Any Help for a New Grad?

by subfrommobile

Jun 11, 2012

I'm still having trouble finding a teaching job in my district; I've been searching for a few months. I was wondering if any of the teacher unions helped newly licensed teachers find work. I would like to start working and am excited about joining the teaching world.

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Kimberly from SoCal On 6/11/12, subfrommobile wrote: > I'm still having trouble finding a teaching job in my > district; I've been searching for a few months. I was > wondering if any of the teacher unions helped newly > licensed teachers find work. I would like to start working > and am excited about joining the teaching world.

First off I'd l...See MoreOn 6/11/12, subfrommobile wrote: > I'm still having trouble finding a teaching job in my > district; I've been searching for a few months. I was > wondering if any of the teacher unions helped newly > licensed teachers find work. I would like to start working > and am excited about joining the teaching world.

First off I'd like to wish you good luck on your job search. In my state, there is a student version of the teachers' union that is directly related to the teaching union itself. I would suggest looking into that union and what is available to its members. Ours offered advice regarding our portfolios, interviews, and other similar job search resources.

Second, I'd like to pass along some information from when I was looking for a job in a tough market. Our teacher preparation program was taught in a cohort format, so I went through all my classes and student teaching with the same group of people for a year. After that year, I was in touch with all of them and tracked them as they did their job searches while I went on to earn my M.Ed.

Many of them, (about half) did not find a job their first year. Those that did -accepted jobs out of the area in rural or urban schools or they accepted jobs in (their)less desired subject matter/age groups. The areas of greatest need at that time were teaching language learners, special education, or middle school aged students. Our credential was aimed at elementary education and many of the teachers wanted primary aged students. The ones that were open to moving found jobs easiest. We lived/went to school in Orange County,CA - a major continuation of the suburbs of Los Angeles. Teachers moved to the desert, to Los Angeles, to pretty much anywhere there was a boom in population or a shortage of teachers and got jobs without much problem.

Those that didn't have jobs within that first year subbed for about a year. School districts would often interview in panels and what many of them heard during those interviews was that the more experience they had subbing, the more desireable they'd be to hire on full time once there was an opening.

When I did get a job, I found one teaching middle school in ELD/Language Arts/Social Studies in a low performing school. Once I was in the district and established tenure, I was free to look at job openings around the district and found the 4th grade opening at a school where I really wanted to teach.

Keep track of openings in your district, make friends of the teachers you sub for and eat lunch with, check in with the administrators so they know your face and name. Do your job well- sticking as close to teacher plans as possible when they are available. Stay positive and humble (subs that brag about being more qualified than the teachers they sub for tend to make fewer friends). You'll find a job.

Jun 20, 2012

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Sally As a teacher of 37 years experience, I'd like to say that Kimberly from SoCal offers excellent advice here to teachers looking for a permanent job. She really nails it!

On 6/20/12, Kimberly from SoCal wrote: > On 6/11/12, subfrommobile wrote: >> I'm still having trouble finding a teaching job in my >> district; I've been s...See MoreAs a teacher of 37 years experience, I'd like to say that Kimberly from SoCal offers excellent advice here to teachers looking for a permanent job. She really nails it!

On 6/20/12, Kimberly from SoCal wrote: > On 6/11/12, subfrommobile wrote: >> I'm still having trouble finding a teaching job in my >> district; I've been searching for a few months. I was >> wondering if any of the teacher unions helped newly >> licensed teachers find work. I would like to start working >> and am excited about joining the teaching world. > > First off I'd like to wish you good luck on your job search. > In my state, there is a student version of the teachers' union > that is directly related to the teaching union itself. I > would suggest looking into that union and what is available to > its members. Ours offered advice regarding our portfolios, > interviews, and other similar job search resources. > > Second, I'd like to pass along some information from when I > was looking for a job in a tough market. Our teacher > preparation program was taught in a cohort format, so I went > through all my classes and student teaching with the same > group of people for a year. After that year, I was in touch > with all of them and tracked them as they did their job > searches while I went on to earn my M.Ed. > > Many of them, (about half) did not find a job their first > year. Those that did -accepted jobs out of the area in rural > or urban schools or they accepted jobs in (their)less desired > subject matter/age groups. The areas of greatest need at that > time were teaching language learners, special education, or > middle school aged students. Our credential was aimed at > elementary education and many of the teachers wanted primary > aged students. The ones that were open to moving found jobs > easiest. We lived/went to school in Orange County,CA - a > major continuation of the suburbs of Los Angeles. Teachers > moved to the desert, to Los Angeles, to pretty much anywhere > there was a boom in population or a shortage of teachers and > got jobs without much problem. > > Those that didn't have jobs within that first year subbed for > about a year. School districts would often interview in > panels and what many of them heard during those interviews was > that the more experience they had subbing, the more desireable > they'd be to hire on full time once there was an opening. > > When I did get a job, I found one teaching middle school in > ELD/Language Arts/Social Studies in a low performing school. > Once I was in the district and established tenure, I was free > to look at job openings around the district and found the 4th > grade opening at a school where I really wanted to teach. > > Keep track of openings in your district, make friends of the > teachers you sub for and eat lunch with, check in with the > administrators so they know your face and name. Do your job > well- sticking as close to teacher plans as possible when they > are available. Stay positive and humble (subs that brag about > being more qualified than the teachers they sub for tend to > make fewer friends). You'll find a job. >

Nov 8, 2012

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