In my previous experiences, I moaned and groaned about an interview that I would not go to, like, ever. That was for a teaching position. Just to be clarified, I have nothing against teachers (especially kindergarten), they have the patience of a saint and practically do it for free by the looks of their paychecks (my aunt is a kindergarten teacher) and I have the utmost respect for them. I, however, do not fall into that category. I am short-tempered, patience is an enigma and I would rather be left alone to do my own thing.
So what was I doing managing hordes of children in a classroom as a teacher's assistant? The truth is plain and simple, its called M.O.N.E.Y. Yes, I said it. Its a few K's in my bank account to do anything as I please because I don't have kids so I don't have to spend half of it on them as a good mother would do and I don't have a beau, so don't have to give lovey dovey things to anyone either. The only people I would gladly spend my money on (even if I did have kids or a beau) would be my parents. That's beside the point though, I tried my hardest to wake up by 9 a.m. during my six month no-university-to-go-to period. I did wake up on alternate days for the graphic designing course I had taken, but that was still not enough for my lazy side to take over and become a bum around the house. It was fear for myself that made me wake up in the morning and do SOMETHING. I looked for jobs in the newspaper every week, hoping to find something close by, with a good salary and not long hours. Thus when an ad for 'assistants needed at an art school' in the Sunday newspaper piqued my interest, I sent my resume pronto.
I got the call to come for an interview to the school and I was told to report on June1.
Timings: 9 - 2 (EEE!! Perfect! Come home and nap and then go out if any plans :D)
Total time: 2 months (End by July and university would start in August. Not at home all the time wondering what to do.)
Salary: Enough :P :P :P (Clothes, clothes, clothes <3)
I went home ecstatic, knowing that it was something better than nothing. Not that I was actually a bum at the time. I was freelancing as a writer, but my interest in it was fading because I wasn't getting to do what I wanted to do and mostly companies wanted full time writers which I was not since I was most definitely applying to universities in a couple of months and ethically I was not comfortable applying to a permanent job that I wasn't intending to keep. Note: Leading someone on is one of the cruelest things a human being can do.
So comes the first day of my internship at the art school. Oh. My. God.
I was not prepared for the amount of kids that there were. They were tiny, adorable and energetic. Nothing wrong with that. That's how kids should be, but by God, I felt a hundred years old in front of them. First days are always confusing and I was more than flustered, I was outnumbered by kids and that made me sweat more than I usually do. Confession: Kids make me nervous. A teeny tiny disgusting thing about me is that I have excessive sweat glands (it's my own presumption) and I was not meant for cities that are scorching hot 24/7. I'll probably move to Alaska or Canada one day. So anyway, taking kids to different studios and rooms, where they were assigned did not help my sweating problem and I was wearing clothes in which sweat patches were VERY obvious. I knew that teachers, kids and parents were inwardly cringing at the sight of my sweat-dripping face and almost completely wet clothes. I actually sympathized with them for myself! My supervisor M, was really sweet and gave me a verbal pat on the back by saying "You'll be losing weight, that's a good thing"
There was one teacher though who was a major part of this sweating. She asked for 8 pencils so I went down two stories, walked down a slope-like ground and got her 8 pencils and went up two stories again. Then she realized that she needed sharpeners and so I went down that same path again and got her sharpeners. I stupidly asked her if there was anything else she needed just for politeness sake and she remembered erasers and she gave me a look that said "Isn't it obvious that if I'm asking you for pencils and sharpeners, I would be needing erasers too." I was asking for it though, why did I even bother asking her if she needed anything! Still, I went to the canteen to get erasers, but on the way I took a paper from M that was supposed to be copied. I was grumbling and scolding myself on the way and thank God there was a lower staff taking stationery for another teacher, so I told him to take 8 erasers for Miss K as well. I was so not going to climb all the way to her classroom. I must admit that Miss K had the best classroom, the view of the sea is breathtaking from the windows. Plus I was carrying a bag in which there were three notebooks (God knows why), stationery, a Sydney Sheldon book (to read during break), my wallet and phone. It felt like it weighed a ton after my first couple of up's and down's on the stairs. M took it from me as she passed by, understanding the burden that it was.
I didn't converse with the kids if I didn't have to. I would take rounds to see if any teacher needed anything and then I chose a drawing class to sit in because it was in the middle of three other classes, so I could easily be available to the other teachers if they needed assistance. There were 4 other assistants beside me and we all had taken post inside different classes, but where I was, there was only me and even though the teachers did not need much assistance but its preferable to have somebody around anyway. I observed the children that were in the class and I realized that there were potential hotties, nerdies, loners and jokers too. One girl thought I was another teacher and came to show me her drawing, she was too young to know the proportions of shapes and especially a bottle, even I have trouble drawing a bottle symmetrically but I was really impressed by the cuboid she had drawn, it was perfectly proportioned and I suspect she had made it with her name tag. I told her it was a superb drawing and gave her a good and a star. She instantly became my follower and declared me as her favorite teacher for the rest of the summer. I had forgotten how easy it is to make children happy, at least this particular child.
by 12: 30, the kids were restless and were dying to go home and tell their parent about their day. I remembered a time when I was that eager and innocent, I thanked my parents for giving me those days of eagerness and innocence, it is a platform of my future which is now my present. So by the end of the day I had a list called:
List Of Things To Keep/Remember For The Rest Of The Summer:
1) Lots and LOTS of tissues. (I forgot them today :( Sigh)
2) Take a smaller bag and Not stuff it with notebooks.
3) Phone
4) Walkman (to listen to some music to calm myself down when the kids become annoying, they haven't so far)
5) A book.
6) WATER!!!!!! ('Nuff said)
7) Wear jeans/tights/capris (rather than silk pants, SILK PANTS!!!! What was I thinking?!?!?!?!?!?!)
8) Wear comfortable shoes (not that the pumps I wore weren't comfortable but my toes screamed to be free from enclosement after 4 and a half hours)
9) Wear lighter shirts (I was wearing a cotton kameez, I wasn't that stupid but I needed to remember that even though its windy outside, it will still be bloody HOT)
10) Money is a powerful incentive.
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