Thursday 3 December 2009

Circles

Apologies in advance...this isn't going to be the cheeriest post, my positivity seems to have deserted me at the moment :-(

Anyway, yesterday I went for an interview. Unlike my previous interview that I posted about a couple of weeks ago, not many people knew about this one. Partly because I didn't want to get my expectations up, and also partly because the time scale was so short...I received an answerphone message and email on Monday afternoon, inviting me for interview and to teach a 30 minute lesson on Wednesday morning! So yesterday, I got suited and booted and went along to the school. I taught my lesson which I felt went ok, but not brilliantly and then had my interview, which included a couple of tricky questions, but nothing which left me completely lost! With the interview over, the head, and assistant head thanked me for coming and told me I'd find out their decision later that day.

And about four hours later the phone rang. I'd not been waiting by it all day (I'd done some Christmas shopping to kill time and had only recently returned home) but I was still eager to take the call. It was the headteacher, and she informed me that I...hadn't got the job. She offered feedback; said my lesson was good and gave me pointers on a couple of areas for improvement (things that I normally actually do when I teach, but seemed to have got lost in my nerves) and asked if they could keep my details on file. So far, so positive. But the thing that really got to me was the reason I didn't get the job...they went for a "more experienced" candidate. Now, I know I was trying to be positive about this situation a couple of weeks ago, so if you want to call me a hypocrite for moaning about it now, I won't mind...you'd be well within your rights to do so. But anyway, getting back on track, the reason I'm so annoyed is because there's nothing I can do about my lack of experience unless someone gives me a job! It's turning into a vicious circle: I don't have enough experience so I miss out on jobs, but because I can't get a job I can't get the experience I so desperately need! As strange as it sounds, I'd much rather someone tell me I wasn't a good enough candidate to get the job. There's 1001 ways I can become a better teacher: attending courses, reading books and official publications and applying their insights to my work, trying new things when I'm on supply, watching more experienced teachers and taking advice from them etc etc. But there's only one way I can gain more experience of being a full time class teacher, and that's by getting a job as one!

Suppose I've just got to keep on looking; as for every door that I knock on and get turned away, I must be getting closer to the one that will let me in. So hopefully you'll indulge me and allow me my little moan, promise I'll be more cheery soon! :-)

6 comments:

  1. Ugh, I hate that "you don't have the experience" thing. How else can you get the damn experience? There is no other way!

    I suppose my point is, I feel your pain! Keeping hanging in there though - you're too awesome to be sad.

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  2. I hate that whole 'lack of experience' thing, it really pisses me off. Big hug, hope you're not feeling too down sunshine!

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  3. I HATE hearing that! One way to think about it is...if they want someone with more experience it is because they don't want to spend as much time helping them along the way. You definitely don't want a job where they aren't going to put their full effort into working with you and helping you improve. You want a school that is going to help you grow!

    I'm still searching for that right school...but I know eventually we will run smack into them :)

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  4. Gah, I've never had to teach as part of an interview. I would have croaked!

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  5. hi jules! i got the "lack of experience" thing too when i got rejected for teaching jobs. but wow, they actually have you teach a lesson and observe you as part of your interview? wow, that's tough... i don't think i would've survived it as i'm already a huge bundle of nerves on interviews alone.

    i agree with rachael about that school. you definitely don't want a school that will hire a more "experienced" teacher so that they won't have to work harder to help someone grow professionally. i know you'll find your perfect school jules :)

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  6. Miss Peregrin and Sarah: I know, that's what makes it so frustrating! Thanks for the support, am feeling much better now! :-)

    Rachael: Thank you...your comment really helped me to see my situation in a different light and made me feel much better. Fingers crossed you find your perfect school soon too!

    Elizabeth: I know, it's not ideal...especially when I was meant to have 30 minutes to teach and I ended up with 20 instead!

    Michelle: I hate that, it's so unfair!Teaching in interviews is tricky, especially when you don't have that long to prepare. I kind of tune out from people watching me though, I got used to it on my teaching course! I get really nervy in the actual interview though...I just babble! Thanks...fingers crossed I do soon!

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