What a day...

So, I'm sure you are all dying to hear how my interview went today, and I hate to keep you all on the edge of your seats...

The interview was fantastic, the women I interviewed with seemed to really like me, and basically offered me the job. It really would be ideal for me in many ways. The kids are adorable, of course. Today was a special day, which they have twice a month. This one was International Day, so each room was a different country, and the kids all had costumes to represent other countries and flags painted on their faces. I got a tour of the school, and I felt excited by the idea of working there...

BUT... (always the but)

I felt that they were a little vague on the visa issue. They did not seem very familiar with the process of obtaining a work permit, which made me uneasy. ALSO, the pay is not very much for the number of hours I would be working. There would be no option as to whether I would have to work on the side. They want me to work 25 hours a week, which is part-time, but when you consider that a full load for a teacher is typically 25 classroom hours, it doesn't leave a lot of time for side work. Also, when I did the math, I would be making only 5 dollars an hour after taxes, compared to a decent salary teaching at a language school which would be more than twice that amount.

SO, sadly, I think I will have to turn down this position. If I did not have to worry about things like immigration law and paying my rent, things would be different, but unfortunately...it's life.

So summary of the day: Great interview for a job I can't afford to take. Lots of travelling across Prague on metro and bus. Teaching in the afternoon went very well. I've still been improving with each lesson. THEN, an awesome surprise...

I received an email from one of the smaller language schools I'd applied to called "Tea Time". It looks like a very unique one, actually. The email was from the owner. She said that while they did not have many openings at the moment, she is personally looking for a native speaker to teach her 15 year old daughter. She asked me to interview with her for the position. She also said that hopefully more positions would open up soon in the school.

This is very exciting because for one thing it would be great to get a private student in the first place. This is how you can make the most money. Even better is to have the opportunity to teach the daughter of someone who is so experienced. It's flattering to be asked. It would give me the opportunity to demonstrate my reliability and character so that when more postions open at the school I will be a candidate.

Here's the website for the school, you can read about Jana (the owner who I will interview with), as well as see how the school is somewhat different than a typical language school... mainly that it is very personalized. The students choose their own teachers based on their various backgrounds and interests. This seems like it would be a great opportunity to get recommendations for more private students.

Website: About tea time

After class, I headed out to my new apartment to sign my lease and pay my deposit and rent for March, when I move in. I stayed for a while and chatted with Iva. I told her how when I met her the other night I felt very good about it like it was "right" and she said that she felt that way too. I think I made a good decision there.

Friday I was going to spend the morning observing class at the preschool and getting to know everyone, but now that I've decided I can't accept the job I will have to cancel. The job fair is the same morning, and since I don't have a job yet, I think I should be there. I have an interview in the afternoon with one of the larger language schools in Prague who I know for sure helps with visas. The catch is that they are interviewing everyone from our program who applied with them. I think they are hiring for several positions, but there are five of us who are interviewing...it sucks to be competing with friends for the same jobs.

I guess it's just a dog eat dog world here in Prague.