On the Other Side of the...Desk...

While I compiled a list of interview questions for my Acadec team as part of their interview practice, one of the 10+ events at the State competition, I was asked to be interviewed by a group of seniors, some of whom were once my beloved sophomores (I absolutely adore this class). So the interviewer became the interviewee.

One of my favorite aspects of the English classroom, and thereby my job, is cultivating communication, be it discussions and debates or drafting writing that explores students’ unique, and often complex, thoughts on the workings of the world. This is what I told the students (I think?! I hope!) when asked why I teach. 

I also told them about who I am. At my core, I am a perfectionist and a people pleaser. I told 30-odd students that I scrutinize all I say and do, that I’m likely to replay an interaction - even a positive one - over in my mind, wondering if I said enough, too much, the right thing, the wrong thing, if people respect me for my thoughts or are unimpressed with my intellect, if....if...if. Ugh! 

I told them a lot if things, but that topic and the following stayed with me. 

When asked to provide a piece of advice for these soon-to-be high school graduates, I replied, “Trust in yourselves!” Upon careful reconsideration (see above habits), I realized I borrowed a version of that line from one of HQ’s books  and that I don’t, for a second, feel the need to alter or improve that (though maybe I need to heed my own advice).

The best gift I can give my child and my students is the space to come to know themselves and the confidence to know that they each can steer a good and meaningful course in their lives.

I do my best -and am my best - when I remember that I’m exactly where I never knew  I absolutely need to be.  And flipping the script - taking on a new role for an hour - was a good personal  reminder. I hope it was a good one for my interviewers, too!