happy thoughts

so, imagine a school district that is ranked in the top 100 across the nation, top 10 in the state, #1 in its region... great academic reputation. fantastic mission statement - includes words like "integrity" and "respect" and "community" but with lots of other cool stuff around them - and phenominal staff (with phds and publications and whatnot). even has a diverse student body that apparently - gasp! - gets along within the various cultures. new building, with offices for department heads and conference rooms for department meetings. beautiful classrooms... average class size =14. starting salary - bachelor's degree, no experience - runs at $35,400.

yeah, i interviewed there today. it was a wonderful thing... made me remember what the other side looks like. it also made me feel a little bit like "ghetto girl," going to the store, asking for spare change. the whole time, i was afraid i was going to slip and say "tru dat" or "scraight." i kept waiting for them to tell me that i would have to visit ISS during my prep period or that the copier would be broken every third day or that i should watch for signs of fights brewing in my classroom and around school. GET THIS: when i left, i just walked out the door. there were no codes, no barbed wire fences, no security guards to argue with. i was very out of my element, but i think i hid it throughout the interview and post-interview. but i rocked, so it's all good.

so, happy thoughts for faith. prayers, good karma, animal sacrifice... whatever it is you do, toss some my way. i should know by april 20th or so, one way or another.