Last week, I had the great fortune to be able to go visit Hawai'i. However, while I had planned to spend quite a lot of time relaxing, and not thinking of any of my students for 3 days, I wasn't there entirely for fun. I went because I was checking out a job opportunity.
A few weeks ago, I went to a job fair in Long Beach (a job fair for teachers) and I spent quite a while talking to a school from Hawai'i. They got really excited when they found out all the artistic things I can do and teach. The principal of the school, Joann, went off for a few minutes and then returned to tell me that she'd created a class on the spot, a class for Graphic Arts for next year. They were so excited. So, I went home very happy, and very bewildered. How could it be that easy? There had to be something more to it.
Turns out there was. The high school is in a town on Oahu, that has the reputation of being one of the roughest, toughest neighborhoods in Hawai'i. It is mostly native Hawai'ian, and Pacific Islander, and from what I've heard and read, is compared to places like Inglewood and Watts. It is also on the side of the island of Oahu that is the hottest, brownest side -- the Leeward side. I did a lot of reading and researching about the island, the town, and Hawai'i in general. Now it was time to go visit the school.
When I left LA I had the mental position that whatever this job was, it was a job and that is hard to find for an art teacher. I figured that if I had done my student teaching in LA, most likely I would end up at a school that was no different, really. And that is still true. But I wasn't really prepared for what I found.
Um...I'll continue this in another post. I don't want it to get too long, and I have to go keep my grandmother company.
ta!
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