"Orpheus Looked Back Once"

Had a job interview this morning. Did fairly well (the first thing they asked me was if I thought I was maybe a little over-qualified for the job), and I should know by this afternoon or Monday whether or not I have the job.

The benefits package is pretty nice--health insurance with Blue Cross/Blue Shield, an arrangement with George Mason University that waives out-of-state tuition, gets me a twenty percent discount on the tuition I do pay, guaranteed no rent increase, and a Master's of Education and my certification for both history and special ed. by the time I've completed the program.

One of the other neat things is that both the History teacher and the English teacher at this school are pregnant and will be taking their maternity leaves in the Spring. That means (if I get the job) I'd get bumped up to full teacher status (with the corresponding rise in pay that implies) for the Spring, and then after the other teachers return possibly get my own class (the two largest classes at this school are the English and History classes; the head of the place wants to break those classes up into two smaller classes each, which would both need new teachers of course). Granted, it all depends on budget stuff, but it's still fairly promising.

The nicest part of this job would be easing my way into the teaching experience. First-time teaching is always a hit-and-miss situation anyway: especially if, like me, you haven't really taken any education courses. I know all about the actual content of the classes; it's the technical details of how to run a classroom and manage all the school-related paperwork that'll be my trouble. This will give me the chance to work with an experienced teacher and learn the ins and outs of classroom management, making lesson plans, etc. It's basically like the student-teaching I never got a chance to do, only I get paid for it.

So keep your fingers crossed for me. Come next week, I may have one of those real jobs you hear people talk about.

~chuck

Song of the Moment: The Wallflowers, "Nearly Beloved" (I honestly think this song is why I've rocked so much on all my interviews...I've listened to it in the car before each interview, and I think it's given me the energy and confidence to go out and do well. Or it could just be a really great song. Whatever)