On Instant Gratification

If you are someone who needs instant gratification to feel successful, or to know that you've done a good job, teaching probably isn't the best career for you. From my experience teaching thus far, I have noticed some students are always fully engaged and answer questions, while others are doodling or falling asleep or doing something else they shouldn't be doing. It's hard to tell whether the students are actually taking something away from my classes, or if everything I'm saying is going through one ear and right out the other. Most teachers are able to see their efforts come to light only at the end of the school year, as you can compare the students' knowledge now to when they first sat down in your class. But occasionally, teachers are able to see the fruits of their labor make a difference relatively quickly, and I was able to get a taste of that feeling today.

For the past two weeks I have had the pleasure of teaching Grade 12. A small, all girls class that graduated from TGC yesterday. Since I had full reign over their classes, I decided to teach them about the art of interviewing, something all of us have had or will have to do at one point or another. Interviews can be extremely nerve-wracking, especially if you've never had one before, so I wanted to teach the girls how to answer the most common types of interview questions, and some other interviewing tips that are sure to make them stand out.

I went over the classic "Tell me about yourself" question, which can be extremely difficult to answer without any preparation. I also discussed how to answer the greatest strengths/greatest weaknesses question, and even the onerous, "Tell me about a challenge you had at work and how you overcame it." (I think the hardest interview question I was ever asked was for the Minerva Fellowship interview, and the question was, "What is a trait you admire, but do not possess yourself?" I encourage you to answer this one for yourself) As I taught the class I could tell the students were interested. Nobody doodled. Nobody fell asleep. All eyes were on me. The trick to keeping students engaged is to keep the class interesting, and most importantly, relevant. I cannot tell you how many hours I have wasted trying to remember something I forgot moments after the test. That is precious time I could have spent studying a topic I currently use!

I concluded the last interview class by answering any last minute questions, perhaps the most accurate gauge of interest (or confusion), and sure enough there were many to answer. Feeling accomplished I ended the class with the notion that I would always be around to provide further guidance, and this morning I learned that one of the girls had an interview in less than an hour! Nervous, excited, and now prepared, she "passed" her interview with flying colors, as she was offered the job.

I asked her which questions came up, and sure enough two of the big five were employed by her interviewer. I felt extremely proud as I am starting to see the students, not as my own, but rather little siblings. And I couldn't help but think my classes had something to do with her success. Would she have gotten the job without my help? Most likely. The students at TGC are there for a reason, they're extremely unique in all the right ways. But knowing she went into that interview knowing what to expect and more confident as a result, lets me know I've done my job.