Aurora Cormier

^ Nice, enjoy it

Aurora Cormier

Well, tonight was disappointing. A coordinator of an ESL school contacted me yesterday to ask if I wanted an appointment with the principal today, if I was interested in working there (we had already talked a few months ago). I said I was, she said she'd tell me what time to go. Then she didn't contact me all day. Until it tonight, when she said the principal said it was pointless to make me an offer since they're not starting any new groups, so there are no classes for me. WHY did she contact me before knowing about that?

And remember that exam I took, that I had to teach a class and they'd evaluate it? Well, I took two different exams, for different classes, one was to teach high school and the other was to teach at a human resources course. The high school one I knew I wouldn't get, I think I told you about it, I had 15 minutes to speak and I was done in 5. My grade was 20 points lower than the other candidate. There was only one opening so, she got it.

The human resources one, though, pissed me off. When I took the high school exam, I prepared exercises for the examiners, as if they were students. When I gave them the exercises, they said it wasn't necessary (that was why my class only took 5 minutes, I thought I was supposed to make it feel like a real class would be, so exercises and checking those exercises was part of it. They didn't want it, so, I had nothing left to do). For the human resources, I was gonna bring a text with an exercise too. But my printer wasn't working, so I thought, you know what, last time they didn't even look at what I prepared, so, whatever. Yeah, I know, stupid me, should've known better. When I got there, I was much better than the first exam, because the topic demanded a bit more explanation, so I wasn't done in 5 minutes like the other time. I felt better prepared, I thought my slides were good and my explanation was clear. However, there were two problems: 1) again, I wanted to demonstrate what a real class would be like. In a real class, I demand student participation, so I asked them questions. They didn't like that. "We can't participate". Seriously, why the hell do you want a demo class if you won't let me demonstrate? And problem 2) "But don't you have any text with you?", so I explained what happened with my printer. I guess that was my mistake, I always speak too much in my life, I should've just said no, period. But no, I explained my problem and they were like but couldn't you have attached it to the slides? (I actually didn't think of that, stupid I know), so I decided to just show them the text where I got it, online (it was projected on the big screen the same ay it would've been in the slides). Two of the three women seemed to be okay with everything, but one of them (the coordinator) seemed to be very disappointed that I didn't bring the text, even though I still managed to show them the text anyway. I explained that the last time I was there they said my exercises were unnecessary, so when I couldn't bring it this time I didn't think it would be such a problem. Anyway, I was able to improvise, and I thought well great at least these ones want to see the exercise and we'll be able to do it together so they see what it's actually like to use what I just explained. Right? NO. The minute I showed them the exercise after the text (that she wanted so much), what did they say?? IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO DO THE EXERCISE.

SO WHY THE **** DID YOU MAKE SUCH A BIG DEAL ABOUT MY BRINGING A ****ING TEXT?????

It's because that shows I wasn't fully prepared, obviously. I get that that would lower my grade a little, in comparison with other candidates. But that certainly does NOT justify the super low grade I got. Because, with the exception of not bringing ONE freaking printed text that WASN'T EVEN USED ONCE I SHOWED IT ON SCREEN, everything else went well. I seriously don't know what else they were expecting.

And you know what else is funny? *I* was the ONLY candidate. The other two never showed up, and I didn't pass because they gave me the lowest grade they could because of the freaking text.

And what's funnier is that this isn't even the best school ever, I mean, my boyfriend went there to get his IT certificate and he knew more than some of the teachers. So, yeah, I must REALLY suck if I'm not good enough for their standards.

It's not the first time I try to get a job at this school. The other time was a looooong time ago, 8 years ago, and even then I was disappointed, I was the first on the list and they never hired me, or anyone. It's their thing, doing these exams which you have to pay for, just to get people's money and then not hire anyone. I knew I shouldn't have tried it again, but I'm tired of being unemployed, so I thought I'd give it a shot. So stupid

I'm really angry at everything, but most of all I'm angry at myself. Because yeah, I know those weren't the best lessons I ever taught, I KNOW I didn't prepare myself enough for them to be the best, everything was last minute, and that was mostly because, deep down, I didn't really want the job all that much. I just wanted to not be unemployed anymore. Because I wanna do things, buy things, go places, move forward with my life, and I have no money to pay for anything. I feel ridiculous whenever I need money from my parents to buy stuff that is just for me, I feel even more ridiculous when I'm going out just with friends and Mateus isn't going and he asks if I need any money (he means well, he wants to help, but no). I just want this to stop. But at the same time, the idea of going back to a classroom...it's not what I want anymore. What do I want, then? Yeah. No idea. Because I never did anything else, so I don't KNOW how to do anything else. And, being honest, I don't even know if I was ever very good at teaching to begin with.

Sorry for the longest rant ever, but I have no one to talk about this

CYtana

My Dad & brother work for a school and based on their stories, I thought the people running that school are crazy. All schools must be the same.

Sorry everything was a hot mess but you seem to know what you want and it's not teaching, that is a job that's very hard to do if you don't love it.

hathaross

Hey guys

How are you all? How the summer is going? Well, not summer for Ju, sorry

Ju, I think you need to think about what do you want to do, You are downhearted and you need something that motivates you. You have been teaching but maybe there is something that you also like and you can do it.
Take your time to think about it and try it.

Stephen, how are you in England?

Kate, how are you?

Sandy, Mirjami ?

Hello Tina

I´m doing good at the hospital in the ward I am but I miss ER I guess I will come back some day.

I should have begun to study, but I still have not bought the books, they are quite expensive.... There are very few places for many people, 134 to over 40,000 people who will do the exam.
But you have to do it, almost obligatorily, to improve the position in the list so they call you more often.
So, a lot of stuff to study, little time, and I don´t feel like to start studying again and that much.

I have to think what to do, if continue with the next level of Basque (that last one). I passed the first level exam and now I get the points for the oublic health system of Basque Country, and the next course I could get the second level, much harder, but gives double points for employment list.
But the thing is that I have little social life here because my friends are in familiar mood, I don´t see them much.... I don´t know whether to try within a time working in Madrid or the city where I studied. It´s a dilemma, because here is where I have work now and I'm scoring points with the lenguage and working in vacations.

I am thinking about going somewhre after summer, make a trip and there is only one possibilty with some friend of the city where I studied... I can´t count with my friends here,

Aurora Cormier

Thanks girls

Yeah, the problem is I don't like or wanna do anything. I like reading books and watching tv shows. That's pretty much all I like right now, and none of those things are good for any job.

I like languages. I don't wanna work with translation, like everyone has told me to do, because I seriously SUCK at it and find it boring. There's this export company that is looking for someone who can speak English, I applied, but no interview or any sign of them whatsoever so far. I doubt I'll get it, though, cause I have zero experience with administration or anything related to export.

I'm Not Dead

Hey, Ainara! Sounds like life is crazy busy for you at the moment. I am enjoying England, thanks. Spending this weekend at London comic con.

Ju, I am sorry you had such a rough time. Would you ever think about focusing on a different niche within education? I work in Disability Support and Inclusive Learning, so I get both class time with students and the chance to be a company trainer in IT Software for accessibility needs. I only ended up in this area because I got so sick of the difficulties of finding a fantastic teaching job. It sounds like you really need a change, but given that all of your experience is in teaching, it might be more beneficial to stay in the industry but in a different capacity.

Aurora Cormier

Stephen I have thought about that, yeah And exactly, the feeling is exactly that, I'll never find that perfect teaching job. I love teaching, I didn't spend this much time doing it hating it, no. My dream teaching job is working at a bilingual school. But that hasn't happened yet.

Mateus says I should find a way to make money out of the things I enjoy, reading and watching stuff. But...I can't see WHAT I could do. And even though I think it would be wonderful to work with tv, for example, at the same time I think...would I want to turn leisure into work? And the answer most of the time is no, I want tv to remain my fun place. He doesn't understand, he's like oh so you think you should have a boring job and just have fun on the weekend, is that it. NO, it's not. I don't know how to explain this in a way that makes sense. Like, I love languages. But they were never leisure for me. After a day teaching English, I don't wanna come home and open a grammar book. I don't wanna think of it during the weekend, even though I do like to dedicate the days of the week to it. I love tv. I don't wanna HAVE to watch it, I wanna watch it when I want, if I want to.

He still doesn't get it.

Does anything I just said make any sense to you?

hathaross

Ju, I think you need to find a new motivation, in the teaching area like Steohen says or another thing. It is not easy because nowdays you have to have lot of things to have a job in whatever you like.

That sounds familiar to me I have been in there.
I still think that maybe I can work for a time in another thing. I love to be a nurse, I miss it when I am not working on it but it is also exhausting mentally and physically.
I love those kind of job attached to travelling, organizing trips, work in a city and help others tourists...