I've now spent the better part of two months kicking my ass trying to get everything in line so I can leave my job with the sense that 1) I've impressed my peers and administrators and 2) When I leave all the hard work I've put into this place will not have been for naught. That's the reason why I've been absent for so long.
What do I have to show for it? To be honest, I have accomplished more than even I thought I could in only two months. I've started a writing clinic (with the help of the English department) to help students with poor essay-compositional skills, I'm working with the history department to vertically-align their curriculum for next year, and I've committed to starting a chapter of Habitat for Humanity at our school next year. Plus, I was still doing all the "normal" things that come with the job - dorm duty, coaching, weekend duties, teaching, etc. Sounds great right? Well, the ONE thing I wanted to do - get a job at a new school - I've been unable to do and it looks like it's not going to happen this year.
So, yeah, Im a little sad about my situation for two reasons.
First, I just can't get over the fact that I'm stuck here for another year. Fortunately my wife is also looking for a job in the Boston/Providence/Hartford/Philly region (Screw NYC and DC. Yeah, you heard me right, pal.) so if/when she lands a job in one of those areas we'll be able to move. She'll move immediately but Ill have to wait until the rest of my year at this school is over.
Adding to the misery of being stuck for another year is that, unless a miracle occurs, my search is now over. A REALLY frustrating thing about being a teacher is that there is only a precious few months in which you can get hired if you're seeking full-time employment. Public schools tend to hire from April to July. For private schools its from late December to early April. After that you have to wait NINE MONTHS until the hiring season even STARTS again. Other than produce-picker, and snow-shoveler I can think of no other job that is so damn seasonal.
Sure, there are positions that open up year 'round, but they tend to be "temporary sabbatical replacement" positions, or "emergency needs" positions, or "permanent substitute positions, etc. These are all code for "shit job no one wants with little support and/or direction from the administration". Unless you're desperate and cannot fully feed and house yourself, I recommend you stay the fuck away from them. You will seriously shorten your lifespan and significantly increase your likelihood for developing a terminal case of alcoholism.
I'm not in a "bad" spot - I have a contract coming to me for next year and I'm going to sign it. But the thought of having to work for "Crappy McNasty", our headmaster, for another year fills me with a rage that burns with the fire of ten thousand suns.
The other reason Im a little sad is that I came THIS CLOSE |--| to getting a job at one of the best private schools in America. I was one of over a hundred applicants for an open position, and one of a pool of four they chose to interview. I was later told by the Dean of Faculty they wanted me for the spot, but I had no experience coaching basketball - so they went with someone else who has coached basketball even though I was their first choice. Why does that make me sad? Because of the goddamn nature of hiring in this job. In most jobs, when a position opens, the descriptions used for that job opening are the criteria upon which your potential employment will be judged. That's not how it works in private school.
When theres an opening at a private school, underneath the surface of the open position notification is a whole other world of criteria I'm being judged on and I have no idea what that criteria is or if I meet it. The positions are never advertised as saying, "We need a history teacher who specializes in World history and US history and can coach basketball". If they did that, I never would have applied for the fucking position at that school because I know I have no basketball-coaching experience. The job was only advertised as "World history/US history teacher with dorm experience".
So when I land a job it will be because, from my perspective, it was simply a matter of "luck" that I got it. Which means I have to blindly apply to positions I appear to be qualified for on the surface, and then wait to see if I am, indeed, truly qualified for.
It's a bit frustrating and depressing.
The good news is I'll be able to get back to updating once or twice a week, now.at least, until January next year, when I get to go through this all over again.
==============================================
Time to get your smile on...its: Favorite student anecdotes of the week!!!
==============================================
From the "who says kids aren't insightful" department:
Female Student: "It's not fair that I have to have children before I'm 35. People shouldn't have to have children until they're, like, 45 or 50. I mean, once you have kids your life is basically over. You can't go out, you can't do anything. All you can do is just sit around thinking of the fun you used to have, and of the things you never got to do, and then live your life through your kids' lives. That's why so many parents are so insane at our sports events. They're dying to get out and have some fun."
From the "needs some serious cultural sensitivity training" department:
Student (who is Jewish!): My granddad died during the holocaust.
Teacher: ...?
Student: He fell out of his gaurd tower while he was on patrol.
Can you tell she's a blond cheerleader:
Female Student (recently went to a tanning salon): So what do you think?
Me: I think you look like a Samoan
Student: What do Girl Scout cookies have to do with this?
That's all I can think of for now. I'll see about adding some more as they come to me.
What do I have to show for it? To be honest, I have accomplished more than even I thought I could in only two months. I've started a writing clinic (with the help of the English department) to help students with poor essay-compositional skills, I'm working with the history department to vertically-align their curriculum for next year, and I've committed to starting a chapter of Habitat for Humanity at our school next year. Plus, I was still doing all the "normal" things that come with the job - dorm duty, coaching, weekend duties, teaching, etc. Sounds great right? Well, the ONE thing I wanted to do - get a job at a new school - I've been unable to do and it looks like it's not going to happen this year.
So, yeah, Im a little sad about my situation for two reasons.
First, I just can't get over the fact that I'm stuck here for another year. Fortunately my wife is also looking for a job in the Boston/Providence/Hartford/Philly region (Screw NYC and DC. Yeah, you heard me right, pal.) so if/when she lands a job in one of those areas we'll be able to move. She'll move immediately but Ill have to wait until the rest of my year at this school is over.
Adding to the misery of being stuck for another year is that, unless a miracle occurs, my search is now over. A REALLY frustrating thing about being a teacher is that there is only a precious few months in which you can get hired if you're seeking full-time employment. Public schools tend to hire from April to July. For private schools its from late December to early April. After that you have to wait NINE MONTHS until the hiring season even STARTS again. Other than produce-picker, and snow-shoveler I can think of no other job that is so damn seasonal.
Sure, there are positions that open up year 'round, but they tend to be "temporary sabbatical replacement" positions, or "emergency needs" positions, or "permanent substitute positions, etc. These are all code for "shit job no one wants with little support and/or direction from the administration". Unless you're desperate and cannot fully feed and house yourself, I recommend you stay the fuck away from them. You will seriously shorten your lifespan and significantly increase your likelihood for developing a terminal case of alcoholism.
I'm not in a "bad" spot - I have a contract coming to me for next year and I'm going to sign it. But the thought of having to work for "Crappy McNasty", our headmaster, for another year fills me with a rage that burns with the fire of ten thousand suns.
The other reason Im a little sad is that I came THIS CLOSE |--| to getting a job at one of the best private schools in America. I was one of over a hundred applicants for an open position, and one of a pool of four they chose to interview. I was later told by the Dean of Faculty they wanted me for the spot, but I had no experience coaching basketball - so they went with someone else who has coached basketball even though I was their first choice. Why does that make me sad? Because of the goddamn nature of hiring in this job. In most jobs, when a position opens, the descriptions used for that job opening are the criteria upon which your potential employment will be judged. That's not how it works in private school.
When theres an opening at a private school, underneath the surface of the open position notification is a whole other world of criteria I'm being judged on and I have no idea what that criteria is or if I meet it. The positions are never advertised as saying, "We need a history teacher who specializes in World history and US history and can coach basketball". If they did that, I never would have applied for the fucking position at that school because I know I have no basketball-coaching experience. The job was only advertised as "World history/US history teacher with dorm experience".
So when I land a job it will be because, from my perspective, it was simply a matter of "luck" that I got it. Which means I have to blindly apply to positions I appear to be qualified for on the surface, and then wait to see if I am, indeed, truly qualified for.
It's a bit frustrating and depressing.
The good news is I'll be able to get back to updating once or twice a week, now.at least, until January next year, when I get to go through this all over again.
==============================================
Time to get your smile on...its: Favorite student anecdotes of the week!!!
==============================================
From the "who says kids aren't insightful" department:
Female Student: "It's not fair that I have to have children before I'm 35. People shouldn't have to have children until they're, like, 45 or 50. I mean, once you have kids your life is basically over. You can't go out, you can't do anything. All you can do is just sit around thinking of the fun you used to have, and of the things you never got to do, and then live your life through your kids' lives. That's why so many parents are so insane at our sports events. They're dying to get out and have some fun."
From the "needs some serious cultural sensitivity training" department:
Student (who is Jewish!): My granddad died during the holocaust.
Teacher: ...?
Student: He fell out of his gaurd tower while he was on patrol.
Can you tell she's a blond cheerleader:
Female Student (recently went to a tanning salon): So what do you think?
Me: I think you look like a Samoan
Student: What do Girl Scout cookies have to do with this?
That's all I can think of for now. I'll see about adding some more as they come to me.
VIEW 19 of 19 COMMENTS
After three deaths in three months I kind of reevaluated things. I am going to church with the kids every week after a boy I was confirmed with passed away. It made me realize how important the Church as a community was to me growing up (I went to the same Church my whole life and my class of 6 was very close). The kids love going each Sunday and my step son asks his mom if he can go with me instead of to her mega giant Church. That makes me happy.
I'm also doing more with the native community. A friend passed away from Leukemia and now I'm finding that I understand how much it means to be a part of that. I let it go for a while and would only intermittently go to pow wows and keep in touch with certain friends because there were those who thought being with a white guy means selling out. That was not fun and the ugliness embarassed me. But now we're all older and understand that those issues are nonsense and I'm making sure that I spend as much time as possible doing things with my native community.
So while the job front for me is nonexistant I'm really focusing on feeding my soul and the spirits of my children. It feels good.