Interviews, Training, Job Offer

So, today is the last day of training. For weeks, no jobs appeared to be available in my assigned borough of Manhattan. I had sent my resume out to more than 75 schools, all of which told me there were no openings. The Fellowship, who had initially told us there’d be jobs opening up in November, has begun saying they expect more openings in January. Quitting my job and joining the Fellowship was enough of a risk – I’m not about to sit around and play wait-and-see with my job now. If my husband made more money, if we had not just bought an apartment, and if I did not have a real and serious need for health care, maybe I could wait and risk some more.

But, no. So I sent my resume out to schools in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Two schools did call me for an interview but none excited me. The school in the Bronx never called me back after a not-so-great demo lesson and then hired another Fellow. Fine by me, though, since they seem to have a problem with teacher attendance and that’s always a bad sign. The principal and assistant principals also admitted shock that their 5th graders didn’t know what adjectives were (my demo lesson) — they should know their students better.

Then I decided to send my resume to schools in Queens. I actually preferred to work there because I used to live there and it is the most diverse, immigrant-rich boroughs. However, I had heard there were few jobs there. That was a false rumor, and I’m glad I didn’t listen. Within days of sending out my resume, four schools called me. So I had an interview yesterday and have three more for next week. However —

A school I interviewed at yesterday offered me the job this morning. I’m very excited, because I liked the principal — she was the first one who interviewed me who I felt really appreciated my background and understands that, as a Fellow, I am in the process of learning to teach — and I liked the neighborhood and the school, despite being overcrowded and needing smaller buildings and trailers to hold classes.

The position is a push-in one, which means I assist the mainstream teacher in several different grades/classes by going into his/her class and teaching targeted lessons to his/her ELLs. So, I wouldn’t have my own stand-alone class. I see positives and negatives to this. I have heard, though, it’s less stressful than having your own class as a first-year teacher…. I dunno…

What if I make a mistake by taking this job before seeing the other schools?

Well, I figure, it’s a good school with what appears to be friendly staff and in a neighborhood I like. If I really hate it I can always transfer next year, though I don’t know how easy that process is.