I got a job

I’ve just been hired by Excelsior school, a private boarding school in Pasadena, CA that serves about 60-70 predominately international students from East Asia and Russia. I will be teaching six subjects: pre-calculus, calculus, physics, chemistry, Algebra 2, and SAT math. I will be teaching five days a week, about six hours a day. Pay is $24/hr. Health benefits typically aren’t offered until one has worked there for a year, though I’ve got a verbal promise that I will be given them after one semester.

I don’t have a teaching credential. But, as the interviewer mentioned, he tends to view those credentials as secondary to skills involving classroom management, subject area knowledge, and organizational skills. He said, three times, over the job offer call that he has great confidence that I’ll be able to do the job. It might be something that is said to every new hire, but it made me feel better.

I expect this will be a pretty grueling job. I’m expected to take over from the current teacher within the course of about three days. At least they have textbooks and, I’ve been promised, clear guidelines from the principal about what are the objectives for each class over the course of a year.

I’m not completely sure what I’ve gotten myself into. But at least I’ll have a reason to be in Pasadena after school hours, and will tutor AP courses at another nearby location.

I’ll save celebration for when I’ve survived a few weeks. In the meantime, I will be soliciting everyone I know who is/was a physics/math/chem teacher for advice, materials, websites, and general psychological preparation. (Help me get the “Charge of the Light Brigade” out of my head whenever I think about this job.)