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supernova1976 -> The Economy (5/20/2009 10:55:15 AM)

What are people like me suppose to do once they are ready to become a teacher and most teachers are getting pink slips? do we wait a couple years? I am curious to see where this all goes. I guess just get use to living out of our cars?



stamper_ben -> RE: The Economy (5/20/2009 11:15:01 AM)

Where do you live? Here in southeast Texas the districts are building schools left and right and highly qualified teachers are in great demand. Housing prices are reasonable too, negating the need to live in your car.



kernsfamily -> RE: The Economy (5/20/2009 11:24:34 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: supernova1976

What are people like me suppose to do once they are ready to become a teacher and most teachers are getting pink slips? do we wait a couple years? I am curious to see where this all goes. I guess just get use to living out of our cars?


pretty much the same as what Stamper said...

GO WHERE they want teachers. Here in the DFW area, the economy has been "not bad", and schools are going up all over the place.

I did that very thing once I got out of college and art school.....After realizing job prospects in my hometown of Detroit weren't that great, I picked up a job in Raleigh, NC...stayed there for a few years, and then a great opportunity popped up in rural Northern Arkansas (where my parents happened to retire to).....and, now, for the past 13 years, I have lived in Dallas....

I see cars with Michigan license plates EVERY DAY on my commute to/from work. Why? There are great jobs here...but not there.



artemis -> RE: The Economy (5/20/2009 12:40:52 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: kernsfamily

quote:

ORIGINAL: supernova1976

What are people like me suppose to do once they are ready to become a teacher and most teachers are getting pink slips? do we wait a couple years? I am curious to see where this all goes. I guess just get use to living out of our cars?


pretty much the same as what Stamper said...

GO WHERE they want teachers. Here in the DFW area, the economy has been "not bad", and schools are going up all over the place.


Kerns, I almost always agree with you when it comes to public schools, but this is one place that I'm going to disagree [;)] I teach in the DFW area and while schools might be being built, teaching jobs are hard to find here, too. Schools are combining positions, moving around existing teachers, increasing class size, etc. to avoid hiring more teachers. I became a traveling teacher this year and have to teach at two different schools to maintain my full-time status, even though enrollment in my subject has not decreased. My old district started having the teachers teach 7 (of 8) classes a day instead of 6. A lot of schools are offering to let teachers give up their conference/planning period to take on an additional class, thus saving the district from hiring another teacher. I know quite a few teachers who are out of work in our area. Just my personal experience...

To the OP, look for jobs that aren't in teaching, sign up as a substitute, look into teaching ABE at a community college, etc. Jobs are hard to find right now for everyone. My husband has been looking for over a year now, with no luck. I hope you find something soon...



APZR -> RE: The Economy (5/20/2009 3:37:08 PM)

Gotta go where there are jobs. You may find a job with a private school, but that won't do if you have service cancelable loans. While our schools haven't laid anyone off, they are not hiring any new teachers unless there is a specific need. And even then, only the teachers with multiple certificates are even being considered for an interview. The biggest thing about finding a job in the current market... network, network, network. Gotta work your network and keep in touch to let everyone know you are now on the market.



Mollymouser -> RE: The Economy (5/20/2009 11:41:29 PM)

A very, very small fraction of teachers are getting pink slips in some underfunded school districts ... hardly "most teachers."

If you can't find a teaching position, then you need to assess your skills and experience and education and apply for other sorts of jobs .... no need to jump to the conclusion that it's either get a teaching job or live in your car.

It will be ok.

You've gotten some good advice about going where the jobs are. My guess is that even in your state, some areas/districts are hiring more than others ... though often they may be less desirable places to work. And don't forget to apply at private/parochial schools, as well.



letusreason -> RE: The Economy (5/21/2009 10:56:01 AM)

Try and try again.

My first teaching job was not easy to come by. My first year I had to eat humble pie with my hard earned teaching degree by working as a substitute teacher while working part time. But I was serious and dedicated in that lowly position. I recorded every day and which teacher/class I subbed for. I used this later for my first teaching job to show I could at least keep track of information and organize things lol. I also had references from teachers I subbed for.

I would suggest you always be creating your resume. What ever you do, record your experience/accomplishments and how they will make you a better teacher.

And don't be too proud to live in a one room efficiency with no furniture. I did once and it didn't kill me. Actually, the appartment manager felt sorry for me and gave me some. [:D] true blessing.

So the moral of the story is, humility is a good foundation to springboard from.



abcstudio -> RE: The Economy (5/21/2009 11:09:23 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: supernova1976



I see cars with Michigan license plates EVERY DAY on my commute to/from work. Why? There are great jobs here...but not there.


As a teacher living in West Michigan I gotta disagree just a little with you. There are jobs around here and things are picking up. The hardest hit areas in the state are on the east side and anything dealing with the automotive industry. However, in Grand Rapids area the medical field is thriving and it is going to be a regional medical powerhouse over the next decade. I realize this doesn't help the original poster.

As far as education positions go the demand for teachers at this time isn't very high as there are a lot of schools in the area pumping out teachers left and right. Once the economy settles there is a high number of expected teachers across the state to retire. The State Legislature had a chance to help speed that up this year but voted down a bill that would increase the monthly pension for qualified teachers who would retire this year and next. This bill would have gotten high salary teachers of district payrolls and would have enabled school districts to replace them with new teachers at half the cost. Didn't pass (didn't bother me as I have a long way until retirement [:)] )but with that said in the next couple of will see a lot of older teachers retiring. My school has roughly 35% of the teaching staff ready to retire in the the next couple of years.

Michigan (especially West Michigan due to the lower cost of living) is one of the top states for teachers. With pay and benefits being near the top.

My advice to the OP would be to get involved as much as you can in a school. Sub as much as possible in you area. Try to get hired for summer help with any type of camps such as math camp and etc. Try to teach summer school. Try to get hired as a coach or even volunteer if you can. Build the resume and get experience. Get certified to teach driver's education. I have been doing this for 9 years and it is a great summe job. Even though our school district has just cut our program I now work for a private agency and pick up hours throughout the summer and even in the school year.

As mentioned also look in other areas of the country. North Carolina, Florida, Alaska and Texas are usually good places to start looking. I have a friend who went to Alaska and taught out of college and spent 4 years there. Made good money and had a great experience and a little adventure.

The bottom line is: You went into education for the kids. Don't get discouraged and give up on that dream of being a teacher just because we are having a lagging economy right now. Things will pick up. Have faith.



supernova1976 -> RE: The Economy (5/21/2009 11:59:45 AM)

Thank you so much for all the replies. I tried to reply sooner but there was some system problem going on with the site. I am getting very depressed:( the economy is affecting more than I ever thought it would and the doom and gloom feel just leaves me discouraged. Have we reached our peak as a society? are people starting to realize none of it matters?



Ps103 -> RE: The Economy (5/21/2009 1:59:38 PM)

If you are qualified to teach math or science, you will be able to find a job. Anything else may be difficult, as there are lots more people qualified to teach than there are jobs available.

The Lad is qualified to teach math and physics--he got calls with job offers *during his graduation ceremony.* (He didn't answer his phone then, but the messages were there.)

It might be worth it to make sure you have a needed certification. And be prepared to move to where the jobs are, too.



Miss Giggles -> RE: The Economy (5/21/2009 2:04:25 PM)

Just because they are building the schools doesn't mean they will be open to capacity.. it took years to get these schools built and they finished a ton of them and boom - population went down and now there are some empty but brand new high schools.

Are you in a union state? Might make a difference.

Here (union state) they pink slip all the teachers that aren't tenured and call them back if needed - goes by seniority and certification. That way there are no promises of a position being open in the fall. Then there are 2-3000 applications for a single position.

Its very very difficult to find a teaching job in MI but that doesn't mean there aren't jobs in other states. Get your certifications in - and keep looking . Sub and tutor til you find a permanent position. Colleges have also been turning out more education majors than jobs available for years - always a shock for an education major to find out how tough it is to find their first job since they are always touted as in "demand". Same in IT.

I agree there are a lot of teachers waiting to retire though til the economy starts looking up.

Also there is quite a bit of politics involved in teaching that determines who gets hired permanently into school districts and who doesn't - that has been going on for a long time though. Some areas are probably worse than others.



kernsfamily -> RE: The Economy (5/21/2009 2:30:58 PM)

quote:

As a teacher living in West Michigan I gotta disagree just a little with you. There are jobs around here and things are picking up. The hardest hit areas in the state are on the east side and anything dealing with the automotive industry.


I was just relating my experience...and of those of my family (those who are still there)....and friends I keep in contact with from college.

The overall unemployment rate in Michigan is almost TWICE what it is here. Always.

That being said, a move to an area that is "growing" "vibrant" and "prospering" is an ideal place to look for ANY job....whether it be for teaching or whatever. But, with most of michigan, and it's embedded "special interests" basically running the state into the ground over the past generation and more...it's going to take a long time to slay that serpent.....which has been diminishing and repelling jobs and business growth...for as long as I can remember.



3cappuccinosmom -> RE: The Economy (5/21/2009 4:24:30 PM)

Don't forget that if teaching jobs are temporarily out, you are capable of doing other types of work.

You can make good even in a bad economy. Even without a degree. My husband is doing it. [:)] It sometimes takes literal blood, sweat, and tears though, before it starts to pay off.

Don't be depressed. Whatever your hands find to do, do it as unto the Lord. [:)] Paraphrase of one of the first verses my kids learned, and it applies to everything from cleaning toilets to getting a PhD.



ofa23 -> RE: The Economy (5/21/2009 7:27:12 PM)

I switched from teaching at the elementary level (very, very few jobs in my area) to teaching middle school math. It was a good move because there are definately a shortage of qualified teachers to teach in this area. I've also heard ( I haven't done the actual research) that there will be shortages in math, science and special education for many years to come.



12Magazine -> RE: The Economy (5/27/2009 10:19:43 PM)

...even for that we should thank our Lord!



informationguy -> RE: The Economy (6/9/2009 9:30:51 AM)

Don't limit yourself to being a "teacher".



peace77 -> RE: The Economy (6/10/2009 10:33:57 PM)

Consider doing related work such as tutoring (either privately or for a company such as Sylvan Learning Centers). Perhaps you could work or even volunteer at an afterschool program that helps children with their homework.

Could you work at a library?

Consider working in a place other than a school such as a Children's Hospital as a Child Life Specialist.

Sign up to work as a substitute teacher for every school district within an hour's drive of your home.
Many teachers start out this way.

Consider working at a university (even if it's not teaching). Most universities allow employees to take classes at free or reduced rates. You could add to your skills cheaply while continuing to look for a teaching job.


Peace,
Anne



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