Incidents in the life of.....

Wednesday, June 16, 2004

I'm thrilled

I began my trek through the Mississippi Delta in search of a job yesterday. I put in applications with Yazoo City, Yazoo County, Cleveland, Bolivar County, Tunica, Tunica County, Clarksdale, and Coahoma County. I got really good vibes from Yazoo County. I liked the principal at the middle school. I didn't get and opportunity to talk to the principal at the high school, but I left my app and resume with the secretary. She was a black lady and she had gospel playing in the background. That was a plus. (We will look past the fact that she has a gheri curl!!) The man at the middle school was quite impressed with my resume and said he would hire me, despite my pending Praxis scores. He also said they pay 29. It was my turn to be quite impressed. He was nice. I got to talk to some of the teachers and they seemed to like it. I talked to them one on one, so they really had no reason to lie. I like Yazoo County Middle. I interviewed in Cleveland with the personnel director. He was frat so that might help. He was cute too. I left him my resume. He told me to send the app back in. The guy at Yazoo City high school said he had an opening and was interested in me. I completed my app and he told me to take one to the central office. He taped my resume to his desk. However, the position at his school is pending. The teacher is in the running for assistant principal. If she doesnt get it, there wont be an opening. I did not like Clarksdale. No one said anything out of the ordinary; I just did not like it. I was thinking let me hurry up and get the hell away from here. I took my app with me and prolly won't send it back in. I do not want to live there. Looks like we won't be going to Tunica. The only opening is at an alternative school. They want a veteran to fill it. No prob with me.
As I was driving through the delta, all i could think was these people really are poor. Of course I went to school with a few people from the delta, but I would have never imagined they went home to that. Those towns are so poor. They need more than teachers. They didnt have for real stores. The gas stations were called something like pop's gas. I felt so bad for those people. When I went to Shelby to put in an app, Idrove by the central office three times bc it looked like a house. The people were really friendly, but really impoverished at the same time. It was one of those times I wish there was something I could do. I can teach there, but could I really do it without going crazy? I don't know ladies. Maybe after I am seasoned, but not fresh out of school. My desire isn't that strong. It's really rough. It's beyond poor. The people seemed as if they didn't know they were living in poverty.
Brighter things, I talked to this lady at the State Dept. She said she got an e-mail from kh's principal about an opening in the english dept. and he is specifically looking for an African American female. That would be me. She sent him my referrel and odds are I will get the job. If my test scores prove unsatisfactory, she will issue me an emergency certificate and i can still teach. So now, pretty much it's up to me to choose yazoo or kh's district. My job search has officially ended. Well, it will when I go talk to the superintendent in the latter district. Ha. I'm thrilled.
Now I'm in Memphis so I am going to enjoy my best friend and the days leading up to my 22nd birthday!

Posted by Nik :: 6/16/2004 :: 2 Comments: