First Impressions (and an "Aha" Moment)

Today we met all the LETs we will be working with from all the different schools around Kaohsiung. And that's all we did. To be honest, when I looked at our schedule and saw "ETAs & LETs PPT Self-introductions" marked down for the full day, I didn't think we could fill the day. But we did. And, surprise of surprises, the time went by really quickly; 12 leagues, 23 schools, 29 LETs, and 12 ETAs later, the day had evaporated into the heat waves coming off the sidewalk.

My first impression: these are great people. All of them.

My second impression: some of these great people may be a bit harder to work with than others, if for no other reason than that a few of them, though English teachers, struggle with the language themselves.

Also, those teachers from the outlying areas definitely know most people would rather be in the city, and will lobby hard to change your mind.

My presentation seemed to go well--I'd beefed it up a bit since we presented just to ourselves, as I discovered that several of my fellow ETAs have basically saved the world from utter destruction a couple times a year for the past ten years or so. So this version included my Spanish language skills, my experience in the playground program, my black belt in karate, my bass and piano playing, my acting, my Reader's Theater experience and willingness to write scripts (Reader's Theater is a BIG deal over here)--basically anything and everything I've done that might make me stand out in a room full of world travelers, Teach for America teachers, UNICEF Arizona founders, friends of congresswomen, and TESOL Master's recipients.

Competition in this group is stiff, let me tell you. I'm just glad we're doing this now, when we already like each other, or it could get brutal. In any case, Karina told me that they were really interested in what I had to say--more than anyone else's presentation, she said. I just hope that translates well for the rest of the process.

I spent the LET presentations taking copious notes on the presenters--not all of whom, we discovered later, were actually the LETs, like they were supposed to be (some were other school representatives,which was against the rules)--and, during the mingling time, did my best to be sociable and open and ask all the right questions and, for that matter, talk to the right people.

But it's stressful. At this point I think I know where I want to go, based on my interactions with the teachers and what they've told me about their schools. However, I have no idea who else of the ETAs may want the same schools as I do, or who of us the LETs would prefer. This makes the process intricately complicated--if ETA 1 puts my favorite school as their #1, too, and the LET at that school has ETA 1 rated above me, I lose out; if my second choice school is someone else's first choice and they match with an LET, I drop again, and so on. It's a complicated dance of trying to gauge ETA's and LET's interests and weigh them against my own: if I really want to be smart about this, I have to pick not just my favorite school, but a favorite school of mine that I don't think anyone else will put as their top choice.

But, given that there are only 7 city schools and at least 10 people vying for those spots (I overheard another ETA today saying she may vote county), it's almost unavoidable that we will overlap.

On the plus side, I genuinely like all of the teachers I met today. On the negative side, I'm afraid that ranking schools 'wrong' may result in me missing out on any chance in the city. Now's a time when I wish I were better at reading people. A big part of me also has this utopian fantasy that all the ETAs could get together and talk it over, and then compare notes with the LETs and come to some sort of mutually agreeable arrangement. But let's face it, that's a pipe dream.

So I'm playing it pretty close to the vest. Tomorrow we have more time to get to know the LETs--this time in a structured 'speed dating' format, rather than today's free-form talk-to-whom-you-will (or, as was often the case, whomever is available and/or most persistent in flagging you down), and tomorrow night we'll do the rating. We'll know where we're placed by Wednesday.

Here's an over-the-head shot of the LET and ETA meeting today--the camera misses quite a few people, too.

After the presentations were over, we (and by we I mean Andrew, Steven, Esther, Tiffiany and I--the usual crew always volunteering to do more scootering) did scooter practice, and I had a major "aha" moment. For whatever reason, today when I sat down on the scooter, something clicked and I was suddenly able to turn without feeling like I was going to fall over, and accelerate and stop on a dime. It was pretty cool, I have to say. Last time I sat on the scooter I was struggling with turning; now I can do figure eights. Gotta love it when muscle memory suddenly wakes up and says "Hey! The maneuvering on this thing is just like riding a bike!"

Which is not to say riding a scooter is as easy as riding a bike--that's what they've been trying to tell me since I've got here, and it's not true. Scooters are heavier, harder to balance, and harder to turn without going too far. But it is definitely the same type of skill set, and apparently today my body decided it was okay to tap into that wealth of old experiences and make it work.

So yeah, that's all for now...tomorrow I will master the art of the second impression, and hopefully solidify where I want to be, and where they'll have me!