BYU Teacher Fair

Ok people, yesterday was INSANE! I requested a substitute teacher for Friday because I had to go to the teacher fair at BYU. Wow, teacher fairs area crazy!

 First, let me tell you about Thursday. When I told my students that I wouldn't be at school on Friday, they naturally asked why. This was the conversation that followed:
Me: Well, I have to go to this fair so that I can have a job next year.
Students: WHAT!?!? You aren't going to be here next year!?!?!? You can't leave. You are such a great teacher!!!
Me: (Sighs because I know that I've told them this before) No, I wont be here. This is only an intern spot. They don't have a position open for me for next year.
 Students: So, if another English teacher leaves, then you will be able to stay?
Me: Yeah, I guess so.
Students: OK, who can we sabotage???
:)

 I'm flattered that my kids want to keep me around.

 Anyway, onto the teacher fair. I got there right as it started, 9:00am baby! It was already packed and I had no idea where to go. The days before the fair, I had made plans of the top districts I wanted to visit and a few I wanted to interview with.

Well, with all the madness I didn't get to interview with all of them, but in the end I did have 6 interviews total at the following schools/districts:
-ALA (its a charter school in Arizona)
-Davis county School District (Farmington/Kaysville area)
-Granite School District (Salt Lake area)
-Box Elder School District (semi-rural Utah)
-Duchesne School District (in rural Utah)
- Jefferson School District (Rexburg, Idaho area)

 The only other district that I was sad to not interview with was Salt Lake School District. Others, like Alpine and Jordan School Districts, weren't interviewing at the teacher fair.

 I wont go into a ton of detail about the interviews. Really there was only one that I felt I didn't do well in because it was so stiff-feeling. I do better in a more natural, conversational interview. Really, I rocked the other interviews, and I had 3 interviewers specifically tell me that I did a fantastic job on the screening interview. :) Yay!

 I had to be honest with some of the districts. Duchesne, for example, I explained my hesitation because I need to be somewhere where I can be social. The woman I interviewed with was awesome and she was able to convince me a little more to keep that district open as an option. In fact, she wants me to come out some time in the next few weeks to see the schools and meet principals who are looking for English teachers (yeah, I guess I made a pretty great impression on her). But...still, we are talking about rural Utah here. Probably not my first choice, but I am keeping my options open. Who knows where the Lord has planned for me to end up.

 More than anything, this experience helped me gain confidence that I will be able to get a job for this next year. People enjoy talking to me in interviews, and I think I give them a positive yet honest reflection of myself. The job hunt is still going on, but at least now I have a few more good contacts.