From the Principal's Desk (4/24)
In more recent times, I am constantly asked about the future staff of SOCA.
"Where will these teachers come from?" "How will they be ready to teach classically?" "How will they be prepared to teach on the first day in a new school?" "What kinds of qualifications will the teachers have?"
For the sake of a response in a brief email, allow me to (partially) respond to these questions by providing some of the questions I ask myself throughout the interview process of a teacher candidate.
These are not polished, eloquent ideas. These are raw, but they are really the things I think about in the background during an interview:
Have they worked with children?
Do they choose to work with children outside of a job?
How do they speak about children?
Are they willing to admit they have been wrong?
Are they willing to tell me that I am wrong?
Are they humble and patient enough to be able to perfect their craft?
Do they have a clear understanding of the role of the teacher? The student? The parents?
Do they write well?
Do they understand the words they use when they express their ideas? Or do they use empty "teacher-ese" catchphrases and buzzwords?
Are they tough enough to face adversity?
Are they brave enough to be different?
Are they interesting to talk with?
Are they terrified by the unknowns? Or do they take joy in the ability to build and shape something that is brand new?
Are they passionate about seeing positive change here in Southeast Ohio?
Are they interested in educating or do they want to be entertaining?
Do they believe virtue is a way of life? Or do they believe virtue is a one-way standard to impose on students?
Do they read a lot of books?
Do they have a book they are reading right now?
Do they have a bookshelf in their home? What's on the bookshelf?
Do they believe there is more to cultivating students to become moral adults than implementing behavior modification strategies?
Do they think there is something worth learning from the past?
Do they make me want to go out and learn even more?
This is not an exclusive list of questions I think about during the thorough interviewing process for our teachers. However, I hope I have provided a little bit of insight into the kind of person who will be leading the classrooms at Southeast Ohio Classical Academy this fall. I am excited to introduce some of these exceptional individuals in the coming weeks.
Mr. Allen
Principal of SOCA