Panther Pride

I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!! I'm officially a 7th grade Language Arts teacher. I just found out last Wednesday.

I went on an interview 2 Wednesdays ago and I was up for either the 8th grade or 7th grade position. Luckily, this is the school I student taught at so I was a bit more comfortable than most. That is, until I walked into the interview room. It was every person I had previously worked with sitting at a table across from me, or a "jury of my peers", as I joke. I had never been so nervous. I think at that moment I would have preferred complete strangers.

I left the interview feeling confident, but knowing that there were more qualified people that they would see that day. The principal told me that I would hear something that afternoon. I went on to work, late, and checked my phone every 5 minutes. (Did I mention that we're not allowed to have our phones in the pharmacy, "allegedly"?) Finally, between 4 and 5 the principal called me and said I was up against one other person for the 7th grade position. Is that better than getting told I do/don't have the job, or worse? Anyway, they wanted to see me the next day. I went in again and this time it was only grade level, subject specific teachers in the room. I answered all their questions and even fired off a few of my own, and as i got ready to leave, I walked out of the room and saw my competition. Are you kidding? Here's how it went...I student taught the first semester of this past school year. My competition student taught the second semester next door to where I student taught. Two rookies. May the best woman win.

I'm kidding, but that really is the way it went. I waited all day Thursday and Friday, and by the weekend I wasn't so confident. Monday rolled around and by Tuesday night I couldn't sleep. I knew I blew it. I woke up from little sleep on Wednesday morning and put on a brave face and called the middle school to "follow-up". The secretary said, "When they make a decision I'm sure they'll call you!" I got in my car, and the check engine light was on. Of course it was! What else could go wrong? So I called and complained to Jason about it, and about 10 minutes before I was supposed to be at work my phone rang. It was a representative from Northwest ISD calling to extend an offer. My reaction? I screamed in the phone "ARE YOU KIDDING ME???" He said, "I'll take that as a yes?" Idiot!! After that all I heard was blah blah blah. He said some things that I'm sure were important, but my heart was beating out of my chest and I was trying to drive between my own lines and try not to use the other lane's lines to the best of my ability. I'm not even sure when I start. Oh well, I got the job.

It's bittersweet. I'm leaving the comfort of the pharmacy for something I've worked so hard for so long for. I'm going from the top the bottom. It's gonna be hard, but I'm sure I'll survive. And it doesn't hurt that I student taught with the 6th graders too, so I know most of them. Stay tuned, I'm sure I'll have great student stories. You know what they say, kids say the darndest things.