15 year old teacher

Chapter 1: The Interview

"Mr Kieran Tanner" Mr Barnett was reading through my CV hiding behind the pages as I entered his office. 

"Yes, that's me" I nodded closing the door behind me and then giving my hand to him to shake and greet him. I was so happy to have reached this far in my life and having my first interview as a high school teacher. I came in all dressed up with my hair all gelled and combed and looking smart.

Mr Barnett slowly dropped the pages on his desk and I finally got a chance to see his face. He had lots of gray hair and a big bold patch on his head. He wore glasses like me with a very thin silver frame and a striped light green shirt with a red tie. He looked at me with one eyebrow raised and examined my height. "is this a joke?" he asked

I lowered my arm to my side as he didn't seem interested in shaking it. "A joke?" I was confused to where the joke might have been intended here. "Not at all, I am Kieran Tanner"

"Is this a prank? You're a kid" he tried to be more specific. I don't enjoy the term kid. The term kid makes a human feel less of themselves and allows one to not reach high potentials in life because they have been downgraded by this word invented by society.

I put my hands together and nervously started wiggling my pinky and ring fingers. I always do this move involuntary when I am nervous "This is not joke Mr Barnett, I graduated from Astrophysics from Yale University with first honors a year ago and took a teaching course so I can become a science teacher". 

"Sit down" he ordered pointing at the cyan chair in front of his desk. I sat down and felt a little more comfortable as the chair was well cushioned. Dispute the lovely soft seat, Mr Barnett's personality was very dry. "how old are you?" he asked.

"I am fifteen years old" as soon as I said it he burst into laughter. I was very shocked at how informal the meeting was going, I had come here as a professional with my suit on and was expecting a proper interview and to be taken seriously.

"Fifteen?" he laughed again "Fifteen, are you serious? What makes me think I'm going to hire a kid?" I wanted to open my mouth to explain my passion about getting a teaching job but he continued talking. "so wait, you come here to Foothill High and you fake your CV by putting some top university name and a name of a complicated science degree" he paused, took a breath and concluded "Look, I know how to catch fakes, I have been a teacher for twelve years and a principle for a fourteen years, what you have done here is illegal, I don't have time to waste on you"

I looked at him very shocked, how can he not know who I am, I'm one of the youngest people to graduate from university and have been featured on many news and magazine articles. "I am really passionate about getting this job, being a young genius I want to inspire the youth of today to be more motivated about learning about science and being part of what makes tomorrow a better place. I want to inspire more people to become like me." I gave a short speech to show my passion to this subject. "Science is everything to me, it's the understanding of the world we live in and has so much answers about how things fit together... " he stopped me from talking.

"Stop right there" he held his hand towards my face. "You have 15 seconds to prove me that you are Kieran Tanner that studied astro whatever at Yale or I will call security" he looked at his silver watch on his wrist, he pinched the top and bottom of the watch and started to count " fifteen, fourteen, thirteen.. "

Got out of my seat and grabbed his laptop involuntarily, I didn't even take permission and started to do few Google searches about my self as fast as I can and turned the laptop towards him. 

"Seven, six..." he continued

"Alright, so this is an article about me from the Science Talk, the mirror and a video documentary about me" I said it so fast and wiggled my fingers holding fingertips together, I released one huge breath. 

Barnett looked at his screen and skim read one of the articles. I sat down twiggling my thumbs as he took his time. He looked at me after a short while with a big smile on his face. I felt very proud of myself I raised my chin up in pride. "You are a very intelligent boy"

"Yes, people say that to me a lot" I blushed.

"So why did you chose to come to foothill high? Why do you want to be a teacher? I am asking this just because you studied astrophysics at a high standard university so I would have expected you to have went to carry on to become an astrophysicist."

"Well having starting my course at the age of 11, I didn't much have a high school experience, I've been home schooled my whole life. So a teacher would allow me to experience highshcool and also give me a chance to help others. I also want to teach in universities so teaching in highschool would be a good experience." I explained my reason honestly.

"Lovely" he looked at the wall, paused for a short while and turned back to me "Well Kieran, our physics teacher Mrs Montgomery had sadly left school due to her awful accident falling off a horse and fracturing her neck and leg, so we do have a shortage of science teachers"

I smiled back, I think he's going to give me a job, I am waiting for the right words to come out of his mouth.

"We are currently in our second academic month, you are a little bit late" he paused and sat down more proper "however, never mind that, kid, you got the job!"

I froze! I'm so happy I did this interview all by myself and got the job! "I-I'm speechless, thank you so much for the opportunity!" 

"No, thank you for coming here. Your qualifications are way better than the teachers we have here. it's an honor that you have came here. You can come and start tomorrow"

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes, I will let you sign your contract today and give you your teaching timetable." tomorrow seems a very fast move! but I am defiantly up for it . Barnett printed some paper and walked back from the printer handing them to me.

"So I just need to sign here?" I pointed at the line at the bottom of the page so he could hand me a pen.

"Yes, let me read the contract for you first" he took a pen from his pocket and handed it to me.

"It's alright, I just finished reading it" I smiled and grabbed the pen and started signing. He looked at me shocked at my fast reading ability.

"Okay then" he coughed " this is your time table, pretty self explanatory. You will be the forum tutor of grade 9b and you will teach chemistry and physics and substitute for biology and maths."

"Chemistry, physics, biology and maths?" I was confused at the amount of subjects he gave me.

"Yes, we have a huge shortage of teachers and our teachers tend to ... erm ... bunk"

"Teachers bunking?" I replied in shock. It's usually students that bunk from what I heard from mother.

" Yes, and also take charge of Monday, Wednesday and Thursday break duties" he added

"Okay..." I wasn't expected to teach all these subjects I was just expecting to teach science but I guess I am good at many subjects so it won't be a problem for me.

Barnett stood up and shook my hand, "okay, you are good to go, thank you, see you tomorrow, don't disappoint me Mr Tanner.

"I won't" I smiled back and left.

I rode with my personal driver and called my mum to tell her I got the job. I was just too impatient to go back home and tell her.