3rd Grade Is Overrated

You know where this is going...

So it is down to 2 of us, out of 100 and I am waiting for the final interview before the actual real 3rd grade teacher is chosen. 

So I sit down and instead of 7 this time there were only 2 people interviewing me. Things are going along very nicely and about 3 questions in the principal asks me, "Are you even nervous because you sure don't seem to be" I admitted that I was indeed nervous. I took it as a good sign that I was acting calm cooled and collective. I felt like the three of us had good chemistry which means we would work well together and our personalities clicked. I felt like things were going smoothly and I felt like I was representing myself well. The answers were easy and I felt confident. Right before the end he ruined my day week year life.

The kiss of interviewing death came...

He gave me the "I am preparing you for rejection speech" It goes something like this, "I am in a hard situation because we have two amazing candidates that would do a fantastic job. I believe they ALWAYS say this to the last candidates regardless of if it is true I would be more than happy to have either of you on my staff. See above blue writing. Now I stared to brace myself because I knew the worst had yet to come I know people go home and second guess their answers or think of something else they should have said, but don't do that because everything you said was spot on. Meaning you will be getting a rejection in which you will think of everything you did "wrong" Also, here it comes..dun dun dun if you are not chosen for this position I encourage you to continue to apply in our district....and the rest was static in my brain. I am pretty sure my whole body slumped because I knew at that very moment my dreams of having this perfect job in an amazing school in a dream district would not be mine after all.

I know this line all too well. We are not picking you so I am going to give you a sweet little pep talk in order to soften the blow for people that believe it, but for people that can read between the lines it is the worst way to end and interview because you know that you are doomed before you even leave. 

So he said he would let me know by that evening. A whole dramatic horror happened that distracted me from the fact that HE DID NOT CALL!!! I assumed that I had heard him wrong and that in fact he did not say he would call us that night and brushed it off. In the morning (I was still in bed) my phone rang. I did not answer knowing the bad news and wanted to sleep in my happy world filled with hope that maybe this time I would get my dream job for just a little longer before those dreams were shattered. I got up soon after and begrudgingly listened to the message that I knew would make me grumpy for the rest of the day. Got swamped yesterday. Couldn't call. Hard decision. Moving forward. Other candidate. Best of luck. 5th grade opening. Should apply. Call me with questions. Or e-mail...Click

Here is the sad part. One of the questions he asked me was, "speak from your heart and be perfectly honest, what grade level is your dream grade level." I told him I was a primary teacher. My heart is with the primary grade and then went on to a long explanation. On my rejection message he encouraged me to apply to a part time 5th grade position at their school. Of course I would teach ANY grade, but in the interview I admitted that I was a primary teacher at heart so even if I apply (which I did) I don't think he will hire me because by saying I was a primary teacher at heart it is implied that I am NOT a secondary teacher at heart (read= I suck at teaching or don't enjoy teaching older kids) so by being honest in my interview I doomed myself for the next position. It was actually a cruel question to ask in an economy where teachers don't have the luxury of picking a favorite grade and are just happy with anything they can get.

Trying not to be totally depressed I will say I am happy I have a job (at a school) where I can go back to on Tuesday even of it isn't my dream job...

You though this story was over, not so....

Here is where the story gets REALLY INTERESTING!!! He was supposed to call me last night (which I mentioned above), but didn't because he got busy(?) So I sat by my phone all night until a gunshot distracted me. And then another gunshot that fired let me forget all about the phone call for the job....

Next blog, A murderer on the loose (a true and horrifying story that really makes me want to move)