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Wed 17 Dec, 2003 10:42 am
Some of you here know me in person or from abuzz.
I have been looking for work for six years. My first goal was to find work in publishing (I was once a journalist) with university administration as Plan B. There was a Plan C, museum security guard, that developed as time wore on and it seemed that I was meant to remain in blue collar jobs. Since I had had many friends among the guards at the Detroit Institute of Arts and since if I had to remain in a blue collar job, I could at least work in a beautiful place, guarding seemed wonderful except these days, museums want folks with security experience.
After being rebuffed by publishers for a few years (the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over and expect new results), I met a woman whose ideas about education, writing and literature were anathema to me and she was attempting to become a lit teacher as a second career.
I took the Mass Teacher Test and passed with flying colors. I had an entry teaching certificate in Michigan years ago and taught.
Am finding no one wants to hire me and am being beaten out by people less qualified.
Would you continue to seek teaching post if you were in my shoes?
My wife taught high school chemistry for two years; her final impression was that if you don't have a heart for teaching (e.g., if it's just something to pay the rent), it's not worth the stress. Since you have some teaching experience, I assume you know all of what's involved (lesson plans, calls to parents, grading, . . . ). So, is this what you WANT to do, or is it just something to bide your time, so to speak? If you don't really desire to teach, I would suggest that you save yourself (and the students) the pain and look for a different career. Otherwise, persist . . . there is a lot of turnover with beginning teachers and some of the jobs you may think you "lost" could easily become open again.
Incidentally, my Mom went back to college and got her teaching degree when she was ~48; she had a little trouble getting her first job due to {subtle} age discrimination in entry level positions, but once she got a few years' experience (subbing, teaching special ed, etc.) she was able to land her "dream job".
What do I want to do? Earn more than the $7,000 to $10,000 a year that I have earned since 1997 and use my mind at the same time.
I would think saving kids from the likes of the woman who motivated me to take the MA Teacher Licensure Exam is almost sufficient.
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