My interview was yesterday. I think it went well, although I am still hating answering "Why did you leave your last position?"

I have boiled it down to a "Well, I had many illness-related absences last year and in April my doctor discovered the cause and I had to have major surgery. I was out the last month of school and unable to fuction till mid-June. The issue was completely resolved by the surgery." And then I just smile confidently.

Ugh.

It's a nice school -- I really hope I get it. The only thing that is a little dissapointing is that the curriculum seems a little rigid and regimented. I won't be able to teach what I wish and will be teaching, for the most part, out of a textbook. Ick. The flip side to this, however, is that it makes planning much easier, and I suppose it's HOW I teach the material. And I can always add supplemental stuff and extra credit assignments. NO Shakespeare, tho! I'd be teaching sophomore classes and a newsletter class.

Kristin, I'd have 24 computers in my classroom!

The interviewers were nice, but hard to read, so I think I did a good job, but I don't know. I should know one way or the other by Friday.

Vortex, if they care about money, can you institute a late fee for every assignment turned in after the deadline?

And Erin - best of luck!

NO Shakespeare, tho! I'd be teaching sophomore classes and a newsletter class.

WTFF? No Shakespeare? What the hell kind of school is this! I mean, I hope you get it and you like it, but I think you should do some guerilla Shakespeare.

Erin, I hope you get the job! Good luck. Your answer to that awful, awkward question sounds good to me.

Gronk, y'all. I got an unexpected half day off work yesterday, due to a power outage, but here I am again. Stayed up too late last night and I'm soooo tired but I can't have caffeine due to meds. Tension Tamer tea is not. cutting. it.

I read the hair grooming and bathroom discussions with extreme amusement. (ftr, I have so little hair on my legs that I don't need to shave; I do shave my pits and trim elsewhere. Have never waxed anything ever. I talk on the cell phone in my home bathroom, but not in public. During any given phone convo with one of my sibs, someone will pee. It's pretty much guaranteed.)

Vortex, they teach Shakespeare freshmen and senior year. Which probably makes many students happy, but I taught Shakey all four years; R+J frosh, Shrew soph, Othello jr, and Hamlet sr.

I have the deep teaching-Bill lurve.

Yeah, that question, I hates it. What I want to say is "They didn't renew my contract 4 days after I told them I would be out for the last month of school for major surgery, and they threw me a lame-ass "I didn't turn my lesson plans in enough" excuse. They suck, and you should be smarter than they were and HIRE me, because I'm a fucking awesome teacher, and they're morons."

But that's not politic.

Vortex, if they care about money, can you institute a late fee for every assignment turned in after the deadline?

next year, for DAMN sure. I might even do it this year. I did reserve the right to reduce their stipend.

Vortex, they teach Shakespeare freshmen and senior year. Which probably makes many students happy, but I taught Shakey all four years; R+J frosh, Shrew soph, Othello jr, and Hamlet sr.

oh, that makes me feel slightly better.

I remember R&J freshman year, Hamlet senior year We didn't read Othello. Too controversial in a Virginia school :) I am trying to remember what else, but it's escaping me. I will go to this stupid meeting and try to remember.

The only year we didn't have Shakespeare in high school was Junior year because it was an American Literature class. Romeo and Juliet freshman year, Julius Caesar sophomore year, and A Midsummer Night's Dream senior year.

Kristin, I'd have 24 computers in my classroom!

So unfair! But I'm glad the interview went well.

NO Shakespeare, tho! I'd be teaching sophomore classes and a newsletter class.

What! That's crazy talk. Only doing Shakespeare during 2 years of school seems strange. However, the school district I teach in doesn't do Shakespeare during the Junior year of English (American Lit). The play for that year is Crucible.

Yeah, that question, I hates it. What I want to say is "They didn't renew my contract 4 days after I told them I would be out for the last month of school for major surgery, and they threw me a lame-ass "I didn't turn my lesson plans in enough" excuse. They suck, and you should be smarter than they were and HIRE me, because I'm a fucking awesome teacher, and they're morons."

I think employers can often read between the lines and see all that behind the polite, politic answer. And if they like you, they think, "We have to hire her, because she worked for jerks before, but she has enough aplomb and self-control to keep her cool about it when appropriate."

Vortex, they teach Shakespeare freshmen and senior year. Which probably makes many students happy, but I taught Shakey all four years; R+J frosh, Shrew soph, Othello jr, and Hamlet sr.

When I was growing up, we had R&J frosh, Julius Caesar soph, nothing junior year because that was our American Lit year, and senior year AP classes got Macbeth and Hamlet, while I think everyone else just got Hamlet.

If I were in charge of the Alabama English curriculum, I would've put at least twice as much Shakespeare on it and mixed in some histories (well, Henry V, at least, because I'm a sucker for all the usual speeches) and comedies.