Thank You Letter

Dear School District,
I just wanted to write to you to thank you for wasting all of our time. Your 50% music position will most likely be a boon to someone much closer--say a student near there or a stay at home mom. That's why I called before driving 1.5 hours and 4 gallons of gas. An interview that would have been a waste of time, and me out, almost $40 just in gas. I'm really going to move that far for a 50% position for which I had to call you and ask the right questions upfront.

Is this a new position? Yes.
What's the pay that I would be getting half of? Half of whatever the flyer said.
Are there benefits? No.

Can you imagine moving an hour and a half for that BS? Yeah. Me either.

Missing Out

I relaxed on the job search this last week, and delayed getting applications in for 3 jobs in my area. One of the jobs was at a school where I wasn't selected for an interview. The girl who got the job and I compared notes about our positions and we felt that we would have been happier if we had switched positions--she was more interested in classical and had a stronger background in piano than I did. I was more interested in teaching pop and boradway because it's more fun for me, the students and the audience.

I shouldn't have relaxed this week of all weeks when no one is doing anything else. How dumb could I be? The jobs now seem to be closed--at least they aren't posted anymore. That was really dumb. But after my experience last year with things going so badly, I'm not even sure what I want to do. Do I even want to teach anymore?

Someone recommended working at the container store or even becoming a part-time Starbucks barrista while I substitute teach just to have benefits. There could be n opening midyear with someone who didn't fare as well as all had hoped in a new position. Going back to substitute teaching will show that I'm dedicated to teaching but I could probably make more money as a secretary. I feel like such a bohemian.

Job Search Surprises

Wouldn't you know it? There's an opening in an unexpected place. I met the choir teacher last year that got the job I wanted. After talking to her and hearing of her discontent with her position, it sounded like we should switch jobs. She had a more classical background and the kids were used to doing musicals and pop. I have a classical backgraound, but I also love--I mean really love--musicals and pop. It's perfectly legitimate to me to use pop songs to get kids interested in singing. Unfortunately, at my present job, they hated everything I was trying. They didn't realize how good they sounded singing songs from Grease because they thought they didn't sound as good as they used to. It's true, they didn't, but they still sounded good. If only they had given it a chance!! In any case, maybe we will end up switching jobs! Or not. It all remains to be seen. Last year I didn't even get an interview.

It's Not Me, It's YOU!

Have you ever got involved in a relationship and once you were commited it just wasn't working? I'm in just such a situation now and, well, it's not working. Only it isn't a romantic relationship, it's a job!

I know where I have gone wrong, but I have to shift the blame alot to them. I walked into the situation naively thinking things would all work out in the end. I had no books, no accompanist, no list of performances, no list of expectations, no list of prior repertoire, didn't have the same kids because most quit choir as soon as the other teacher said he was leaving, and there wasn't anyone holding my hand to make sure everything went OK.

How messed up is it? Well, I never would have gone into it if the job description had been accurate--and I told them this in my letter of recommendation. Well, apparently they haven't and won't learn anything anytime soon. They really think I'm the problem. But the problem I have is that they asked me to teach a class that I wasn't expecting to teach--piano. Why didn't they SAY they were looking for a choir and piano teacher?

Well, wouldn't you know it, this time around the flyer says the same thing, choral music teacher. Some people never learn--but I've learned something. It's not always my fault, and that's important to know. Sometimes you can walk into a sick system that isn't going to get better anytime soon. They want to think I'm the problem, well let them.

I have to admit, it was really discouraging to find the job posting flyer in my box today. Soon everyone will know. It will leak to the kids and that will be it. Some might be happy about me moving on. Some are going to be devastated. Sure, they were bad, but maybe they were so bad because they thought I woud always be there, kind of like they do with their parents.

Part of me wants to storm into the office and ask them if they are crazy. But the other part of me is making sure I take all my stuff with me and making sure I hide all the piano books so the next person does just as much freaking out as I did, tearing through all the filing cabinets looking for all the stuff, just like I did. It's not so much doing that to the person, but doing that to the district. I will also be sure to let them leave lots of messages for me. I'm really horrible at calling people back, Lord knows! Oopsy! I swear it's all there in the office. I didn't take a thing. ;)