The Interview

It went really, really well.

I interviewed yesterday with one of the current theatre teachers, (the one that's leaving her current position for a new position within the school) and the principal. I saw lots of head nodding and smiles, and even heard a few laughs. I feel like I was myself and that I gave good answers that showed that I am qualified and right for the job.

They said they had 15 applicants, and selected 5 for interviews. Well, obviously, I was in the 5, otherwise I wouldn't have been interviewed yesterday, and they're going to take 2 of the 5 and give them a second interview with the district's fine arts coordinator, and that will happen next week. I've heard that I will be one of the 2, so hopefully that rumor is true!

Today, is my content test, which as I have said previously, is the test every Texas teacher must take to prove that we are 'highly qualified' to teach our subject, according to No Child Left Behind. I've been studying like crazy and I am feeling confident.

Last week, my program gave us the option to go to a review session where they would break us up into our subjects and let someone prep us for the test. I was the only theatre person there, so I was very fortunate and got to have a one-on-one review. My review counselor was very kind and knowledgeable. We actually talked for quite awhile about things that weren't even pertaining to the test, and we were laughing at ourselves for not focusing on what we should have been doing. After chatting for awhile, we went through the test, how they score it, what they're going to ask, etc, and she gave me things to make sure I know, so I have learned as much of that information as I can.

A few weeks ago, I went back to my university to get transcripts and while I was there I decided to visit old professors. One of them asked what I was doing, and when I told her I was taking the theatre content exam, she said, "Oh, wait a second. I have something for you." She proceeded to pull out a copy of a 130-question practice test and told me to go home, take it and learn the material on it. Without studying, I took it and I made a 73, which honestly isn't bad, considering I hadn't done anything theatre-related in over a year. So I started studying and studying. I took the practice test to my review session and asked my review counselor if she felt that it was a good review, and she told me it was an excellent practice test, that it was covering pretty much everything that I would likely see on the real test. So I came home, I decided to use the practice test as a study guide and I feel like I have learned pretty much everything I can. I took the test again the other day, and a 91, only missing 11. I've since learned those the content covered in those final 11, so I can't help but feel confident.

I know that the questions on the real test won't be the same ones as the practice, so I learned what that question was covering. Since I had one question covering the stock characters in Commedia dell'arte, I learned all of the stock characters in Commedia dell'arte.

Anyway, the test is at 2 o'clock. I'm about to run through my flash cards a few times, eat lunch and then get ready to go!

Oh hi, nerves. You're a little tense lately.

I am officially one-step closer to having to having a job...I got an interview! I mentioned here that there was a chance that there was a possible job opening for me to start teaching, and it has happened. Now, I can actually talk a little bit about it.

The job is at my old high school, and it would be teaching theatre, which incidentally, is exactly what I went to school for. The theatre teacher that I had has changed positions within the high school and now I have this outstanding opportunity before me to take her place. The interview is tomorrow, and I have been nervous about it since the moment I found out, which is odd for me, because I'm generally not an overly-nervous person. It's just that I really, really, really want this. While I no longer live in the city limits of my hometown, I do live a whopping twenty-minutes away, which has allowed me to stay active within the community via my church. With the number of things that our church does that I've assisted with over the years, I have been fortunate to know a lot of the students in the high school already, and I feel that that's a good thing, especially since their current teacher is leaving mid-semester.

Overall, I feel like I have the ability to really 'wow' the interviewers tomorrow, but I do feel like I have one strike against me that could definitely be a defining moment as to whether or not I get this job. I'm still not at the point to start my "internship" level of my program, which is the level where I may legally be hired as a full-time teacher. However, in about two weeks, I will be. I take my content-area test this Saturday, and it takes about two-weeks for the results to come in. That's all I have to wait for---the results of the test. As long as I pass it, (which I feel confident that I will) I am legally hirable. Hopefully, the interviewers will be so taken by me that they'll be willing to wait.

Dear God, I hope so. I feel like a little kid crossing their fingers in hopes of getting that pony for Christmas.

I have ashamedly gotten my hopes up for all of this, which frustrates me, but someone told me yesterday that having my hopes up will show how much I want it in the interview, so I guess there's that.

Quick change of topic:

For the people that seem to think that status updates on Facebook = a diary...

Get an online journal. Please. I do not need or want a minute-to-minute play-by-play of the occurences in your life. If I wanted to read every mundane detail of your life, I'd subscribe to your LiveJournal account.

But then again, you'd probably have a Xanga.

There is honestly someone who has posted not 1, not 2, but SIX status updates today, all of which were posted by 10:30am.  It's not even noon. Your day cannot be that exciting before noon. I refuse to believe it.

If you feel like I'm taking about you, I probably am, in which case, it's time for you to get an account with one of the aforementioned online-jounal communities.




Now that I've said that, hopefully I'll know something soon about the job. If you're reading, please do whatever it is that you do when you want to wish someone luck, whether it be praying or carrying around a rabbit's foot. I'd really appreciate it, times eleventy. :)

The Waiting Game.

Life is so full of fun little games.

There's the OMGI'MABOUTTORUNOUTOFGASIHOPEIMAKEITTOTHEGASSTATION game. (Who doesn't love a good round of that?!)

There's the I'MGOINGTOSWIPEMYCREDITCARDANDHOPEITAPPROVES game, played mostly in college.

There's the I'LLJUSTSLEEP5MOREMINUTESMYALARMWLLTOTALLYWAKEMEUP (I THINK) game.

You know, fun games.

My current fun game I'm playing is...the waiting game.

I can't really go into too much detail now about it, because the whole situation is kind of hush-hush, but someone I know just interviewed for a job and is trying to get my lined up as their replacement, so in order to be ready if they get hired, I have done everything I can to be ready for an interview. Since my last post, I have applied and been accepted to a certification program for teaching, I have registered and paid for my test over my content area (theatre), I have finally completed the whole "changing of the name" task that I've been too lazy to do for months, I have my TB skin test and fingerprints (required by the state) and I just have all my ducks in a row. Did I mention that IF this works out, it's an actual teaching job with actual students with actual pay and benefits for an actual public school?

It would be absolutely fantastic IF this all works out in my favor, and as much as I want it to become true, I refuse to let myself get overly hopeful about the situation. I am preparing myself for them to call me and say, "sorry, it's not going to work out, peace out, homie" because if that actually happens, I won't be ready to chug a gallon of bleach. IF it does work out in my favor, then I'll know that I'm incredibly lucky and blessed to the in the situation and hit the ground running. It's sort of difficult to keep that mentality, which is why I keep typing "if" in all-caps, but it's because I want it so badly. I know that if it doesn't work out, then something better WILL come along, but it would just be nice IF this does work out in my favor.

We will see as the waiting game continues.

Le sigh.

Since I have billions upon billions of readers, I'll apologize now for keeping you all on the edge of your seats waiting for a new post.

What have I been doing, you ask? Well, you didn't ask, but you're going to hear it.

Last week I was having a Nip/Tuck marathon via Netflix (the only perk of my husband having an XBox) and let's be honest here: watching those episodes was for more exciting than me finding something to ramble about. Of course everyone finds me delightfully entertaining, Nip/Tuck is still better than me.

We were house-sitting this weekend, and I really had little to do, so I managed to get through the rest of the series. (I was on season 5 of 6). I know, major waste of time, but whatever. What else am I supposed to do? I'm not cool enough to get hired for a job that I definitely meet the qualifications for and then some.

Let's talk about that.

HIRE ME NOW, mkay? No? That doesn't work?

I feel like I have submitted ninety-trillion resumes with a personalized letter of interest for each job for each school for each district. I applied for 6 different jobs, and it's looking pretty grim. Hardly any other districts have any openings left, (openings which I have applied for, wasn't called back on and then the jobs closed) and it's just so frustrating. I know, we have a huge population of unemployed people in the world, blah blah blah, and it didn't really bother me that I wasn't working, except I feel like working. My husband makes enough for us to live comfortably on, but we can't afford any trips or, oh, I don't know, a house or something.

Students in the area start school on Monday. If things don't work out for me, (which I'm sure they won't) then I'll just go and try to find a job doing something else, that not at all in my field that will do nothing to build my resume.

Sweet.

Can you tell I'm frustrated?