Update 2013
I've had a couple people ask me about my teaching job, so I thought it would be worth an update. Over the summer I had probably 8 interviews. I didn't get any of the jobs. One was for a co-op teacher for students interning at a hotel. I would have been perfect for that, with my degree and background in hotels. I think I did well in that interview and I checked back for the verdict...once a week for 5 weeks, before finally being told the job had been filled by an internal candidate. I also interviewed for 8th grade English, middle school science and even a history position at the max security high school where they store the gangbangers before turning them loose on the world. Nada.
The last interview I received was telling: the principal was a nice lady, about 35, and she asked good questions and was interesting to talk with. The other members of the team were also in the interview, ladies ranging from 22 to 29 yrs old (you can see where this is going). I was recommended by one of my co-student teachers who had scored a job there. She told them I was a really sensible man with broad experience, friendly, easy to work with (we had been in the training classes together and on some of the same teams). After the interview, I went to one of the pedagogy classes with the other student teachers, including the lady who endorsed me. She asked me about the interview, and I described it. There another student teacher at our table (not part of our normal group) exclaimed she was interviewing there too later (she was young, willowy thin). We wished her luck. So, the next day the principle called me to let me know I didn't get the job, and to thank me for interviewing. She even said I could use her as a reference on any future interviews. I asked her what qualifications I needed to shore up, and she revealed that she liked me for the job, but the other teachers wanted someone close to their own age, someone they felt would fit in with their group. Alas. I can understand a group of young ladies having reluctance to bring in an old cowboy to their team. But that wasn't getting me any closer to a teaching job.
So, I missed the initial new teacher day. Most of my classmates had jobs. Pretty disheartening, but that's life, there are no guarantees. Obviously these experienced principals felt I was lacking something, probably more teaching experience. So, I signed up to substitute teach. It was better than nothing, it would get me in the classroom, and possibly help me get some principal to love me and bring me in to fill a vacancy.
Coming up: Onkel Neal and the legions of hell.