So today I had an interview for a first grade teaching position at a school that I like a lot. It's located in The Colony,Texas. Strange name for a town. So I have to say that this has to be the best teaching interview I've ever been on. The principal and her assistant asked plenty of great questions, to which I had plenty of great responses. In some cases my responses came before they asked the question. How's that for damn good? I did feel like I knew what I was talking about. I had it all, different learning modalities, (auditory, visual, kinesthetic), multiple intelligences, Harry Wong's setting up for procedures, setting high expectations, teaching to mastery, and it doesn't end there. I talked about increasing children's strengths, improving weaknesses, and helping them find their confidence. I made mention about presenting a positive male role model by having dress up Mondays. The latter was just an excuse so that I could wear a suit. Did I mention I looked good. Real good! Guys, piece of advice if you want an ego boost. Go somewhere that at your best you dress business casual and throw on a power suit. In the school where I was at and substitute on a regular basis the response was gratifying. Many of the female staff were very impressed. The phrase "you clean up nicely" came up often. Of course I may want to take this as a hint to "dress" up my style a bit. My friend Jen would not only agree but would add that I am being very generous by just saying "a bit." The cherry on top was when I went to my gym to get a smoothie for a late breakfast, (don't worry it's budgeted), one of the hottie personal trainers, who's never uttered a word to me in the year that I've been going there, told me I looked good. Yes my ego was sufficiently stroked.

Back to the interview. The success of it had more to do with the confluence of a friendly and interested principal and her assistant asking the right questions, with genuine interest in my answers. I have been on scores of teaching interviews, (okay a score and a half plus, but that's still over 30!), and I have had the priviledge of sitting there with principals who could have cared less. This tends to occur when they have predetermined who they will hire long before I show up, and are thus going through the legal motions of interviewing someone because there is a certain number they are required. My favorite was the principal who hired a social studies teacher to coach. What was the guy doing prior to being hired? You would think that as an educator, brand new with certification, and no job he would be punching the clock in the trenches, substituting or tutoring, or maybe working as an aid at said school to get his foot in the door and gain valuable experience working with students. However he didn't have time to do any of these things. He was too busy tending bar to trouble himself by learning an aspect of his craft. I know I sound bitter. Not what I want. It's not one of my possibilities. Bitterness being a first cousin to anger. That get's you far.

I guess it just accentuates how grateful I am for the opportunity for this interview. That it turned out as well as it did. Now I am waiting to find out if I will be one of the two or three candidates asked to come back for a second interview with the first grade team. if I do that power suit will be ready to go pronto! I didn't meet any of them yet, but I think they would be powerless against the awe of my suit. I must remember to use this gift only for good.

In truth I feel that teaching is the way for me. I don't fight it anymore. And when I take stock in who and what I am it feels right. It feels natural. All these years of wanting to help people and the culmination of my life experiences is to help children reach their own potential and believe in themselves, their abilities, and their talents. I hope that G-d helps me wield this responsibility well, because to some degree I am doing His work, (just a very tiny small part, afterall He creates universes in his spare time, but important nonetheless). I can live with that. Amen.

Okay heard a funny joke today, (to me any way);

Comedian: "I've lost 68 pounds! Yeah, I've been stalking a jogger."