Maybe Maine...

So here's the deal, and hang on because this is going to get twisty.

I failed Spanish. I studied ridiculously hard over the weekend (like 23+ hours) but, while I entered the test feeling very prepared, I left confused and downhearted. A group of classmates who gathered in the hallway afterwards agreed that the test was aggressive at best and mean spirited at worst. We were tested on material we hadn't fully learned and, because most of us are seniors and most of us failed, most of us will not be graduating. I know what you're thinking: this is a reflection of the teacher, not the class! Well, we agree with you and most of us will be appealing our grade with the administration, not because we are over-privileged ponces that want an easy A, but because we worked hard and learned a lot but do not agree with the method of assessment. The problem is that I'm not sure this situation will be resolved in three weeks and if I don't have that degree in hand when I head to New Orleans, I won't have a job when I get down there. But there is a silver lining!

I spent a lot of time on the phone with my sister last night and right before we hung up she said "you're getting very 'glass half full' in your old age". She was unpacking in her new Montana apartment and I was having a very passive aggressive nervous breakdown in the English Department. After I outlined my plan to overthrow the Spanish faculty single handed, we started talking about other options and why this is actually a good thing. Pay close attention while I do some good old fashion justification:

New Orleans is a very fun and interesting city, but I wasn't moving down there for the city itself. I was taking this job because it would allow me to get my teaching certification while making a meaningful contribution to very worthy cause (low income and high risk education). So the question then becomes; can I get certified a different way? The answer is that yes, I can find a state with lax provisional certification, work for a year, and use that classroom experience to apply for professional certification. But where?

Rural Maine, that's where! Did you know that there are towns in Maine with only a one room schoolhouse? Islands that only have a hand full of children? They have trouble getting teachers because, really, who wants live on a tiny island with thirty people for a New England winter? Me! That's who! Instead of beginning my teaching career ("career" might be a bit optimistic) with a high needs classroom and students with behavioral issues, I can get my bearings. Get comfortable with classroom management and lesson plans. Learn to work with parents and administration... In reality this is going to make me a better teacher in the long run and potentially save me from a straight up ulcer.

Ok, I realize that a rural island in Maine is kind of (exactly) the opposite of a large southern city, but doesn't it sound great? They pay decent money (about $34k) and maybe I can do some boating...