Potential Job

I've been looking around at job opportunities, and so far the pickings are pretty slim. My requirements aren't helping. I need 10 hours a week or less, preferably $8 or more an hour, and flexible, mostly evening hours. How's that for tricky? I've looked at the job boards for the hospital and university and haven't had any real success. So, I started browsing around on craigslist. Beyond the exciting discovery that the Applebee's down the road is hiring (absolute last resort), I found an ad for Kaplan teachers. Turns out the Kaplan center is really close to my school. Teaching would involve a couple of evening classes each week. Not sure what the beginning pay rate is, but raises depend on teaching success. So I went to the website and filled out the form.

I just got an email back inviting me to audition for them. I think I'm going to do it. The audition date would be June 5th, which gives me time to settle into school and prepare. Here's what they want:

Aspiring teachers and tutors are asked to give a five-minute teaching presentation to Kaplan staff and fellow auditioners. The audition must include some audience interaction so that we can see how you might interact with students. The best kind of interaction goes beyond yes/no questions and invites the audience to engage in the presentation and with you.

Doesn't sound so bad. Actually sounds kind of like Zoo Camp, without the singing. On top of that, the presentation has to be on a non-academic subject (bikes! birds! Canadians!) and use of the board is strongly encouraged (race tactic diagrams!). The hardest part might actually be finding a business casual outfit to wear.

If I audition well, I get to have an interview and then I get hired. For the first few weeks it'll be paid training (20 hours, to be exact) and then I get my own little class of aspiring National Merit Scholars to torture, I mean, teach. Considering all the tricks I've used to do well on standardized tests, that part should be pretty simple. And, last time I had any sort of teaching power I was dealing with groups of 30 six year olds, this can't possibly be any worse than that.

Foreseeable problems include: I don't really enjoy teaching, but I like it better than waiting tables. If it gets in the way of my Tuesday night races I'll be very upset. I can give up dancing if necessary, just don't make me give up racing. Time will become very short very quickly. But I'm used to that, and I usually cope rather well. It's not like I enjoy spending time at home anyway.

I think it's worth trying. So far it's the best option I've got.