CV of Failures

Inspired by Johannes Haushofer's CV of Failures, this is a record of the rejections, setbacks, and lessons learned along the way.

Professional

Employment & Academic Advancement that I have interviewed for and not been offered:

2017

  1. District Administrator for Secondary Curriculum & Instruction, Deer Park UFSD.
  2. Director of STEM Education, Cold Spring Harbor UFSD.
  3. K-12 Director of Science, Glen Cove UFSD

2016

  1. K-12 Director of Science, North Babylon UFSD
  2. K-12 Director of Science, Smithtown CSD
  3. K-12 Coordinator of Science & Research, Middle Country CSD
  4. Assistant Principal, Robert Frost Middle School, Deer Park UFSD
  5. Assistant Principal, Babylon High School, Babylon UFSD
  6. EdD Program, University of Pennsylvania (not accepted following interview weekend)

2015

  1. STEM Director, South Country School District
  2. Science Chairperson, Great Neck South High School
  3. EdLD Program, Harvard University

Awards & Recognition I was nominated for and did not receive:

  1. NYS Outstanding Biology Teacher (2015 & 2016)
  2. NYS Presidential Award for Excellence in Math & Science Teaching (2015- Did not advance past state finalist)
  3. Kim Foglia AP Biology Service Award (2011- Awarded in 2012 )

Failed Initiatives that I have been tasked with:

  1. NGSS Chemistry Assessment and Alignment (2019-2020 School Year)

Personal Failings:

Cognitive Biases/False Assumptions that I Evince:

  1. Assuming people feel the same way that I do.
  2. Overwhelming people with my workflow/personality.
  3. Carrying around guilt for prior mistakes.
  4. Taking people for granted.
  5. Not knowing what I don’t know.
  6. Inclination toward technical fixes for complex problems.

Knowledge/Skills that I would like to have acquired, but have not:

  1. Self-sufficient cooking and food preparation.
  2. Basic carpentry, plumbing, and electrical skills.
  3. How to learn things that I am not natively interested in.
  4. How to sail or pilot a motorboat.
  5. How to exercise in a way that is enjoyable to me.
  6. How to program a computer in any way that can be considered authentically creative.
  7. How to speak a language other than English with even basic competence.

Note: This list does not track the many, many jobs that I have applied for and not been contacted for an interview (within a Fermi Estimate of 100).