Minimal Progress

Holy shit, has it been an f-ing busy month. My bogged down brain can barely comprehend that Friday marks the end of June. WTF? It sucks because I've barely had any time to work on applications. Okay, so I could be doing one now. But geez, it's hard to get motivated for it when I'm spending a good portion of my day teaching 25 high school kids for 4.5 hours every day. Planning for 4 days worth of material blows. And all this time spent on school work means I've been neglecting working on the apartment and also have not been taking much time searching for a new apartment. We're planning to move in either August or September, depending on when I manage to land a job. Who knows what part of the city I'll be positioned?

On the bright side of busy times, Liz and Vince got married last weekend and I had a good time as bridesmaid. Although, I have to say it was a litte eerie having my parents there, knowing they must be thinking that watching me walk down the isle in a white dress instead of a sage one is coming soon. That's another thing to work on--getting the venues arranged. It sort of sucks trying to plan a wedding in a city that's 4.5 hours away.

Anyway, I know my blogging has been damn scetchy lately. I'll try to work on getting more than 2 posts per month, but it's still going to rough for another month. Just 3 more days of this first session of summer school, then a short break for a trip to GB and Chicago. And then 2.5 more weeks of summer school. If I could go back, I'd have turned down the job. Yeah, the money's going to help, but damn, the stress is NOT worth it. My past years of summer school we're nearly as time consuming or stressful. But I suppose I have had it easy with good kids in the past. These kids aren't so bad, but some are just soooo lazy. I suppose that's why they're there. It'd just be nice if it was a smaller class (it used to be 30 kids but several dropped it or were kicked out because they missed too much class time).

At the end of July, I think I'm going to sleep for a week.

First of the Season

It's that time of year again. No, I'm not talking about lazing on the beach or running in the park. I'm talking interviews.

Today I had an interview for an even smaller charter school (and a newish one) in a far suburb of the Metro. One thing that's been confirmed...I interview damn well, if I do say so myself. Okay, so maybe my competition wasn't exactly difficult. But hey, I think I stood out among the crowd (since it was a group interview).

Group interviews are weird and f-ing long, let me tell you. The interview was over two hours long, which is understandable when they ask one question and then wait while 5 people take turns answering it. It's not nearly as intimidating as one might think, to have to visibly compete with other candidates in an Apprentice-like manner; but it certainly is as boring. Yes, there were interesting and inovative answers and humorous comments. However, I was so ready to cut the BS and get to the main points of things. So much of it was glossy overviews and circumventing the point.

Anyway, it's a school I wouldn't mind working for, but I doubt it would be top on my list...if I had a list. Oh well, I'm sure more interviews will be to come, especially if I actually send out more applications instead of scraping to find time to finish out my current teaching job. Hm, that brings me back to my comment about interviewing well. Why do I think I did a good job? I think I'll use a bulletted list to more aptly express myself.

• I came in fashionably late due to traffic and trying to get myself out of my classroom right after school without throwing my students physically out of my room. No worries--I had called the day before and said I'd probably be 10 min behind.
• I didn't wear a blue shirt. 3/5 interviewees had the same colored shirt on. 2/5 were wearing the same color suit coat and khakis. 4/5 interviewees just did not look nearly so bright and energetic as I did in my floral ankle-length skirt and yellow shirt under a white blazer.
• I actually said I enjoy teaching middle school students. The job could be either middle or low high school level.
  
• I was honest and said I was a geek who loves fantasy novels (and teaching The Giver and The Odyssey).
  
• I made the interviewers and interviewees laugh on several occassions.
• I actually appeared interested in what other interviewees said.
• I might have accidentally flashed a little leg due to my wrap skirt and positioning of legs.
• I've taught in a charter school so am familiar with them.
• I asked questions that typically cut through the BS.
• The interviewers are also 'Sconys.
• And I think I actually did well keeping my answers short and to the point...weird, eh?

Wouldn't you hire me?