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| here we are, the happy couple : ) |
Hello!!!!!! Thank you for stopping by!
So here I am. In London. A newlywed.
I
LOVE this new time of my life with my sweet le Rey. I waited a long
time to start this part of our life together. And I'm glad I waited,
because he is so wonderful to me!
However.
I have had to change my
expectations about my teaching status here in the UK. I thought I would
be teaching right now, and doing interviews for a job for September.
It
seems, on average, that 60-100 teachers are applying for each of the
jobs I'm applying for?! Is this how it is where you are? I've also been
told that schools don't care about my Master's degree or other
certs--is this how it is in your district?
And the substitute work has not been pouring in.
Anyway,
through this journey, I have been thinking a lot about the various
avenues that education has. Literacy roles (not many here in the UK),
classroom teaching, consulting, specials like P.E. etc (not here except
in private schools).........and also the concept of PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
schools.
I have done a majority of my teaching in Title
1 schools, in low SES areas, with many students starting school already
very behind (anyone else?).....I've taught in some higher SES areas,
but I feel my heart is really in more deprived areas.
I
love learning from different environments (I admit that I complain and
struggle though), and was wondering what teaching might be like in a
private school? Private schools here in the UK might be exceptionally
difficult for me though, as I don't know the curriculum as well as in
the US of course.
Can I tell you though, that during
this past week, that I went to see 2 high-end public schools that have
teaching vacancies, and 1 of them expected me to teach French (in
addition to all the other subjects!) to the first graders!? I don't
think I'm posh enough for that school! The head master at the other
school went on and on about how his school looked and things he bought
("our PTA raised £30,000 last year-there's our baby grand piano there,
we have ipads for the students, we have 3 choirs, fancy lights for drama
productions......").
So, please help an unemployed girl
out! Tell me about your teaching experiences: public, private, your
favorite teaching positions, least favorite.........PLEASE!
Many
thanks, and I can't wait to hear from you! I did not expect such uncertainty in this
part of my journey, as work has always been steady (and easy to get) the past 10 years. There are many days when I just want to take
my husband and move back home to Arizona, with family and friends, life
is easier and I could go back to my old school! But you can't give up
when things are hard, right? All the lessons/amazing insight seem to come when you're
fighting your way through!
Thanks for reading and enduring my complaining and
whining! I hope to be in more classrooms soon, with lots of pictures to
share British classrooms!
Have a good day, I know most of you are nearly on summer vacation (schools go til the end of July here).
Love,
Kelli
P.S. I just noticed I now have 100 FOLLOWERS!! This is very exciting for me!!! Stay tuned for a freebie!!! I'm thinking of giving away a free set of my K-2 everydayPORTFOLIOS (journals)......I'll see if there's any interest first.
11 comments:
Hi Kelli!
Thanks for stopping by and becoming a follower.:) I am now following you! Your posts are awesome. I wish I could have the experiences you do! I'm getting married next year so I can't wait to be a newlywed!
I just wanted to say, yes unfortunately, at least here in Ohio, there are 100's of applicants all competeing for the same on job. It's very frustrating. I told my fiance it's basically like winning the lottery when you secure a job because it seems nothing you do can really make you stand out. :/ I'm keeping my head up though and I have a good feeling about it all so we'll see. I'll pray for you if you pray for me. ;)
sarah
Fun in Title Math
Thanks for visiting my blog. I am your newest follower. I am very thankful to have a job. I know there are a lot of other who are struggling with finding a full time teaching position. My sister has 8 years experience, a masters, multiple certifications and is national board certified and couldn't find a job. She is good and very qualified but too much experience and too much education men's too expensive. Districts are just hiring the new graduates because they are the least expensive. Since districts are cutting gifted and remedial programs my sister has started her own business offering before and after school enrichment and remediation for the students. It seems to be working for her. This may be something for you to consider. Good luck.
My first four years I started out in a Title 1 School. It was the best experience for me as a new teacher because the parents were not involved and I was never questioned about my total lack of ability!!!! :) I loved those kids - they needed me desperately and I feel like my heart is there, too.
For the last 11 years, I have been teaching at a much different school. This one is by a golf course. Most of the moms stay home. Our pick up circle is filled with Mercedes and Hummers and Escalades. It took a lot of getting used to in the beginning. Now it is home. However, we do have students that are bused in and those students are the ones who steal my heart.
Hang in there! I can't imagine what you are going through!!!!!
Can you watch The Bachelorette online?
A Teeny Tiny Teacher
I'm sorry that things haven't gone quite as you had hoped. There must be something that's absolutely perfect for you. It's the tracking it down that I'm sure can be so frustrating. I'm looking forward to hearing about it though. I've no desire to teach in a different country, but I'm excited to learn from you about your experiences over there.
❀ Tammy
Forever in First
Hi Kelli,
I am a 2nd year teacher and when I graduated, I applied EVERYWHERE in my area. I finally landed a position as an Intervention Specialist through an Educational Agency working in a Private Catholic School. I have learned a lot from working here and I thought I would share. My school is tiny, 1 class per grade. I am not allowed to teach a grade level classroom because I am not Catholic, which don't get me started, sucks! The biggest difference that I see in private school is the acceptance of "struggling" students and students with special needs. Because they can choose and accept certain students, when they take "lower" students, they always end up on my case load and they are easily frustrated by these kids. (The teachers at my school are also all older which could have some part in this as well). Last year they actually refused to let one of my kiddos come back because he was too low and would need a one-on-one aide with him which the parents were willing to pay for themselves.
The plus side in my mind is that we don't have to do state testing. Our students take a standardized test but it is no where near as crazy and stressful as the public schools and no one is threatened about getting fired if their kids don't do well.
I hope that gives you some insight (sorry this is so long!!) and good Luck! Keep us posted!
If it makes you feel any better, there are TONS cities and towns in the US where it is IMPOSSIBLE to get a job too. It can be so frustrating and gets discouraging. But don't let it get you down!
I worked at a charter school for a few years. There were many positives, including awesome parents and kids. However, I hated how it was run like it was a business. Everything they did was for money. I felt like I was taken advantage of because there was no union. There were no guidelines for anything contractual for teachers. Like how many meetings a week we would have and how long they would be. Or that they could take our preps away and use them for meetings and IEPS. Of course, there are cons to unions, but it is something to think about when working at a private school because more may be expected of you.
Good luck and I'm hoping for the best for you. Thanks for finding me!
I am truly hoping you are able to find the right fit for you. Times have certainly changed, haven't they? Keep us posted!
Thank you for following me; I'm now your newest follower!
Aimee
Primarily Speaking
Thanks for your insight everyone! I didn't realize so many people were having a hard time getting jobs. I know there are lots of cuts, but I guess I figured that where there are kids, there are jobs!
Sarah: good luck-I'm sure you'll find something designed just for you!
Tricia: your sister's job sounds great, I hope it continues to go well. School enrichment and remediation would be something I would love to do.
Kristin: abc.com won't let me watch The Bachelorette online because it 'detects' I'm not in America and so I'm out of the region to view it! I'm working on getting a US proxy for my internet.
Tammy: thanks, I'm excited to share things that happen here. Diamond Jubilee is around the corner, and that is a big deal here it seems!
Taylor: thank you for sharing this. That is an interesting position and I'm sure you will learn a lot there. Do you think you would like to continue in an intervention position, or do a classroom teacher role in the future?
Miss Rebecca: I have always wondered what a charter school would be like. I've heard that some can be quite unregulated, and that some are better. Thanks for sharing.
Aimee: thanks for taking the time to stop by : )
It is definitely interesting but also quite stressful. This is not a permanent position and the main reason that I am returning is due to some personal issues, starting a new job would just not make senes but YES, I hope to soon have my own classroom of my own little kiddos that I see EVERYDAY! Hang in there and keep searching!
I love the quote you posted about waiting for better days, so true! I am your newest follower:) Stop by and visit me...
learnplayandhavefun.blogspot.com
I've just given you the One Lovely Blog Award!
Come check it out!
http://tonyastreatsforteachers.blogspot.com/2012/05/yeah-my-first-blog-award.html
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