My first interview for a full-time, long-term teaching position.
My gut was filled with the dread/calm that comes before the inevitable hurl. This school - this small, insignificant school - turns out to be the perfect job for me. The placement is near my boyfriend. I have control over the whole K-12 thing. It seems very daunting, indeed, but I like control - I live for control. If I could plan out every second of every day in a spreadsheet form, I would. (I know this is not an endearing quality, but I've come to accept it in such a way that lets me sleep at night.) The classroom sizes are perfect. The whole shebang warrants a "from scratch" smell, and I love building ideas and plans and whatever fits into a spreadsheet.
The interview is in front of five adults and two students. I forgot their names as soon as they introduced themselves. I smile generically at everyone and make a funny joke about something. They smile generically back and emit tiny chuckles to encourage me into the false sense of security.
I don't characterize my personality as "bubbly," but that hasn't stopped other people from describing it so. Do I love to laugh? Yes. Do I try to make jokes to ease the tension? Sure. Does it ever work? We'll say fifty-fifty.
My answers are solid as a lime-flavored jell-o mold. I didn't completely bomb the interview. I believe there were some very insightful ramblings that may have passed out for thought-out answer These answers were thought-out, mind you. I went through 110 questions a week before this interview. Most answers I had were written out after careful thought and planning (I should have used a spreadsheet). It's just when I'm sitting in front of five adults and two students, whose names I can't - for the life of me - remember, my mind goes completely and utterly blank. Oftentimes, my responses were more than a little awkward, but I got the point across...I think. For example:
Them: What are the main ideas you would be teaching in the elementary general music class?
Me: (the beginning of this answer is fine. It's dandy. People could write epic poems on the beginning. It's the end - where I find myself crying in the corner late at night) I would teach music from other cultures. Not only American folk songs, but pieces from other cultures. African, maybe with an African drumming class. Asian, South American. And from Europe as well...cause...ya know...that's where most of our heritage is from...
Myself: (you really can't hear much between the sobbing and the wailing)
What was that?!? What was that?!? Was that me speaking?!? I also went on, later, to inform them that I am extremely klutzy and I cannot jump very high. It was slightly in context, but nonetheless, I was giving myself a mental head-slap for that one.
FYI: most of the time when I wanted to kick myself in the butt for saying all these (I have no word for it) responses were after a very eloquent answer that rambled into my self-burial.
After all this, I was still called in the next day to sign for a background check. Maybe my awkwardness was seen as endearing. I'm not convinced, but I guess I'll know Monday.
