Desperately Seeking Employment

Get your foot in that door!

          
Trying to find a job is tough business. Trying to find a job in education is even tougher. Especially nowadays. For one, job openings don’t pop up year-round and for another, there are A LOT of job-seeking teachers out there, unemployed and otherwise. I’ve been at this job hunting business for quite some time, about eight years now. I’ve had some jobs here and there, but I got to say, unless you know someone, unless you’ve got you’re foot in the door, it’s hard to even get called for an interview for a job opening. Here’s how I’ve gotten my jobs…

I started working as a substitute teacher at my Alma Mater during breaks while I was in college. I did this for a couple of years. After I graduated college, I applied for a few job openings; all but one of them resulted in the dreaded, “Thank you for your interest… we’ve filled the position… ” letter. I was fortunate enough to get one interview, but was informed that I just didn’t have the experience they were looking for. After that I worked a few odd jobs as a waitress, a receptionist, a purchasing clerk and a file clerk. Oh, and as a nanny over the summer months.

A year after I graduated, I was called by my Alma Mater and offered a long-term sub position, filling in for my former art teacher. Turns out my old art teacher had requested that I be hired for the position. I was flattered, but I also knew there were some circumstances that existed that weren’t necessarily ideal, so I turned the job down. The superintendent was persistent though, and I ended up taking the job. I was a K-12 art teacher for a little over a year. If you’ve never taught at a K-12 school, I don’t recommend it. It’s a lot of work. At any rate, after the contracted teacher returned from her leave, I was asked to be the long-term sub in the Home & Careers classroom at the same school. I lasted there for about three months. It was part-time, I was driving an hour and a half every day, and it just wasn’t worth it. I ended up taking a job as an office manager that paid $20/hour and offered full benefits.

I lasted a year and a half as an office manager. I hated it. I wasn’t cut out to work behind a desk day-in and day-out. I moved to a more populated part of the state and started working as a waitress by night and a substitute teacher by day in about 7 local school districts. I knew it was important to get yourself known in schools so when a job opened up, the schools were already familiar with you and had a face to put with your name, so-to-speak. I was working 12 hour days, 6 days a week. It was hard. I was exhausted, but I was making money and I was convinced, as soon as spring comes around, I’ll be golden and can walk right into a job.

Well, spring came, and not a single art job opened up. Not one. Knowing that I couldn’t possibly handle another year doing what I had been doing, I applied for a .40 K-6 position that opened up at a school back home. I was shocked when I was called for an interview (I had previously applied for this position right after graduation and had received one of those letters). Long story short, I got the job. I think it helped that I had gained experience as a long-term sub in a neighboring school district and that one of the teachers in the interview knew my sister. So, I was a .40 elementary art teacher and a .60 building sub for about two years. If you’ve never had this experience, let me tell you, it’s not that great. You do all the work of a full-time teacher with none of the perks. No benefits, no union support, no voice…. (If you really want to know what it’s like, check out A Day in the Life…)

And that was the last job I really had. I moved to Virginia for a few months before returning to NY to finish up my Master’s degree. I’m currently working as a grad assistant, and I have my name in for subbing in about five local school districts. I’ve been in the subbing system since October. It’s now March and I haven’t subbed a single day yet. Why? I don’t know. My guess is that there are SO many unemployed teachers out there that there are a plethora of subs. And I’m new to the area, so no one knows my name, or my face.

So the point of this post, GET YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR! Be patient. You may have to suffer through some horrendous subbing experiences before you land that ideal position. Also, network, network, network. Get out there and meet other art teachers. Meet other teachers. Meet anyone. You can’t rely on your resume alone to get you an interview.

Have a similar experience? Have a different experience? Have any advice for job seekers? Please, share!

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Desperately Seeking Employment

It’s that time of year again…

   
Yup! Hunting season! And by that, I mean JOB hunting season! We teachers are a lucky bunch in that job openings in our profession come around only once a year (for the most part. Occasionally you can get lucky and score a long-term sub position during the rest of the year that might result in a permanent position, but one shouldn’t count on it).

Actually, I guess it would be fair to say that jobs open up twice a year. Once in the springtime and once again in the summer when schools who have lost their teachers to springtime openings are now scrambling to fill their vacated positions by September. But again, one should not count on getting a job this late in the hunting season (although two of my jobs did fall on my lap during this time. I guess I was lucky like that. I haven’t been since, so I’m not holding out this time. Springtime hunting it is!).

If you’ve ever been involved in the hunt, you know it is very time consuming and a pain-in-the-ass of a process. It requires you to be organized and on top of things. Job searching as a teacher isn’t like job searching in another profession. You can’t get by with just a stellar resume and cover letter. Here is a quick breakdown of the most common items needed when applying for teaching jobs:

  • Updated Resume
  • Job Specific Cover Letter
  • Job Application Specific to the School or School District
  • School Transcripts (from every higher ed institute you’ve ever received credit from)
  • A Copy of Your Certification
  • Three Letters of Recommendation
  • A Portfolio (if you’re an art teacher, this may also contain your artwork as well as student artwork. Some schools like to see your work, others could care less, but you should always be prepared)
  • TB Test Results (a requirement for some schools, especially those in more populated areas)

I’m sure I’ve left a few things out. I find it’s best to get all these ducks in a row before you start applying for jobs, which means, if job openings are being posted in April (which seems to be the hot month), you should probably start gathering all this stuff now.

Transcripts and letters of recommendation are probably the hardest to get your hands on.

Some school districts will accept unofficial transcripts, but most require official transcripts, which take time and quite often, money to acquire. Many colleges require that you make transcript requests in writing, but some have switched to a more convenient online request form. Many colleges have eliminated the fees for obtaining official transcripts, but some still ask anywhere from $3-$12 per transcript. Remember, it’s best to have many on hand, especially if you are unsure of how many jobs you’ll be applying to. I usually request at least five at a time and ask that they be mailed to me.This way, I don’t have to wait for the colleges to get around to mailing the transcripts to the school districts. As long as the transcripts remain officially sealed, most school districts are okay with receiving them from you instead of the colleges.

Letters of recommendation (LoRs) are trickier. I have my three go to supervisors that I always ask for letters from. I know some job seeking teachers who always get copies of their LoRs so they have them on hand, eliminating the need to 1. request them and 2. wait for them to make it to the school district you’re applying to. In theory, this is a good idea, however, I tend to avoid doing this. For one, I would hate too submit outdated LoRs. Some school districts require that your LoRs be delivered to them officially sealed, which means you can’t read them, which means you don’t know whether or not your former supervisors have dated them or included any information specific to a previous job search. Of course, you can always be prepared and request a general LoR, that isn’t for a specific job and that you can just photo copy for every job you end up applying for. On the other hand, some school districts you apply to may require that LoRs be submitted on a specific LoR form that they have. These are usually included in the application packets and have some specific questions for your supervisors to answer, as well as an area for them to write a note of recommendation.

So, how you go about obtaining your transcripts and LoRs is entirely up to you. I think it is always a good rule of thumb to have copies of official transcripts on hand. If you’re applying to jobs with plenty of time before the deadline, I would recommend requesting specific LoRs. However, if you’re cutting it close, and the deadline is fast approaching, you may want to have some general LoRs on hand to pop in the application packet right away. With up to 300 or 400 job applicants per opening, most school districts won’t even consider a candidate with an incomplete application packet, regardless of how great of a teacher you are.

Stay tuned for some future tips on the job hunt as I am currently going through this process (again). If you have any questions or any tips you’d like to add, comment away! Happy Hunting!

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A Day In the Life

A day in the life of an Elementary Art teacher. Part 3.

     
 …because unless you’ve ever been one, you really don’t know what it’s like.

(If you missed Part 1, you can find it here. If you missed Part 2, you can find it here)

10:53am- 1st grade teacher shows up at door with 1st grade class (they’re early by 2 minutes, of course). 1st grade teacher apologizes and offers to wait (which you appreciate, but hey, they’re already here). 1st grade class drops lunch boxes off at door (they, the lucky pipsqueaks, have lunch right after wards). 1st grade teacher spends next 4 minutes explaining about behavior problems in 1st grade classroom and their new behavior plan (you politely nod throughout this all the while knowing that her plan will not work in your classroom). You lie and say, “I’ll be happy to use your strategy in my art room.” 

10:57am- 1st grade teacher is on her way. 1st grade class is settled down. Class begins. Class is interrupted by 3rd grade student (it seems 3rd grade teacher needs brown construction paper, but not that shade of brown, and not that shade of brown, but this shade. And can you cut it to be 15×19?). 3rd grade student leaves. 

11:03am- 1st grade class is settled down (again). Class begins. Quick review. Pass out supplies. Students start working. Spend next 30 minutes answering questions, wiping noses and bouncing back and forth across the classroom like a spastic art genius running on fumes.

11:35am- Clean up time. Students complain that they didn’t get enough time to work. Explain that this is because Big Brother doesn’t want us to be happy.

11:37am- 1st grade teacher enters (early). Finish cleaning up and wrapping up (all the while 1st grade teacher gives you evil eye because you are not ready when she is). Class is over. Line kids up. Receive numerous hugs and high-fives while 1st grade class heads out the door.

11:40am- Prep time. Notice 1st grade student left lunch in classroom. Trek to cafeteria to deliver lunch (where numerous eager students cheerfully greet you with hellos, hugs, smiles and waves and insist that you “come here!” For a brief moment, you feel like the well-loved and highly adored celebrity you always knew you were). Trek back to classroom. Run into Principal in hallway (at which point he will ask if you have a moment later on, can you please stop by his office). You lie, “No problem.” Continue trek back to classroom.

11:53am- Do some last minute prep work for the last two classes of the day (while eating some old Halloween candy you found in the bottom of your bag). 

11:55am- Patiently wait in the hallway for 3rd grade class to arrive (they’ll be late. They always are, but that’s okay because you’re still picking candy corn out of your teeth). 3rd grade class arrives (bouncing off the walls, fueled up on free cafeteria ice cream; a reward for some challenge the Principal sponsored. Silently curse Principal.). 3rd grade class enters classroom. 3rd grade teacher spends next 5 minutes asking if you could make a donkey puppet for their puppet show (all the while completely obliviously to the rowdy behavior occurring in the classroom. Oh, and the donkey has to be this big, And he needs to be wearing a hat. And can you make his bandanna blue and purple plaid with red accents? Oh, and we need it for tomorrow). 3rd grade teacher leaves.

12:08pm- 3rd grade class has finally settled in. Class begins. Quick review. Pass out supplies. Students start working. Students stop working to scramble to the window to watch a runaway horse chase a cop car down the road (these types of distractions happen quite frequently, much to the enjoyment of the students. One day it was the Principal being chased outside my window by a bee. Kid you not. Another day it was the Principal trying to herd a skunk off of the property… outside my window. I enjoyed that one too.).

12:20pm- Students begin working (again). Spend next 15 minutes answering questions, wiping noses and bouncing back and forth across the classroom like a spastic art genius running on fumes.

12:35pm- Clean up time. Students complain that they didn’t get enough time to work. Explain that this is what happens when people don’t lock the gate after they feed their horses.

12:40pm- Class is over. Line kids up. 3rd grade teacher is on time. 3rd grade class leaves. Wait for 2nd grade class to show up.

12:43pm- 1/2/3 Special Needs class shows up (they are pushed-in with the 2nd grade class, despite their varying skills and abilities). 1/2/3 Special Needs class quietly enters classroom. 

12:46pm- Still waiting. 2nd grade class shows up sporadically (they have recess prior to art and 2nd grade teacher sends them down as they are ready).

12:57pm- Entire 2nd grade class is settled in. Special Needs student wanders in with assistant. Special Needs student and assistant get settled in.

1:05pm- Class begins (yes, over 20 minutes late). Quick review. Pass out supplies. Students start working. Phone rings (which inevitably results in every student to cease working and listen intently). Answer phone (it’s the Principal and he wants to remind you that he asked you to stop by his office, which you have yet to do. Politely remind him that you have classes and then hang up. Silently curse Principal for being a complete moron.). Coerce students back to work. Spend next 10 minutes answering questions, wiping noses and bouncing back and forth across the classroom like a spastic art genius running on fumes. 

1:20pm- Clean up time. Students complain that they didn’t get enough time to work. Explain that this is what happens when they take their sweet-ass time coming in from recess.

1:25pm- Class is over. Line kids up. 2nd grade teacher is MIA. 1/2/3 Special Needs teacher is on time and reluctantly agrees to take 2nd grade class as well.

1:25pm- Prep time. Begin putting supplies and art work away. Remember that Principal requested to see you. Trek down to office. Run into 6th grade students (who have returned from their field trip and remind you that you said they could come in during “quiet study” time and catch-up on some back work). Explain that now is not good. Break 6th grade students’ hearts. Explain that this is what happens when a dumbass with frosted tips is hired as the Principal. Proceed on trek to office. Tell secretary why you are there. Sit down with trouble making students and wait. And wait. Approach secretary again. Secretary calls Principal. Principal explains that he can’t remember what he wanted you for and he will find you later. Grumble to secretary. Trek back to classroom. Run into 6th grade students (who are wasting time outside the bathroom ’cause they’ve got nothing better to do). Invite 6th grade students to classroom to work on back work. 

1:35pm- Continue cleaning up. Bribe 6th grade students with candy if they will wash 2nd grade classes paint brushes. 6th grade students agree. Help custodian stack chairs so he can clean classroom (which, inevitably, takes twice as long as it should because he likes to gossip. A lot. Which you pretend to care about and listen to).

1:55pm- Send 6th grade students away (they neglected to leave at the dismissal bell 5 minutes ago). Sit down for the second time of the day. Contemplate prepping for next days class. Remember the pile of mail on your desk. Decide instead to wander into the faculty lounge to see if there is any free food hanging about (yeah, it’s gross, but you haven’t eaten all day. Beggars can’t be choosers).

2:05pm- Return to classroom to find 12 unattended 3/4/5/6 grade students in classroom (crap! You must have forgotten it was the third Wednesday of the month and book club uses your room after school on those days. At least it’s not the second Tuesday of the month, because that would mean you would have 30 student council members in your room). Kick students out of your room (inform them they can only return when they have an adult with them because you don’t get paid to supervise them. Silently curse the principal because he is their adviser and you have spoken to him about this before). Decide prep for tomorrow will have to wait. Tackle pile of mail instead.

2:10pm- 3/4/5/6 grade students return with Principal (who apologizes and asks students to thank you for the use of your room. Like you have a choice in the matter). Spend next 25 minutes trying to work while Principal ineffectively runs book club (all the while messing up your already cleaned classroom and writing all over your already spotless whiteboard). Shake head in disgrace as Principal allows students to have their snack of soda and candy. 

2:45pm- Cringe as students leave for the late bus. Politely but firmly ask Principal to clean up your previously clean classroom (at which point he calls the students back into the room and has them half-assedly put your room back in order and again has them thank you for the use of your room. Silently curse Principal for being such a spineless squirt). Finally get a chance to prep classroom for tomorrow (all the while listening to the rest of the building head home for the night). 

3:00pm- Remember that you requested a sub for the day after tomorrow. Spend next hour and a half writing up plans (you do this today because you know that tomorrow afternoon you will have to prep all the supplies for the sub, making sure to label them in easy-to-follow steps that still won’t be followed. You wonder why you even bother but refuse to be that teacher that leaves a video for the sub to play for every class).

4:30pm- You finally begin the 35 minute drive home (trying really, really hard to not fall asleep, but manage to slip into some sort of oblivious daze and are genuinely surprised you actually make it home in one piece because you don’t recall the drive at all). 

5:00pm- Arrive home (where you will inevitably be told that you can’t possibly be tired because your job isn’t real work. How can it be real work when all you do is play with kids all day, only have to work 6 hour days and have vacations and summers off? Real work isn’t work that you enjoy. At this point you will question whether or not you actually do enjoy your job. You will then remember the hugs and the high-fives and the smiling faces and realize that, yes, in fact, you do. This makes the belittling of your job almost worth it.)

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A Day In the Life

A day in the life of an Elementary Art teacher. Part 2.

…because unless you’ve ever been one, you really don’t know what it’s like.

(If you missed Part 1, you can find it here)

8:08am- You patiently wait in the hallway for your first class, 5th grade, to arrive (their class begins at 8:10).

8:12am- You’re still waiting (the Principal was late with the morning announcements, therefore making your first class late).

8:15am- You see 6th grade class headed your way (wait, what, 6th grade?). You check the clock. You check your schedule. You put on “confused” face. 6th grade teacher registers “confused” face. 6th grade teacher explains that he and 5th grade teacher switched times because 6th grade will be going on a field trip later and didn’t want to miss art (while you appreciate this gesture, you silently curse them for not telling you). 6th grade teachers asks, “Didn’t we tell you? I hope this isn’t a problem.” (all the while you are doing some quick mental adjustment and reorganizing to prepare for this). You lie, “No problem.” (just as you notice 5/6 grade Special Needs class headed your way. 5/6 grade Special Needs class normally comes with 5th grade class, but their teacher chose not to switch their schedule around because it would mess up her schedule, and can’t they just come to art with 6th grade class? Who cares that they’re working on entirely different projects. You can accommodate them, right?) You lie, “No problem.”

8:20am- Class finally starts (after of course, you figure out the seating arrangements because the addition of 5/6 grade Special Needs class throws off the 6th grade seating chart). Quick review. Pass out supplies. Students start working. Spend the next 30 minutes answering questions, drawing noses and bouncing back and forth across the classroom like a spastic art genius on too much caffeine (which, of course, isn’t true because by the time you got around to drinking your morning coffee, it was already colder than your classroom, which doesn’t get any heat, in the dead of winter. The heating system in your room broke three years ago and has yet to be repaired, forcing you to use extremely unsafe and illegal space heaters that little fingers are very tempted to touch. But I digress.).

8:50am- Clean up time. Students complain they didn’t get enough work time. Explain that this is because they were late.

8:55am- Class is over. Line kids up (5th grade is already waiting in the hallway, without 5th grade teacher because 5th grade teacher doesn’t think it’s necessary to accompany her class). 6th grade teacher is late. Wait for 6th grade teacher to pick up 6th grade class. 

8:58am- 6th grade teacher shows up for 6th grade class. 5th grade class enters art room (their class should have started at 8:55am. Although they were early, their class time has already been cut short).

9:00am- 5th grade class has finally settled in. Class begins. Quick review. Pass out supplies. Students start working. Spend the next 35 minutes answering questions, drawing noses and bouncing back and forth across the classroom like a spastic art genius on too much caffeine (which, of course, isn’t true because, well, you’ve already heard this bit).

9:35am- Clean up time. Students complain they didn’t get enough work time. Explain that this is because of the 6th graders. Notice 4th grade is already waiting in hall (with 4th grade teacher, who is eager to skip out for her morning smoke break).

9:40am- Class is over. Line kids up. 4th grade teacher apologizes for being early. 5th grade teacher is late. 4th grade teacher graciously escorts 5th grade class back to their classroom.

9:43am- 4th grade class has finally settled down. Class begins. Quick review. Pass out supplies. Students start working (work time is interrupted by pounding on your window. 4th grade teacher has forgotten her key card and needs to be let back into the building). Spend the next 38 minutes answering questions, drawing noses and bouncing back and forth across the classroom like a spastic art genius on too much caffeine (which, we know, isn’t true).

10:20am- Clean up time. Students complain they didn’t get enough work time. Explain that this is because time flies when you are having fun.

10:25am- Class is over. Line kids up. 4th grade teacher is waiting in the hallway (for which you are grateful because you have lunch next and halfway through the 4th grade art class you realized you neglected to eat breakfast and spent most of the class apologizing to the giggling 4th graders for your growling stomach). Thank 4th grade teacher for being on time (4th grade teacher mistakes this for a sign of comradery and proceeds to talk your ear off for the next five minutes about school politics and drama that you 1. could care less about and 2. have no idea about because you exist in an entirely different universe, separate from the rest of the school population).

10:30am- Explain (again) to 4th grade teacher that it is your lunch break. 4th grade teacher apologizes (and mentions, again, how awful it must be to have lunch so early. It is awful, thankyouverymuch) and leaves with 4th grade class. Remember about lunch sitting at home on the kitchen counter. Head to faculty lounge to heat up your emergency frozen entree stashed in freezer (realize that overzealous 2nd grade teacher cleaned out freezer over break and mistook your entree for garbage).

10:34am- Return to classroom. Remember that you have yet to use the bathroom since awaking this morning (and while you don’t have to go yet, you know you will not get another chance for a few hours and you’ve already been to the doctor three times this year for UTIs and you’re embarrassed at the idea of having to go back for a fourth visit. Last time the receptionist joked about giving you a “frequent flier” card.). Return to faculty lounge. Wait in line to use bathroom (because there is only one womens faculty toilet in the entire building). Get tired of waiting. Return to classroom. Use the student toilet in your classroom (all the while trying not to pee on yourself because the toilet is made for miniature people). Dig in desk for packet of stale crackers (all the while cursing the principal for scheduling you with such an early lunch period. The cafeteria isn’t even up and running yet so you can’t purchase a school lunch).  

10:40am- Spend next 12 minutes prepping for afternoon classes (all the while pulling up your pants because you’ve lost 10 lbs. already this year from missing too many breakfasts and lunches and you don’t have enough money to purchase clothes that fit. Hate yourself for becoming a teacher, committing yourself to a lifetime of being broke, and forcing you to live with clothes that you bought 5 years and 30lbs. ago).

10:52am- Sit down for the first time since arriving at work. Take a deep breath (the “afternoon” is about to start).

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