentioned that if any of us were looking for a job we needed to stick to our phones the last 2 weeks of August. Apparently that's when all the hiring goes on. I keep thinking things would be more organized, but then I remember everyone is off over the summer. It only makes sense that things start to get busy in late August. Hope springs eternal :)

Friday, July 1, 2011

The First Interview: Next Week

The month of June seemed to pass by at the speed of light. I have been keeping my self busy applying for jobs and catching up on reading. Yesterday I received my first call for an interview. Thankfully I was given an assignment and I have 5 days to prepare. The poem I was given to "teach" is one I had never heard by a contemporary American author I am not familiar with. My research began immediately after the phone call. I scoured the internet checking local bookstores, online bookstores and libraries. Amazon had what I needed and shipped it immediately. I could have had it downloaded to my husband's Kindle, but I find I need to have the actual book. Especially if it is for a scholarly pursuit. I need to be able to hold the book, write in the book, highlight passages and important points, bookmark pages with post-it notes, smell the pages and digest its contents.

Maybe someday I might get comfortable with e-books. I am not ready today. I am however a teacher. I need to remind myself to be open to learning and new experiences. I need to embrace technology because most of my students will be on the cusp of it. Today I will stick with the familiar as I prepare for the future.I did order the book online. That has to count as "embracing technology," right?