I was rejected from even initial interviews for a tenure-track job I thought was perfect for me back in SoCal. I am such a damn fine teacher, but I can’t find stable work, along with many other fine teachers I know. We are the ones with our offices in the backs of our cars.
Here in Turkey the system is different: basically the university where you do your masters and doctoral work (in Europe there is a PhD in studio arts) hires you after you finish your degrees. Later you can be lured away to another school. There are many new universities being established in Turkey now, both private and public, and not enough good teachers to fill all the faculties.
On another note, in my twelve years of teaching college I have had only one student who I thought might be violent to me, herself or others, but it was scary and sobering. An American, she had obvious serious mental problems, but was a good student as long as I didn’t get personal. One day she just lost it (probably went off her meds) and became very threatening. It’s so hard to know when to get authorities involved, and usually you wait until a crisis to do it.
Today I am a bit clearer, and sadder.
No comments:
Post a Comment