Depressed because I can't get a teaching job

[Feralpeg]

Getting any type of job right now is hard. Getting a teaching job is extremely difficult. In our area, many teachers were let go. The market is flooded. If you don't have experience, you are at the bottom of the list. It is depressing.

But, the job market in general is terrible. They announced yesterday on the local news that a new hospital has 450 positions available. They've already received over 10,000 applications for those jobs. It very sad.

 

[nephthys43]

This may not be what you are looking for, but have you considered checking into working as a para professional or teachers aid with your school? I know it isn't perfect, but it would get you back in a classroom and working with kids. Just a thought.

be careful with this. i've always heard, once a para, always a para. they will almost never consider you for a teaching position. they've got all those new hires that want the teaching job and no one wants to be a para. they won't want to lose a para if they don't have to.

 

[momof1princess]

I have been a stay at home mom for 12 years. I taught for 7 years before making the decision to stay home. Last spring I started looking for teaching jobs and was able to get only 1 interview out of the 3 districts I applied to. I am licensed to teacher 7-12 social studies in Ohio. I didn't get the job This school year I have been babysitting for 2 teachers just to bring in some money. There are rarely openings for social studies teachers and if there is an opening, 100s apply. The situation is so depressing to me. I really can't afford to go back to school since our oldest will be in college next year and our 2nd oldest the year after. We just don't have the money for me. But what can I do besides teach? I am 40 years old, so I am not getting any younger. The thing is, I know that I would be a great teacher. I love teenagers. I love the school environment. I think that I will be a better teacher now that I have teens of my own. There are also 100s of subs in our area so they aren't getting called very often- plus being a sub is not the same as being a teacher.

OP, i know EXACTLY how you feel. i have a legal secretarial degree, and have worked in both legal and medical offices, but i've been a SAHM for 11 years, and now i can't find a job to save my life. i don't even get interviews-i've filled out probably 100+ applications, and got called in for ONE typing test, and that's it in over 7 months. i've considered going back to school, but i'll be 40 in a few days and the thought of starting over is just SO overwhelming, and i don't really know what i'd study.

 

[PixieDustandEeyore]

Im chosing to upgrade myself but im only 22 but they are not allowing people on the sub lists in my area and i looked within a 6 hour radius. Ive been trying to just get any job and I havent gotten call backs from fast food, office admins (i worked 3 years as an office admin and 1 and a half years in customer service , started working when I could!) and Im getting nothing, and have a student loan payment putting me in debt.

I wish you soo much luck! I think everything happens for a reason, you may be having difficulties because a perfect job may be waiting! Im hoping thats the case for me Im in the last stage of working at disney for a year in Epcot so I hope thats my destiny haha!

Goood luck!

 

[tw1nsmom]

Have you thought about getting certified to tutor children with dyslexia? My DS has complex learning disabilities, one of which is dyslexia. It was recommended that he get multi-sensory reading instruction like Wilson. It was very difficult to find a tutor certified to do that. We finally found someone and we pay her $75/hour three times a week (the general going rate for this kind of tutoring).

You could check with the masons/scottish rite in your area or look into other training centers. The person tutoring my DS had been a respected reading teacher for years and has told me that she regrets not having learned how to teach this way before. She knows there are children she never seemed able to reach with regular reading remediation that would have benefited from Wilson.

Just a thought.

 

[Nik's Mom]

be careful with this. i've always heard, once a para, always a para. they will almost never consider you for a teaching position. they've got all those new hires that want the teaching job and no one wants to be a para. they won't want to lose a para if they don't have to.

I guess it depends on the school district then. My son's former para is now a teacher.

 

[IDoDis]

be careful with this. i've always heard, once a para, always a para. they will almost never consider you for a teaching position. they've got all those new hires that want the teaching job and no one wants to be a para. they won't want to lose a para if they don't have to.

I have not found this to be true where I live. In fact, 4 out of 6 of the assistants I've had in the past 19 years have gone on to be teachers (and I've known several others, too). The assistant I have now is finishing up her certification requirements. I think being an educational assistant is a great way to get your foot in the door. Principals at the schools I've work at have always hired the paras before looking elsewhere.

It's not "what" you know, it's "who" you know. Hang in there! Next year is going to be even leaner than this year, but after that hopefully things will turn around.

 

[Miniefan]

Op, I am right here with you, its so tough right now. Im not a teacher, Im a dental assistant and it is nearly impossible to get a phone call for an interview much less an offer.

I have been working with a few agencies that are trying to help me in my search, and I want to ask you- since you've been a Sahm for a long time do you have a huge gap in your resume? The agencies have told me that it is often harder to find a job when you have lots of gaps in your resume, and to fill in whatever it is you've done in the volunteer field if that applies.

I wish you all the best in your search.

Kim

 

[bdcp]

Every teacher I know that went back after raising children spent at least a year or two subbing. They all got to know the principal's and other teachers so when an opening came up, they were considered before other applicants.

I was a SAHM for 14 years before going back to work. I'm a federal employee but I still had to qualify for the position. My resume during those 14 years had a couple of very part time jobs and I was working part time doing babysitting at a local gym (through someone I knew) when I got my job. Otherwise the gaps in my resume didn't matter much since I was also volunteered in the boys school almost the entire time. All of that is looked on positively by employers. I didn't do it with plans on going back to work, because I didn't think I would, but I started getting bored when the boys got into middle school and there was less volunteering options with the school.

 

[Kathi OD]

be careful with this. i've always heard, once a para, always a para. they will almost never consider you for a teaching position. they've got all those new hires that want the teaching job and no one wants to be a para. they won't want to lose a para if they don't have to.

our district routinely hires our paras as teachers. in fact, very few of our special ed teacher openings are posted outside of the district because we hire so many of our paras.

 

[Cindy B]

Social Studies is rough.

It took me 22 months to get my full time teaching job. I graduated in December 2008 and didn't get my job until November 2010 . My new position is with a very tough population in an inner city public school.

Before that I sent over 200 resumes, had 17 interviews and ultimately one offer.
I had a 70 mile one way restriction. I was also looking into certification in other states.

Have you looked into getting other certifications? You might be eligible for something you don't know. I a m the same age as you and I do understand.

Good luck and keep trying. Before I found my teaching position, I did work for the federal government.

 

[gingajane]

It is a tough market for teachers. If you have a science or math background you are highly sought after. History, LA and PE are the toughest to break into. I would suggest looking for a "leave of absence" vacancy. Yes, this is a temporary position, but you can show them your skills and maybe get your foot in the door. I am in NJ, so I am not really sure of SP ED in Ohio. These are hard vacancies to fill in some schools and some states emergency certify people with educational degrees. It isn't for everyone, but again, you get your foot in the door and show them all of the reasons that they can't live without you. Also, some schools are actively looking for home instructors...the pay per hour is far superior to many jobs that I can think of and you can dictate your own hours. Good luck and God bless!

 

[linnylu]

I do have my name on a list for leave of absence. Almost all social studies teachers in our district are men though and they seem to take leave less often than women. I have considered doing a parapro job. Do you think that it matters if the parapro job is in the elementary and I teach high school? I haven't seen any parapro jobs for our high school. I will probably sign up to sub when my youngest is out of the lower grades. I would have to find before and after school care for him which would basically negate my sub pay. As for tutoring- there isn't much of a demand for a history sub.

 

[meliss8599]

If you don't need the insurance, please seriously consider the subbing. It gets your foot in the door and seeing you in action tells a potential employer SO MUCH MORE than a resume and cover letter.

Out of college, I substituted as both a teacher and teacher's aide. As an aide, the classroom teachers saw all of my positive teaching qualities firsthand. I made sure that if the student I was with was "okay" for the moment, I circulated the room and helped as necessary--without being asked. As a teacher, I implemented the lessons well, making sure everything was completed, and went above and beyond; for example, when the kids were at specials, I graded the papers, organized the classroom library, wrote very specific notes to the teacher. Teachers really appreciate when they can leave a real lesson and have it completed. This work ethic spreads around the school and ultimately gets to the principal. Within 3 months of subbing, I was asked to cover a maternity leave which ultimately led to a full time teaching position.

I would hesitate to recommend your taking an assistant's position as I have seen too many people get stuck. Either the teacher does not want to let an amazing assistant go or the assistant gets labeled as "just an assistant."

These are just my personal experiences so take from them what you will. I wish you the best of luck and please know that there is nothing wrong with you, there is just a flood of teachers. I have heard that in our district (Chicago 'burbs), there can be up to three thousand applicants for one opening.

 

[shinysparklybubbles]

MSE plus 3 years teaching experience VS. BSE with 0 years teaching experience. The district needed to go with the person they could pay less.

That is sad to know that students are not getting the best teachers but the cheapest.

 

[meliss8599]

That is sad to know that students are not getting the best teachers but the cheapest.

It is too bad but it's the sad reality in many states in financial ruin. There's a district in an upper class suburb about 30 minutes from where I live and they are letting go ALL non-tenured teachers and only hiring back those with bachelor's degrees so as not to have to pay the higher salary.

 

[ilovefh]

I would hesitate to recommend your taking an assistant's position as I have seen too many people get stuck. Either the teacher does not want to let an amazing assistant go or the assistant gets labeled as "just an assistant."

That was how it was in my old district. They have never hired a para for a teacher's position even though many have interviewed.

At my new school one of the new reading teachers was a para last year, but our district is also hiring.

Both districts also tend to hire teachers with less experience because they are cheaper.

 

[rie'smom]

Many teachers who would have retired can't because their pensions were lost are were severely diminished through bad investments made by those who handled them.
In our area, a lot of positions were cut after the oil spill because tax revenues went way down.

 

[palavra]

Have you considered teaching in a private school? At least you would get some experience that way.

I am a private school teacher because we live in a very small town with public schools that aren't very good. My daughter attends the school where I teach at a reduced rate. Although the pay is less, it isn't as bad as you might think. I make roughly 75% of the salary of a local public school teacher. On the down side, health insurance isn't offered, and retirement is not very good. Thank goodness my husband has good insurance and retirement with his job.

 

[MushyMushy]

be careful with this. i've always heard, once a para, always a para. they will almost never consider you for a teaching position. they've got all those new hires that want the teaching job and no one wants to be a para. they won't want to lose a para if they don't have to.

That's the way it is here with paras AND subs. The schools here are notoriously bad for not wanting to hire their subs -- one actually went to court over it and the school ended up having to do some type of points system where subs would get a little more priority in jobs.