Roll with it

That's all we can do, right? 

So, trip to western kansas and back went smoothly. It took a little less then three tanks of gas to drive six hundred miles. I don't think that's too bad.

My legs were cranmpy and I was probably too tired to be driving by the time I hit pittsburg, but I made it home by eleven thirty, went to bed and slept until a quarter to seven. I guess there's no fooling the circadian rhythm. It's used to going to bed early and getting up early, even when I don't need to. The kids were at Mike's still, so I puttered around in that way that people who are punch drunk from driving and messed up sleep patterns seem to have mastered. Drank lots of coffee, tried to get into the mode to take that Praxis test at eleven. 

So, went with my number two pencils, my blue pens, my pencil sharpener. Test started okay, a little late because one of the proctors had issues with how to pass out the test. The other one kept saying "in a snake pattern, back and forth" and the dumb proctor kept trying to walk back to the other end of the row to pass out from left to right each time. It was funny and annoying at the same time. I wondered about the woman's mental competence. 

I ran out of time. I shouldn't have. The test is four case studies about students or teachers. You read the case study, and then answer four essay questions based on the case study. There are also two groups of ten or fifteen multiple choice questions. The answere form is big. eight pages are in tended to hold the written answers to the essay questions. The multiple choice answers all go on the first inside page. 

I was such an idiot. I got to the end of the essay questions with ten minutes left in the test. I had completed one section of multiple choic questions. But I forgot to do the other section. I didn't do question 26 through 36. 

I can't imagine that I will have achieved a passing score. But I am determined not beat myself up over this. I have ordered a Praxis study book off amazon and monday I will register to take the PLT again next month. I figure that familiarity itself will improve my performance next time around, and if I cram with the approved study guide, all the better. Kansas allows a teacher to get a one year provisional lisence if they haven't gotten a passing score before the school year starts. Very few people who reattempt the test fail again. 

So, that's my plan. Brush the dirt off and get back to work. 

Now, the interview. I drove all that way. They knew my address when they invited me. They were nice enough to set the time late in the day. The interview consisted of the prinicipal and a vice principal asking me what sounded like standardized questions. I did my best. The guy was hard to read to be honest. He made it sound like they wanted the very absolutely 100% best people in their middle school. And I got the impression that a green teacher from a private school that doesn't differintiate lessons or have any ESL students didn't hack it. I don't think that I will hear from them again. 

I'll send the guy and email and thank him fir inviting me to interview. I will be gracious and not take myself out of the running. But I hold few illusions. 

I do like it out there. The horizon is endless. It's like the ocean only land instead of water. There are cows and fields. Dodge city itself is a good sized city. Has all the standard fast food joints, a super walmart, alco, walgreens, dillons. Big touristy area. old fashioned down town with small stores. Residential areas that range from run down to afluent. typical midwestern town. ITs about a three hour drive west of wichita, but it has an amtrack station that can take a person to wichita, or west to colorado. ITs nice, I like it, I can see making it our home of memory. But we will have to see what happens. 

Istill have the interview at riverton this week. I was invited to interview at Salina, but I don't know if I can make it. I wonder how the guy will react if I ask for a saturday interview, or a tele-interview. Probably not well. sucks, cause there isn't much open in science that's local. 

I'm going to perservere and keep praying and trying. Everything is a learning experience.