I am kind of slow in posting it here (after I have told some of you on MSN already) but since last week I got a job again
A former fellow student of mine who is working at a private school (a school that is which offers additional lesson to regular school in the afternoon) put a good word in for me there and since they are looking for more teachers I ultimately got the job. It remains to be seen how many hours I may work each week and it is not very likely to be a job on which one can make a living, but it is by far better than having nothing at all. And also the job promises to become kind of rewarding in another way, or so I think from the feedback which I got already.
When the week before the last one I was at the school for homework assistance (helping kids with their homework) several of the kids finished their homework rather quickly and didn't have anything left to do until their parents would pick them up about threequarters of an hour later. In that time somehow a historical question came up...
To cut a long story short, in the end I was standing on the corridor between the class rooms (not to disturb anyone who might still be working) surrounded by several kids who were asking me about history.
Robin Hood, William Wallace, Pirates in general, the Vitalienbr¸der in particular, Hannibal, Roman history, Greek Gods and Sagas, and Chinese history, were but some of the topics which the kids came up with and I had a really good time talking to them about it. When one mother appeared to pick up her son, the kid was reluctant to leave and get home from the school.
Like that had not been good enough the head of the school (the school is directed by a couple. She is mainly in charge of the pedagogic aspects, courses etc. while he is mainly in charge of finances) came past and also saw the whole thing later commenting that she liked the contact I had established to the kids.
The following Monday I was to conduct an English lesson under her supervision. I had the lesson prepared, but she did not show up for the lesson. I was kind of disappointed about this of course and went to her office after that. It turned out that she had been too busy teaching herself as many final grade students had asked for additional lessons to prepare them for their tests. However, she also told me that she thought it unnecessary to attend the lesson. Apparently one of the kids who had listened to me before had gone to her office specifically asking if I could become his English teacher. Moreover one mother had also shown up at her office asking if I couldn't give a history class for ever since that unplanned lesson of mine her son was (quote) "not talking of anything else anymore". So I got the job and in addition to all this kind feedback I had already received there was another such situation when a few days ago one student at the school who had had lessons with all five English teachers at the school had to decide whom he wanted to have as his English teacher; he picked me. Moreover I have been asked to prepare a course on medieval history
I don't have a complete schedule yet, but I hope that in the end I may give as many lessons as possible. I also hope to be permitted to give an art course (soap stone carving or the like) in addition to English and history.
I will continue though to apply for university jobs hoping to get one in the end.
