A Guarded "WooHoo!"

Finally!!! I have been called for an interview for a job in the subject area of my preference, and at a school system where I think I could really enjoy making a difference. I am trying to keep perspective, and to keep from getting my hopes up or my heart set on this job. I tell myself that a lesser-qualified person will most likely be hired because that is the reality I have been facing for the past year. My master's degree has kept me from being hired, according to the people who have been gracious enough to speak candidly with me about what would have made me a better candidate for jobs I haven't gotten. It is hard to hear, "we would have preferred to hire you because you were the best qualified, but we just can't afford to hire you."

Kentucky public schools have salary schedules that include pay increases according to the level of education achieved, and the years of experience attained. I am more expensive to hire because I have a master's degree, so it is more financially beneficial to school districts to hire lesser-educated candidates for jobs. It is ironic that in the education industry, it is EDUCATION that can prevent job acquisition. Yet, I wouldn't have the salary schedules thrown out, because it would probably erase any hope of teachers being paid equitably.

It is a sad reality that I completely understand, and even empathize, with those who have passed me over for jobs. I would have made the same regretful decisions in their place. It is simply reality that we have to be mindful of budgets in these times of tough economic straits. In an ideal world, we would make all educational decisions, even hiring and firing of teachers, based solely upon the best interests of the students; we do not live in an ideal world, and sometimes there simply is not enough funding to do what is in the best interest of the students. For most people in education, that is a very bitter pill to swallow because most of us are educators because of an intense desire to help students achieve at their highest level.

It's that desire that has made the past year so difficult. It's hard to help students succeed if you are unemployed. I yearn to be in the trenches of education--the classroom. I love to learn, and love to help others learn. The moment that a student finally gets a concept that has been so difficult, their "lightbulb" moment, and knowing I helped them make the connection that brought light--well, that's the most satisfying feeling I have ever felt. It is hard to describe.  It is at that moment that I feel as though I am in the right place, doing the right thing, and at the right time. Those are the perfect moments that I treasure.

It has been a difficult year because I truly love kids, especially those at the middle school level. The hilarity of the classroom on an hourly basis is irresistible to me. I love and treasure all those spontaneous moments that are so funny that the whole classroom erupts with laughter. Laughing with students help create a bond of love that lets students relax in the classroom, and know that they are loved, mistakes and all. It helps them to know that it isn't the end of the world if they get a wrong answer. We can laugh it off, start again, and better remember the right answer because of the memory of laughing over the wrong ones.

I like to share the hilarious moments from previous classes with students. Some have encouraged me to write a book of them; some have even told me that I should be a stand-up comic because of how they love my funny stories. I like how humor helps kids to remember content. I think that we have lost too much of our sense of humor in education. We are faced with the seemingly impossible task of teaching more content in less time and to higher standards; it has made us take ourselves too seriously. That robs learning of its fun. The reason I have always loved learning is the fun of it.

In the unlikely event that I actually get the job, I pledge to myself and my future students that I will not take myself too seriously, and that we WILL laugh together. Because we will laugh together, we will learn together. I will release a guarded, "WooHoo!" in anticipation of the love, laughter, and learning, and hope that I can once again make a difference, Lord willing.