who am i anyway?

Recently, I received a discouraging result from an on-line job application. The 50-question survey indicated that while I placed "High Value on Practical Application of Theory," I placed "Low Value on Student Learning." Ouch.

I disagree, obviously, and wonder which questions I answered incorrectly. I'm not confident that this school will want to hire me.

It's hard to know how to respond to an evaluation like this. I'm reminded of the worst thing anyone has ever said to me, which was that I had "a negative influence on students."

I mean, what can you say after something like that? "Nuh-uh!" just doesn't seem adequate.

After that evaluation, and again after this on-line application questionnaire, I had to ask myself some tough questions about myself as a teacher, and as a human being. I concluded that an on-line survey couldn't begin to understand personal teaching style, and there was enough evidence to the contrary about my influence on students, that I didn't need to abandon this particular career ship.

Believe me, I've considered it.

It makes me think of the lyrics from A Chorus Line:

Who am I anyway?
Am I my resume?
This is a picture of a person I don't know.
What do they want from me?
What should I try to be?
So many faces all around, and here I go...

I'm grateful for what the Lord has revealed about my identity...the promises of scripture that I am His beloved child, His chosen worshipper, His equipped ambassador, His forgiven friend.

Those are the quintessential elements of who I am...who I am striving to be.

And while I don't know what I'll do to pay the bills, I have peace that the Lord knows me much better than any on-line survey or school administrator, and He says that I am worthy to work in His Kingdom.

That's the best evaluation I can ever hope for.

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On a sort of unrelated note, I've had some down-time at work today, and ended up taking a bunch of silly on-line surveys like "Which Breakfast Cereal Are You?" (Raisin Bran) and "What's Your Professional Wrestler Name?" (Chainsaw Terror or Spitfire). Yeah... I took it twice... so what?

I think I was trying to assuage my hurt feelings from the job interview survey. Just for the record, not only do I place "Low Value on Student Learning," but if I were a leprechaun, my name would be Lorna Kirwan.








If I were a 50's housewife, my name would be Regina Shirley. Sounds like a Cabbage Patch Kid.

I am also from the planet Mercury. For whatever that's worth.

Hey...maybe the school should hire Regina Shirley! I bet she values student learning.