The Perpetual Student Teacher

Being a teacher can be tough at times.Congratulati...

2009-10-02T18:25:04.598-04:00

Being a teacher can be tough at times.Congratulations on your achievement! That's Great! I resently started blogging, myself.
http://intellokids.blogspot.com/
Hope to see you sometime :)

It is a time consuming work and it seems to suck u...

2009-08-27T04:06:12.233-04:00

It is a time consuming work and it seems to suck up most of your spare time and life if you let it. Make sure you take a little time to enjoy the roses and do stuff for yourself.

Congratulations! Wow, it sounds exciting, I can't...

2009-08-26T11:54:23.044-04:00

Congratulations! Wow, it sounds exciting, I can't wait to read about your first year!

Congratulations! I'm so happy for you. :^) I also ...

2009-08-01T23:22:53.923-04:00

Congratulations! I'm so happy for you. :^) I also teach 3rd grade and I'm sure you will love it. I can't wait to hear your thoughts when you get started.

yay!!! Praise God!

2009-07-31T22:24:56.167-04:00

yay!!! Praise God!

Congratulations! I look forward to reading about ...

2009-07-31T19:52:14.678-04:00

Congratulations! I look forward to reading about your new teaching adventures!

I hope your lead pans out, but wherever you land b...

2009-07-30T12:27:40.933-04:00

I hope your lead pans out, but wherever you land both the kids and their parents are going to be lucky.

I don't know where you live, but there are ALWAYS preschool jobs in Seattle.

I like your blog. I'm pulling for you.

Hang in there! I agree with Ms. Sturr that subs a...

2009-07-27T08:54:51.079-04:00

Hang in there! I agree with Ms. Sturr that subs are often hired when there are openings. As a retired teacher, I now sub and saw several subs hired during the year. Years ago, I was hired after school started because a teacher decided to break her contract and take a job she wanted in another district. When you do get a job, your students will be lucky to have you.:)

Don't get sad yet. Some schools hire during the f...

2009-07-26T18:35:56.570-04:00

Don't get sad yet. Some schools hire during the first quarter when more students show up. Also, make sure you sign up to sub at every district anywhere near you. Some schools tend to hire from the sub list.
Good luck. My prayers are with you.

I too have heard that August is a good time to lan...

2009-07-22T12:12:03.375-04:00

I too have heard that August is a good time to land a teaching job. Good luck!

I am so relieved to have found a fellow blogger in...

2009-05-06T18:43:00.000-04:00

I am so relieved to have found a fellow blogger in the same boat as me! Sorry it happens to sail in the sea of no jobs. :( I will be sure to keep checking in hopes you find a great position and get your own classroom; I know exactly what you mean wanting your own classroom! Good luck.

just wanted to tell you.. i feel your pain! i live...

2009-04-10T01:25:00.000-04:00

just wanted to tell you.. i feel your pain! i live in PA and i have been experiencing the same thing too! i have a dual degree in elem/special ed and was told all the time how i'd have "no problem" getting a job right away. well now they are saying to me, great, what other certs to you have? huh?? ugh so now i am taking the praxis test for middle school english.. but at the same pt. im like, i got the dual because i want to teach elementary aged! lol

anyways, the only advice i can give you that i've been told recently is to be aggressive. yes, there may not be a TON of jobs, but there are some position opening everywhere all the time.. even your area! so they have to give it to someone!

good luck.. i'll be thinking of you/your blog while standing in lines at job fairs and/or writing a ridiculous amount of cover letters!! :)

You make some good points above. However, I also t...

2009-02-09T21:54:00.000-05:00

You make some good points above.
However, I also think that this can be helpful to you:
The book and Training Video: PREVENTING Classroom Discipline Problems

If you can get this book and video: [they are in many libraries, so you don't have to buy them] email me and I can refer you to the sections of the book and video [that demonstrates the effective vs. the ineffective teacher] that can help you.

If your library does not have them, you can get them at:

http://www.panix.com/~pro-ed/

that are also used at this online course:
www.ClassroomManagementOnline.com

See: Reviews at: http://classroommanagementonline.com/comteach.html

If you cannot get the book or video, email me anyway, and I will try to help.

Best regards,

Howard

Howard Seeman, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus,
City Univ. of New York

Prof. Seeman
Hokaja@aol.com

I found it hard to accept my first position teachi...

2009-02-03T15:26:00.000-05:00

I found it hard to accept my first position teaching Preschool - I made much less each year than I paid each year to get my degree. I had so little money at the beginning, but the jobs have gotten better every year. My advice would be to take the job the fits you best - not the one with the best money. No one wants to work with uninspiring teachers or with bad supplies in bad conditions. Good luck!!!

Good luck with your subbing. I hope it goes well ...

2009-02-02T22:27:00.000-05:00

Good luck with your subbing. I hope it goes well for you.

I started subbing this year after retiring from te...

2009-02-02T16:43:00.000-05:00

I started subbing this year after retiring from teaching. I absolutely love it, but I was also very nervous at first. You are right about the lesson plans and class expectations. It is much easier if everything is in place. After teaching sixth grade for a very long time, my advice would be to be as confident as possible and to be yourself. Don't be afraid to take control, and at the same time appreciate them for who they are. If you come in acting like you know what you are doing, they pretty much buy into it. Don't let them get you flustered. Have a few tricks up your sleeve, like a writing assignment that they can do and share with the class. Sometimes if they start to act out, I just look and them and say, "I don't think so." Sometimes it works. I hope you have a wonderful time subbing.:)

Found you from Elbows, Knees, Dreams. What a grea...

2009-02-02T14:27:00.000-05:00

Found you from Elbows, Knees, Dreams. What a great recommendation! I subscribed today. :-)

You have my prayers and good wishes. Move south f...

2009-01-30T14:29:00.000-05:00

You have my prayers and good wishes. Move south for heavens sake. I can't imagine life in the snow anymore. Good luck on job hunting and everything.

Dear Anonymous-Thanks for the input. I am very aw...

2009-01-27T19:37:00.000-05:00

Dear Anonymous-
Thanks for the input. I am very aware that I chose to become a teacher...it is my passion...and I went into it knowing I would not make a lot of money, ever.

However- I was hoping for at least a respectable pay. If I had taken the job mentioned in my post, I would be making less than $14,OOO a year.
I could work at Wal-Mart and make more.

In Ohio, average starting teacher salaries are around $30,000...really anything even remotely close to that would be fine with me. I would have even accepted $9/hr. I just didn't work so hard in college for a minimum wage job.

Perhaps now you could understand my hesitance in taking such a position.

I appreciate your input and thanks for the well wishes.

Oh, and P.S.- In my eyes, there is no "better degree"

Let's be honest,you chose to be a teacher not a do...

2009-01-27T10:15:00.000-05:00

Let's be honest,you chose to be a teacher not a doctor. I know you are expecting more but it is your first job. With the economy the way it is, it's hard to believe you're being so picky. If you're expecting big money, especially given the current economical changes, you many want to go back to school and get a better degree.
I commend you for being a teacher but you're never going to make a lot of money doing it. Good luck with your search!

Congratulations! I can hear the relief in your voi...

2009-01-13T17:03:00.000-05:00

Congratulations! I can hear the relief in your voice. That's great news. It does sound a bit too easy if I do say so myself. make sure you make lots of business cards (you can eaisly buy them from Vista Print) to give to teachers as you establish a good name for yourself while subbing. Teachers will start snatching you up!

Good luck!

Dorit Sasson
The New Teacher Resource Center
"Helping You Become a MORE confident and successful teacher in 2009!"
http://www.newteacherresourcecenter.com

All the things Kevin mentioned were great. I also ...

2009-01-11T08:37:00.000-05:00

All the things Kevin mentioned were great. I also wanted (and benefited) from stocking up on resource material. Take a look at ASCD books, Corwin Press, or even amazon.com's classroom listings. Build your professional library.

Congratulations! Have you been hired yet? Are yo...

2009-01-10T06:56:00.000-05:00

Congratulations! Have you been hired yet? Are you applying? Yep, in some states it can take a long time to get your license, while in others, it shows up in under a month! It's exhilarating nonetheless~ as for the gift cards, make sure whatever you've bought has been labeled with your name, right down to your staple remover (get the hand-held wand shaped type, not the chompers)!

Not knowing what your school will provide its hard...

2009-01-03T20:39:00.000-05:00

Not knowing what your school will provide its hard to say. Personally I needed things like pencils, chart paper, a pocket chart, a box of those 89 cent folders for the kids, whiteboard markers, hanging file folders and tabs, and those plastic milk crate looking things with tracks for your hanging files (i loved having those for each subject or unit because things weren't hiding in drawers or closets and i could just get out the X crate when it was time for X.)

My personal splurge would be a projector for my laptop. Its probably unlikely that you have thousands of dollars in gift-cards though.

GOOD LUCK

Congratulations, that is great. I am just about to...

2008-12-15T17:20:00.000-05:00

Congratulations, that is great. I am just about to start student teaching in January. I do not know what to expect. I have a kindergarten class, and I only worked with K-5 my second year in college only for about a total of twelve hours.