Alternatives for teaching?

You don’t say what level you are certified to teach or in what area you have experience. Since you want to stay on Long Island, think about getting certified in science, math, or exceptional student education. These are areas where there are teacher shortages nationwide. Also check with NY state DOE to find out what they consider critical teaching area shortages, they may have a longer list than the 3 listed above. Also consider inner-city schools, they are tough, but they would get your foot in the door.

If you were inclined to move, there are states that have teacher shortages in all areas. You would have a better chance of getting a position in an area that is experiencing growth. With the glut of teachers looking for positions in your area, the competition is going to remain very stiff for a long time. You need to do something (such as another certification in an area where there are shortages) to distance yourself from the pack and make your resume stand out in order to get the attention of administrators.

Also take a look at your resume. Is it blah, ordinary, run of the mill? Or does it stand out and shout “hey, look at me!”? You might want to go to an employment/headhunter firm and ask for their help in recrafting your resume to make it stand out from the rest.

At this point, I wouldn’t give up on teaching just yet— that is, if you still WANT to be a teacher.

Yes, the job market in New York is extrememly competitive. (I am an elementary teacher in NY too… but I’m not in the middle of the city like you are.) There are several colleges that are pouring out qualified candidates…. and the population isn’t rising as fast as it used to be.

But you have one really good things going for you that can put you near the top of the list for candidates– You have three years experience. If your experiences were positive ones, principals will LOVE you. It’s a lot easier for a young, but experienced, teacher to fall into a position than it is to get somebody started who is just out of college. Your experience is a major plus.

The hard part is making yourself stand out over the other 3,000 candidates. But, honestly, if you REALLY work at it you can do it. (I’ve done it.)

1. You said you have over three years’ experience, which means you already know people who are teachers. See if you can get any of them who know people in other schools to put in a good word for you. Principals often grant interviews to people that are “recommended” by teachers.

2. If you left on positive terms with your last principal, see if you can get him or her to CALL another school that has an open position. A call from a principal will put you straight at the top of the interview list every time. I know it’s a majorly hard thing to do– go up and ask your former boss for a recommendation, but it will help you. Tactfully go up, thank him/her for all of the great experiences within your school. Let him/her know you’re looking for another job. Then give him/her a list 2 or 3 schools that you KNOW are hiring (and provide phone numbers). Ask if he/she would be willing to call the principals and recommend you.

3. Walk into schools, introduce yourself to principals, and tell them you’re looking for a job… let them know how much you LOVE their school….. and what an HONOR it would be to work there…. Leave the principal a paper copy of your resume. (And, of course, be sure you’ve filed you application with human resources before you do this.)

Why does this work? Principals (not human resource offices) usually have direct control over who is hired. When a principal has an opening, HR offices send him/her a pack of 25 or so applications. Out of 3,000— chances are yours won’t be there. BUT if you hand the principal a copy of your resume, he/she can easily set up an interview.

Notice– all 3 tips above– involve communicating with principals. That’s the key to getting a job. Have people recommend you to principals…. and/or go meet principals on your own…. if you wait around for HR offices to call you, you will never get calls.

There’s also a good book on getting teaching jobs… it has some good advice… maybe it can help you…. it’s at http://www.iwantateachingjob.com

Good luck to you!

Have you tried:

a private school

after school tutoring (in my area we make $60 – 70 per hour)

Sylvan, Huntington, or other “corporate” tutoring company in your area.

Sucking it up and commuting to NJ?

The ideas above may not be exactly what you are looking for, but it is better to have a job than not. In the meantime, keep an eye open for vacancies opening due to maternity leave, retirement, and so on.

Good luck!

If they polled Americans, don’t call it an international poll. It’s just a poll of Americans. And the percentage is not the same for the British. It’s not even close. Hell, that percentage isn’t remotely accurate for Americans either. Those numbers are just plain made up. You really expect us to believe that 70% of CHINA(!) believes intelligent design should be taught in school? That’s insulting to my intelligence. Furthermore, 1000 people is not an adequate sample size. You’d need 10 times that, if not more. There’s no study associated with the statistics either. It all just goes to show Creationists’ penchant for lying to trick people into believing them.

If you want to teach you should teach. There are areas that are really hard to get hired in because of the few openings and excessive applicants. There are 2 teachers at my school in MD who moved because it was too hard to get a job in their states (MI and PA). I know you want to stay on Long Island, but you might be able to find a teaching job in another area that you would really like to live in. Don’t rule out moving. Lots of districts offer moving incentives.

I utilized my degree to go to work for the State of Louisiana as an Interpretative Ranger in the State Parks system. I wrote tours, gave them and taught the local history to school groups that came through the park. Very rewarding. Check into state employment, your state has many, many areas that you could “shine” in. Good luck.

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