Oxymorons

I have sent out over 100 resumes out for teaching-related positions alone. I've had four phone interviews, and seven in-person interviews.

Apparently the job-market is tough. I went on an interview today and was told at the end that they would be interviewing ten people, and then there would be call backs for a second round. In the meantime, school starts Monday.

I was at a Multicultural Indigenous Academy in St. Paul. It's a charter school, and I've come to the conclusion that charter schools in Minnesota have a completely different flavor than those in New York (or at least the one I was a part of where the only focus was marked achievement). Charter schools here are more along the line of niche schools - and this ones niche was "interculturalism". I'm not sure why they didn't call it Intercultural Academy, but it seems that its a new word/education philosophy being developed where not simply all cultures are embraced (as taught in multiculturalism), but students are taught to first know themselves, identify their own heritage - and not assimilate but learn to keep his/her culture identity. I was completely on board with the philosophy.

But then again, I don't really trust myself in longer, I seem to hop on board anything.

Whatever the philosophy is, I'm unsure how it meshes with the student population. It it a gritty population with a lot of needs. Exactly the kind of place I like to teach because its not just about teaching English, which it never was that for me. . . it is about the kids.

Except these aren't kids, these are high schoolers, some parents. It's a different ball game.

The director of the school was in a golf shirt, shorts, and was barefoot. He was earnest and wanted me to be earnest as well. He had an outline of questions and it was clear they were simply looking for the "right fit." I used to hate that phrase, especially because I was the wrong "fit" at my last job. But I'm starting to understand the idea and I felt less pressure because ideally, I want the right fit as well.

In the end, my interview was interrupted by a tornado. The one interviewer began scurrying around in circles muttering something about checking the computer, man down in Minneapolis, etc. My other interviewer called his kids while I sat and wondered if the tornado was a sign "for" or "against" the job.