Today I woke up to something I don’t see everyday, snow in New York. It was wet snow, so it wasn’t sticking, but it was messy. I was so glad I decided to stay in the same hotel as the interview and didn’t have to commute. I just was hoping that the snow would clear up before we had to make our way home. My husband was up before me, nothing new. He’s an early riser; I on the other hand am not a morning person.
He warmed up my leftovers for breakfast; I ate and dressed. In the lobby, I met up with the Teach Away rep for the Kuwait interview. It was the same rep from the Abu Dhabi interview a few days before. There were only 5 interviewees, this time, 3 males and 2 females including me.
We went upstairs to the room where the rep gave us some logistics about the interview. I was scheduled to be interviewed third. This process was more relaxed and intimate than the last. We were going to be interviewed in person by one woman in another room. It could last 30 min to 1 hour. A few days before, I received the name of the interviewer via email. To my surprise, the name looked eerily familiar. It was the same woman that I interviewed with 3 years ago. I wondered if she would recognize me. I decided not to mention our last encounter and just start fresh. If she didn’t mention it, neither would I.
I found out I was the only person applying for an elementary teaching position. I figured, my chances were pretty good. I was nervous but felt pretty confident. Then it was my turn.
I think it went well. At the end, she passed me her business card and asked that I email her a reference number and email. I was happy that my interview was switched to New York being as though it was her first round of interviews. Here are some examples of the sort of questions she asked me:
What do I know about Kuwait and AUSKuwait? (The position is at this private American school)
Why do I want to work there?
What kind of enrichment activities have I done with kids?
How have I integrated technology?
What textbook and curriculum for literacy did I like?
How would my coworkers describe me?
What do I know about Howard Gardener?
Have I ever been through an accreditation process before?
What did I do in my prior positions?
Do I sing with my kids?
Do I hold a meeting with my kids?
The interview lasted for about 45 minutes. She told me some things about the position, school and benefits. I’m hopeful, but I was last time too.
I’ve heard that one applicant to ADEC already got a rejection email but I haven’t heard anything yet.
So one more interview to go.. hopefully I will hear something soon.
Teaching Abroad- American Teacher Overseas 