Job Interview

So yesterday I called the elementary school which has the position HR asked if I was interested in. I was assuming that I would make the interview for the beginning of next week to give me plenty of time to look over interview questions, decide how I would describe my classroom, and to decide stengths/weaknesses/what makes me the best person yadda yadda yadda. Well when talking to the principal's assistant it quickly came in to focus that there were only three times I could have my interview: the same day at 4 (yesterday), this morning at 8, and tomorrow morning at 8. Freaking out in my head but keeping my composure on the phone I told her that I would take today's at 8 am.

I spent the day yesterday shopping. I can't study when I have lots of time, I do so much better when I'm under pressure. So yesterday at around 3 or 4 I began to cram and continued to do so until 10 last night. There are so many weird questions that they can ask you in a teaching interview and so I had to make sure that all of my answers made sense and were cohesive throughout all of the questions. Here are all of my papers (mind you they are ALL front and back and some are packets)...So this morning I got up and felt really good about going into the interview. I made sure that I had my answers down and I looked up some information on the school (which completely saved me when they asked why I should be hired there... I told them we had common goals for our students and quoted part of their mission statement haha) Then it all started going downhill...

May I just say I HATE pantyhose. I mean absolutely dispise pantyhose. I purposely bought two sizes too big for me because they are always tight on my stomach and the crotch of them hangs half way down my thighs. I HATE THEM. So I put them on (which took like 5 minutes) and they are still super tight but at least everything is hanging where it is supposed to be. So I have these super tight, two size-too big, but hey at least the crotch is in the right place pantyhose on and they kind of make my stomach hurt. Plus, when I get nervous my stomach hurts anyway. This isn't going to be good, but hey atleast I look good...

I get a good start out the door and get to the school about 25 minutes before my interview. I try to collect myself and control my breathing in the car (seriously I freak out way too much over things. If you have ever seen Princess Diaries, I am totally Mia) and I go in with 15 minutes left before my interview. I check in and the principal isn't there yet so I'm asked to take a seat in the lobby and wait which is fine. I am much more calm now that I am in the building and am so close to going in. I am warned by a teacher that passes by that I will soon by swarmed by kids because they are waiting to go to chorus. Okay, no big deal.

This one girl comes and sits beside me on the loveseat that I purposely picked because it was the smallest available space to sit in and so no one would sit by me. Wrong. This girl was sweet and nice but then she pulls out this humongous breakfast burrito. I don't know what kind of burrito this thing was but it smelled exactly like fried rice and soy sauce. The two worst foods that I could ever eat is cooked carrots and FRIED RICE. The smell is repulsing. So I'm nervous with too tight pantyhouse and fried rice surrounding me in my personal bubble. She then proceeds to chomp with her mouth open while giving me looks to the side to check out who the lady was in their school. And then to top of the entire experience her friend comes up says, "Oh that smells good." and the little girl begins waving the burrito around, which I'm convinced is going to fall apart and drop on my suit, she scoots over and tells her friend to sit down. Where is the open space for her friend to sit you may ask? Oh yes, right between me and the girl. Thank goodness the chorus doors opened at that moment the girl scarfs her burrito and they are gone.

Finally I get called back to take my interview at about 8:05ish. I walk into the room and am totally mentally hitting myself. Out of all of the interview situations I know can happen and I pictured myself in, I didn't think that I would be being interviewed by the principal, coordinator, and the fifth grade team. Yes I knew this could happen but just figured "Oh, that won't happen to me." Of course.

Once we got introduced and started though everything went very well. I had answers for all questions and was knowledgable about the questions they were asking. Half an hour later, saying good-bye, I feel that I did a really good job and I did the best I could. Which is all that can be asked of me. This is a half-time job that would take place every afternoon and I would be in charge of teaching math and unit studies (social studies/health/science). Those are my favorite subjects to teach so I would be okay with that. It runs through June with a possible full time position opening in the fall. The principal said that if everything goes according to plan she would like for the chosen candidate to start when they come back from Thanksgiving break. So whatever happens happens. We will see. I am just so relieved it's over!