It was one big step for me to fly across the country for a job fair. The decision to go was fueled by a desire to find that Technical Theatre Teacher job that I wanted, and a knowledge that this was a Diversity conference.
Before I get ahead of myself, I should explain my teaching story. I knew growing up that I wanted to become a teacher. I worked as a Freshman Mentor at Adlai E. Stevenson High School for two years and a Titan Orientation Leader at Illinois Wesleyan University. At IWU, I entered as a Math Education Major.
My journey hit a pitfall in my first education class. Our regularly assigned teacher was gone for the day, so the head of the department was supervising the class. She went on a tangent about what you could have on a teacher’s desk. She said that included one picture of your family. Inquisitive as I was, I asked, could I have a picture of my family if my partner was in it? She said absolutely not, going on to explain that it would promote homosexuality to children.
Her saying my family was inappropriate ultimately made me leave math education.After completing my Student Observation, I soon switched to Theatre Design. Fast forward to a year ago, after working with my mentee, Jack , along with his mother, Monica Llorente, on Sound Design, I found a renewed passion to teach. This positive experience helped reinvigorate the teacher in me.
So here I was, across the country ready to make a change in my life. I had about four scheduled interviews, and I spent the rest of the time hustling to meet different educators and make connections. After meeting with a few dozen schools, my passion was renewed, and I knew I could no longer stay where I was.
UPDATE: I have had a second interview with a school in North Carolina with an amazing theatre / cirque program. I would be so grateful to work with them.