Update on Job Search: Offered Employment!

[Dillon]

So last time I was on here I had posted how down on my luck I have been in searching for jobs and getting hired for any full time positions after graduating with a masters degree. This week I was offered a job working as a elementary/middle school substitute teacher at a STEM charter school. I applied last Friday and was offered the job as of Monday afternoon (with no in person interview at all). I am having to get fingerprinted towards the end of the week since it is a state mandated thing for a background check and then afterwards I go to orientation and start teaching (I believe I do since no one hasn’t even told me about attending orientation).

If anyone has ever substitute taught or who has been a full fledged teacher before, what is some general advice someone can give me?
My plan is to go into full time teaching as I am currently in the process of completing an alternative teaching certification.

 

[Aspychata]

This is excellent news and really made my day. The job market is horrendous and this is a success story.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

here you need a two-year teaching certificate, my sons fiancé has a PhD in education, so she had to get this certificate. Took it in French and separate system catholic to cover all the bases. Now maternity leave talk about overqualified when she starts teaching. She is anxious, believe it or not. thinks others are more qualified than her.

 

[Dillon]

here you need a two-year teaching certificate, my sons fiancé has a PhD in education, so she had to get this certificate. Took it in French and separate system catholic to cover all the bases. Now maternity leave talk about overqualified when she starts teaching. She is anxious, believe it or not. thinks others are more qualified than her.

I’m a little more than half way done with my teaching certificate just need two more courses to complete plus do my state content exam afterwards I am eligible for a full time teaching position.
I think substituting is a great way to start out first before committing to full time as you get to see how managing a class room is done, how to manage behavior of students, methodology in lesson engagement and so on.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I’m a little more than half way done with my teaching certificate just need two more courses to complete plus do my state content exam afterwards I am eligible for a full time teaching position.
I think substituting is a great way to start out first before committing to full time as you get to see how managing a class room is done, how to manage behavior of students, methodology in lesson engagement and so on.

I have a sister-in law and a nephew a couple of nieces currently substitute teaching., my sister -in law travels the world when not teaching she has a master's in mathematics. apparently now their is a shortage of teachers, many retired do to covid. EIther way good luck.

 

[Dillon]

This is excellent news and really made my day. The job market is horrendous and this is a success story.

Thanks!
I am just really thrilled to get something that is much better pay with a good standard of living than my current part time job in which I have been reduced yet again to only working 1-2 days a week. I am resigning from my current job once when I start my teaching job.

 

[Progster]

What age will the students be?

 

[Rodafina]

Congratulations, @Dillon! This sounds very exciting.

If anyone has ever substitute taught or who has been a full fledged teacher before, what is some general advice someone can give me?

I would say, once you are sure you can maintain healthy boundaries with the students, be your truly authentic self and respect the kids. Young ones seem to pick up on these two things and respond well to it in my experience.

Also, as a substitute, remember that you will be a bit of a disruption to the routine, so try to be flexible and not take it too hard if students sometimes have difficulty adjusting to you. Try to have fun and enjoy yourself as much as possible because this will also trickle down to your students.

Good luck!

 

[Neonatal RRT]

So last time I was on here I had posted how down on my luck I have been in searching for jobs and getting hired for any full time positions after graduating with a masters degree. This week I was offered a job working as a elementary/middle school substitute teacher at a STEM charter school. I applied last Friday and was offered the job as of Monday afternoon (with no in person interview at all). I am having to get fingerprinted towards the end of the week since it is a state mandated thing for a background check and then afterwards I go to orientation and start teaching (I believe I do since no one hasn’t even told me about attending orientation).

If anyone has ever substitute taught or who has been a full fledged teacher before, what is some general advice someone can give me?
My plan is to go into full time teaching as I am currently in the process of completing an alternative teaching certification.

The stressful part of your job will be all the work that goes into keeping your job. By that, I mean, there is so much bureaucracy, layers of it. You're always filling out accreditation forms for this and that, governing board site visits, etc.

Sure, there's the work that goes on planning your curriculum. The first year is probably the most time consuming, simply because it's your "first draft". Once you actually run through the curriculum with the students, you figure out what worked and what didn't, then you go back and modify the curriculum for the next group of students. Rinse and repeat. After a few cycles, it becomes easier.

Obviously, the most rewarding part is the actual teaching and interacting with the students.

I have the advantage of not only working as a neonatal respiratory therapist at one of the largest children's hospitals in the US, but I am also a part-time instructor (respiratory care) at one of the local universities. So, not only do I get to teach the labs and lectures, I also have the students in their clinical rotations at the hospital, then after they graduate and get a job, I can again, be their preceptor/mentor and do their new employee hospital training, and then work with them as one of my co-workers later on. I get to see the process from start to finish. It's quite rewarding.