If there were few hiring prospects in the public system, then I decided I would target private schools. There were lots of these in Ontario and surely, I reasoned, some must need new staff. I sent out scores of applications whether there was a posting listed or not. I got a few responses and a couple interviews. One interview was particularly memorable because it was so bizarre.

A church had recently started up a high school and was looking to hire a teacher to oversee the progress of its students as they worked independently through individual subject booklets. It didn’t matter that I was not qualified in maths and sciences because in their eyes this curriculum was so good students would understand the material on their own. I would simply be a resource and guide. They were ready to hire me on the spot, but there was just one tiny little condition: I needed to get my hair cut so that the sides were above my ears. Ironically, I recently had gotten a haircut specifically for this interview and had been bothered by how short it was. The interview team was genuinely surprised when I declined their job offer and as I left they encouraged me to pray about reconsidering my decision. I didn’t. Some decisions are just obvious.