I.T. to Teacher

I've been getting hints that a physics teacher at the school I'm subbing at won't be coming back next year. Heck, even the students are asking me if I'm going to be the physics teacher next year. So, I've just finished the application for this school and will turn it in tomorrow. I'd better start applying to Fort Worth schools and some more Houston schools or else I won't have many options when the offers (hopefully) come rolling in.

I found out that I impressed Stitch during my interview. Apparently that's not an easy thing to do. So far, so good.

So I haven't subbed yet for the school I interviewed with. In fact, I'm not even sure if I'm on their list. Even if that doesn't happen the school I've been subbing at is keeping me busy. I'm working every day this week. Tuesday was a notable day since I actually got to teach. I was subbing for a math class for 2 days under sudden circumstances so there wasn't anything prepared for me to do. The first day another math teacher figured out an assignment (read: busy work) for them to do in class. She said that tomorrow I would teach a lesson on a particular section so I should look in the book, get familiar with it, and the math teachers would help me prepare for it later. I look at the section I'll be teaching and see that it's pretty simple stuff (to me, at least). I have no doubt I can teach it, and I'm even looking forward to it. Later, she and I and another math teacher talk, and they offer to write some notes on the board for the students to copy the next day so I won't have to do anything. I tell them my background and that I'm working on my Math/Physics certification and I'm confident I can do it myself. They have no problem with that. I take a book home and jot some notes down so I'm ready for the next day.

Everything goes great. Each class would walk in and see the homework assignment on the board and ask if they're doing that in class. I would reply, "I know it's unusual when you have a sub, but you're actually going to learn something today." "Really? Are you going to lecture?" Yep. I made some stupid mistakes throughout the day (3^4 is not 87; 8*7 is not 54; again, 8*7 is not 54), but overall I had a fairly well planned lesson. I need to get the students to participate more. They participated when I gave them the chance, but I didn't give them enough opportunities. Oh, well. I imagine my first year(s) will be full of should-ofs and would-ofs.

In one class a boy joked at one point about how he was a math wizard. Later, I was multiplying 52 by 34 when I commented that you would use a calculator here (I discouraged using calculators for simple problems) unless, of course, you were a math wizard. At this point everyone laughed and looked toward the self proclaimed "wizard"... who was asleep. Someone woke him up and he got a hard time about being a wizard and not being able to stay awake. More laughter. I was pleased that I was able to banter a little with the class and not lose control. That is one thing I worry about; I want to be able to joke with my students, since that's the way I am, but I will have to do it while still being The Teacher.

This day was good. It showed me that I will be able to do this once I get the certification and job search rituals behind me.

I got an email from Stitch asking if I would be available to start subbing immediately. I said yes, of course. It will be good to get some public school experience since the odds are good I'll be teaching at one sooner or later. I guess they either liked me or they're hard up for subs. We'll hope for the former.

Yesterday, the day after my interview, I started the next module in my ITT training. Of course it talked about what to expect in the interview. It even had a list of questions to ask during the interview. That would have been good to know, oh, before the interview. Oh well.

The module also described how my attitude toward teaching will vary my first year.

Aug. = Anticipation
Sept. - Oct. = Survival
Nov. - Jan. = Disillusionment
Feb. - Mar. = Rejeuvenation
Apr. - Jun. = Reflection
Jul. = Anticipation

So, teachers out there, is this accurate? The First Year Teacher blogger says that around the holidays she feels like she can't go on being a teacher. Sounds like the disillusionment phase is correct. I would have thought that the Apr. - June time would have a feeling of relief rather than reflection. What do you teacher think?

I had to laugh, under their Keys to Success it says that I will have no life. "You need to prepare and you need sleep. That is all you have time for!" Sounds like fun.

I think the interview went well. I was interviewed by two deans who we'll call Stitch and Coach. Stitch lead the interview which was held in her office. Neither of the deans had a math background, which I found odd since I'm being considered for a math position.

Stitch and I talked about my background and why I want to be a teacher. I was expecting this question. I tried and tried to find a way to avoid the cliche "I want to do something more fulfilling/meaningful/worthwhile/etc", but I couldn't. I said something along the lines of wanting my hard work to have a purpose beyond making money for a company, but somewhere in there "fulfilling" slipped out. I could have kicked myself for being so cliche (I hate being cliche), but both deans nodded to themselves and Stitch commented that that was a reason she became a teacher. Oh well, maybe cliches are what they want to hear.

Coach arrived after we talked about my background. She asked me about my experience with at-risk kids. I told her my teaching experience consists of a month of subbing. She looked a little confused (I don't know why, she had already looked over my resume) so Stitch explained my background. Coach changed tack and gave me an example of an at-risk kid (someone who is not up to grade level in a subject) and asked me how I would deal with them. I said I would talk to the student and try to figure out what was going on, and I would solicit advise from other teachers. They liked the part about asking other teachers for help.

I was asked how I would deal with students persistently talking during my lecture time. I said I would give warnings, then move them and set up a seating chart if necessary. They liked that answer.

I had been asked to prepare a lesson plan for 1 class period for a concept of my choosing as well as prepare to demonstrate how I would teach a topic. I wasn't told ahead of time that the topics should be the same. I prepared a lesson plan and homework handout on polynomial multiplication (remember FOIL anyone?), and I prepared a 10 minute lecture on vectors. Coach commented that my lesson plan had a nice layout. I'm guessing that's a good thing. They didn't have any questions about it or suggestions for it so I guess they liked it. After they looked at my plan Stitch asked me to talk about how I would teach the concept. I told them I had prepared a lecture on vectors using a chalkboard, but I can teach polynomials too. I pulled out another lesson plan and started talking about how I would teach polynomials (good think I can think fast).

At the start of my lesson plan I spend 5 minutes reminding the students about the distributive property. I was asked what I would do if a student had been absent and had missed the distributive property. For those of you who don't remember your math, missing the distributive property means you've missed at least Jr. High math, if not more. I didn't point that out. I just said I'd put more examples on the board for the class to work on their own while I helped the student who was behind. They seemed to like that answer.

After I talked about polynomials Stitch asked me to teach them vectors. Vectors are a more visual lesson than polynomials which is why I chose them. I figured I'd have a chalk/whiteboard to draw arrows on. Nope. I waved my hands in the air a lot while explaining vectors, and I think I got the point across, but it's hard without a chalk/whiteboard.

I was asked what my hobbies were since they're looking to round out their staff with people who can coach or sponsor a club. All 3 of us had running in common. I didn't mention that by the time the school year rolls around I'll be deep into training for my 50 mile race I'm planning in October. By then my life will be teach, run, sleep, repeat. There will be no room for hobbies.

The time came when I was asked if I had any questions. I didn't have questions because I didn't know what to ask. Well that won't do so I made a comment about it being hard to know what to ask since I've never done this before while I was trying to think of something, anything, to ask. I came up with a couple of questions that sounded good. I already knew the answers to them (from my friend who teaches at the school), but that they didn't know I already knew the answers.

Coach asked me if I would be willing to help out with the technology side of the school since they only have 2 people doing tech for the whole school. What could I say? I wanted to say no since I've been told that once they know you know computers you're stuck helping everyone with their computers (that's from you, RGB). I couldn't say no, though, since it's an interview and I didn't want to come across as unhelpful. I think I figured out a good answer. I said I would, but I was hesitant to do it since I'll be so busy my first year just learning how to teach. I gave a mental Kirk Gibson fist pump to that one.

Overall I think it went well. They said there will probably be another interview since it's still early in the process of hiring for next year (maybe there will be a math person at the next interview?). I'm taking that as a good sign.

Hat Tip to Puls for all the help preparing. I'm sure you recognize some of my answers above.

I have a job interview in a week and a half! I was woken up by a phone call this morning from the school where my friend distributed my resume. Fortunately, my years of being on-call as a SA gave me the ability to sound awake when I answer the phone, even though I'm not. That, and I can go from sleeping to alert very quickly when I have to.

On the phone was someone from the school who said she had seen my resume and wanted to schedule an interview (here I'm thinking "for a sub position") for a math teacher position.

Oh... I wasn't expecting that.

Ok, let's do it. We schedule a time and I'm told that I'll be presenting a lesson plan for a class period and demonstrating how I would teach a concept of my choosing. I say it sounds great and I'm looking forward to it. So that's a little inaccurate. I'm actually nervous and not sure how to do any of that. I'll be calling my teacher friends this week for help.

I worked through the introductory module for ITT. It was really just helping me get a feel for how the modules work. I can do at most 1 module per week, and I have 6 months to do all 10. Once I get access to the next module I'll have a better idea how difficult the content is.

Tomorrow my resume and cover letter will be delivered to a local public high school by a teacher I know there (who is doing me a huge favor). The intention is both to get on their sub list so I can have some of the public school experience (lovely, I'm sure), and to possibly get an interview of sorts early in the process. Right now they probably don't even know what positions will be available next year, but hopefully as they figure it out they'll be keeping me in mind. We'll see how that goes.

I was teaching math classes today. Ok, so I was watching math classes take a test today. In one of the classes there was a girl who wasn't doing well on the test. She was sitting near me and I could see her skipping a lot of questions. About halfway through the period (about half of the tests were turned in by this point) she all of a sudden looks around and then asks me, with a hint of desperation, if she can go to the restroom. I tell her she can go when she finishes the test. She doesn't really like the answer, but accepts it. After she turns her test in, the last to do so and having skipped most of the questions leaving a note to the teacher saying she forgot how to do them, she proceeds to pull out her iPod and chat with her friends. Nary a mention of the restroom. "Hmmmm...," I think to myself, "was she wanting to go to the restroom to 'remember' how to do the problems?" Beats me. Makes me glad I don't let kids leave the room during tests.

Remember being sneaky in high school? The teacher has so many people to watch they can't see everything, right? It's enlightening to see things from the front of the room. I'm surprised at how obvious it is when kids are being sneaky. It's like the old saying that parents probably know a lot more about what you're doing than they let on. It's certainly true with teachers.

Some examples...

• If your hand is hidden from me and you're staring at it, there's probably a cell phone in it.
• If you're looking intently at something in your lap and casting furtive glances at me, I'm going to come and see what it is.
• I'm sure you put your review sheet face up on the floor on "accident."
• Yes, I saw you carefully place your vocab book in your backpack so when a flap is knocked aside it will be in the perfect position to read from.
• If you're acting suspicious when I can't see you well and normal when I can, I'm going to stay where I can see you.
• Yes, I see the iPod you think you're hiding. Sometimes I just don't care enough to tell you to put it away.
• Yes, I know you are texting when you're trying to look like you're digging in your purse.
• I'm not deaf and you're not as quiet as you think you are.

What do you think I am, stupid? Oh right, I'm just a teacher.

I got an email today saying I've been accepted into the I Teach Texas program (hereafter: ITT. Note the lack of "Tech" at the end of that.). My next steps are to pay them the "I actually do want to take your program" access fee and sign and send a form back to them. Done, and working on it. Within a week of sending the form back to them I should get a letter saying I've been officially accepted. I can show this letter to schools so they'll know they can hire me since I'm working on becoming certified.