Non Me Lo So Spiegare
Entry posted by docoflove1974
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Well, the interview has passed. And my nerves are infinitely calmer for it, too.
I have spent the last week or so cramming as much Italian grammar as I can...which sounds like a lot of studying. But considering this is mid-semester, and that normally implies a mountain of work, I didn't get to study quite as much as I would have liked. Not to mention that I had no time to go to any conversation groups, so my confidence in my speaking abilities was not exactly bolstered.
I knew that in the interview I would have to do 2 different teaching demonstrations--one in Spanish, one in Italian. The Spanish one would be no sweat--I mean, I've been teaching Spanish for 12 years, and this grammar point was one that I did this semester, so my PowerPoint presentation was up to date. But the Italian one? Yeesh...I've never taught Italian, and my confidence was waning.
So instead of conversing with fellow Italian-speakers and getting better, I had to practice my grammar presentation and hope to All That Holy that I wouldn't be asked to do too much more. Regardless, I had practice various grammar elements, spoke Italian when I could (although my cat pretty much ignored me when I spoke to her), and hoped for the best.
Oh, and freak out the entire time. But that's normal.
But, typical for me, once I woke up this morning, the jitters were gone. Sure, I was nervous, but not overly preoccupied with whether I'd do ok. The last few days I've been listening to my Italian rock/pop songs (mostly Laura Pausini, Eros Ramazzotti and Tiziano Ferro), and I played more as I drove the 45-minute drive from my apartment to the interview.
Bottom line, I did fine. On the regular interview questions, I slayed...they seemed genuinely impressed with my committee work and curriculum work, and my other questions seemed to hit the spots that they were looking for. My Spanish demonstration was great, too...but I knew that I'd do well there, too. The Italian demonstration...it went fine. Not great, not excellent, just 'fine'.
I made it 
Now, I just have to wait about a week to see if I'll be asked for a second interview, or if I get a 'thanks for participating' email. Regardless, the hardest, most challenging part is over and done with.
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