Interview Day

          I wrote this passage earlier today after getting home from the Center.  It’s not what I had intended to write, but I felt that I had to.   If you have already read the following paragraph on my Facebook page, go ahead and skip down to the second paragraph to earn more about the work that happened at the Center today.

Tuesday on the way home from the Inclusive Center, I saw a man pushing a child in a wheelchair, and it appeared as if they were begging for money. I didn't usually take this route, but I needed to in order to avoid a police check-in point. I wanted to turn around and talk with him about the Center, but I was going in the opposite direction, it was raining, and there was no way to easily turn around. I thought to myself "I'll look for them tomorrow or the next day." Well, I didn't look for them on Wednesday because I was busy with other things. Today on my way home, I totally forgot and took my usual way. BUT, on my usual route, I saw this same man pushing the child in the wheelchair. They were on the opposite side of the road. I kept going, but this time the sun was shining and I was able to find a convenient place to turn around. When I approached the man on my motorcycle, he tried to move the wheelchair out of my way. I told him not to move, that I wanted to talk with him. The girl in the wheelchair is his cousin and she can't talk. But, she has a beautiful smile. She shook my hand when I said hello. She knew I was talking to her and about her. She has never been to school. I gave her cousin my business card and put the Center's address on it. I told him to come to the Center on Tuesday so that we could talk about his young cousin attending school for the first time. I don't know what will happen. But, God put these people in my path for a reason--twice! Please pray that God continue to work this out the way He needs it to--for her, for her family, and for me. So many cool things are happening, and God is at the center of it all.

Back in the spring we offered positions to four people: one principal, one curriculum director, a special-needs teacher, and a special-needs aide (these two have been teaching the children at Notre Maison since 2013).  Over the summer, another aide was hired by Gertrude.  Today was interview day to fill the last positions: pre-school teacher, kindergarten teacher, and a kindergarten aide. 

My responsibility was to go through the Curriculum Vitae (all in French) and choose people to interview.  Thank God I feel comfortable reading French.  Thank God for Google Translate.  Well, let’s just thank God.

I picked interviewees, and the appointments were scheduled for today.  I had no idea what types of questions could be/should be asked in a Haitian interview.  I mean, some of the C.V.s cracked me up with the information on them because it would be so illegal in the States.  For example, candidates indicate their marital status—the French word for “single” is “celibitaire.”  No assumptions being made there!

Some candidates put their blood type or how many children they had.  Just different from what I’m used to.

So, given the differences between the resumes, I wasn’t sure about the differences in interview questions.  I put together a list of 10-12 questions that would be typical in an American interview—how do you handle a difficult parent, what do you do with a child who is struggling to make friends, how do you help a child who is struggling to learn, what do you do when you have a conflict with a colleague, etc.

I arrived early this morning because that’s what my parents taught me to do (thanks Mom and Dad!).  The candidates arrived early.  But, no one else on the interview committee showed up on time.  I waited.  I waited some more.  Finally, about 20 minutes late I decided to start.

I don’t speak fluent French or Creole.  But, I didn’t want this person to wait any longer (she had arrived at 8:30 for her 9:00 a.m. interview).  Actually, by the time I started at 9:20, the first three candidates had arrived.

It went . . . . okay.  I made myself understood, and she was very patient in speaking slowly and repeating herself when I asked for clarification—I would have hired her just for that!

About 10 minutes into the interview, the rest of the committee showed up.  Whew. 

For the next 3 ½ hours I helped interview candidates in Creole.  I didn’t understand every word, but I understood enough to ask good follow-up questions and to know which candidates were good ones.  After each interview, I was on the same page with those who speak Creole fluently!  I’ll be honest, by the end of the day I was exhausted and I had a headache.  But, I was able to do it.  I can hardly believe that I was able to do it!  I have a long way to go with the language, but I think I just might be able to muddle my way through in Creole.

We’ve hired all of our teachers, and I think we hired some really good ones.  I’m excited to get to know them!  Sunday the 27^th we have a parent meeting to introduce ourselves to the parents and answer any questions they might have.  Then 8/28-9/1 is semaine de plannification—teacher planning week. 

Kids come for the first day of school on Sept.4—ironically, I won’t be there that day because I only work at the Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

Is it possible to miss something that I’ve not yet experienced????