I have noticed tons of posts about teachers looking for the "dream job" or "dream school". Here's my question...what qualifies as the "dream" job? How do you know one school or another will be that "dream" job if you haven't worked there? Just curious, I guess.
Agreed. When I see people post "Dream Job," to me that means the district must have high pay (and probably a good location -- hence higher pay). I'm not sure administration or colleagues are factored into that equation (how could they if you haven't worked there before?). To me, great colleagues + supportive/assertive administration = dream job. But I don't know where that is until I work there. However, I'm off to a good start at my current district.
For myself, a dream job would be with a certain age level (prek - second) at a school close to home (less than 30 minutes). This way I could keep my own kids in a routine similar to the past. I would also rather have time as classroom time, instead of commuting time. My dream job would't really have to do with school climate, but how I can teach at a certain age level, without short changing my own kids. In reality, a dream job would just be an interview, at this point, since I haven't had any...
I often wonder what a 'dream job' would be too. For me it would be like BubblySub, grade level/subject and close to home so I could have time with my family...not spend that little time on commuting.
I LOVE my school--the staff, students, families, and students are amazing! My dream job would be to pick up my school and move it closer to my family (500 miles away...).
I already know one aspect. It is from a legend told to me by a former colleague. It starts: "Once upon a time, I taught in a school where the principal worked to support the teachers, not the other way around..." :haha:
I want a job anywhere... when I say "dream job" it means my first choice for district, school, etc. I feel like a lot of people on here get knocked for having a "dream school" or a "dream job." Like it's a bad thing to have a preference. My "dream job" would be working in the county I grew up in. I have a lot of contacts there, I love the area, and I'd love to be on the same schedule as the rest of my family. It's an area I'd feel good about sending my kids to school. I would LOVE to teach sixth grade math. I like the age, and math is absolutely what I am passionate about. Now, would I take an eighth grade science position in a neighboring county? Yes!!! And I would give it everything I had. I may even come to love it more! But if I had both offers on the table, there would be no question about my decision... I don't feel like having a dream job is a bad thing.
There are far too many variables within a school district for there to be "dream jobs". Buldings change. Populations change. Standards change. Testing changes. Regulations change. Teachers change. Administrators change. Government changes. There really aren't that many variables that were in my control. I chose my subject. I chose my grade range. I chose to apply only in certain districts. On everything else, I have to be flexible.
Of course you have to be flexible... part of being a teacher is change and doing everything you can in less than ideal situations. I still don't think that means teachers aren't allowed to have a preference about where or what they want to teach.
I didn't say that they shouldn't have a preference on where to teach. That's why I only applied in certain districts. Some people apply to districts where they know that they would not want to stay long-term. They're just looking for A job, not THE job. That does a disservice to both the teacher, who isn't really doing what they want, and to the school, which is looking for people who are in it for the long term.
For me it was all by design. I intentionally sought out the kind of school I wanted - constructivist teaching methods, multiage classrooms, whole child, democratic. That narrowed it down to five schools within driving distance. I got myself student-teaching positions at three of them over the course of my credential program (career changer so I did a 16 month, four semester program). From that vantage, I could see exactly how things worked from the inside. During hiring season, I drove my applications to each of the schools and introduced myself to the other two principals. I told my story. I wound up getting a job at what turned out to be my #1 choice school. The district, for its part, had a rep for supporting teachers, and paid very well. The BTSA program was implemented to support teachers, not weigh them down with more paperwork and empty hoops to jump through. The school is 35 years strong. My kids get to come to the school despite me living in another district. The families are supportive and totally respect the teachers. I told my mentor teacher at this school that I would teach anywhere, knowing I'd have to "pay my dues" and put in my time. She encouraged me, saying, "You can teach the whole child anywhere. You just have to go under the radar most places." I was in Sears buying swimsuits when I got the call. I nearly dropped from happiness. I told everyone, "It's my dream job!" When I dropped out of the corporate world and started toward my dream of teaching 2 years before, if I could have designed my new job, this would be it. I could not be more pleased with my dream job and my dream life.
I have to say, I applied to a few locations that I wasn't sure about... especially as far as long-term goes. Places that I would be willing to work at for awhile, but would probably prefer to move on after awhile. I honestly do understand what you are saying. And you're right. It would be great if every teacher only applied to the schools they REALLY wanted to teach at. However, with the economy the way it is, I applied for LOTS of schools in LOTS of districts. I just can't afford to only apply at the schools that I'm sure I'd like to stay at forever. Eventually I want to find THE job, but really, I'd be happy with A job at this point. TeacherShelly, that sounds GREAT! I was SO happy when I got the call about the para-pro job. I can only imagine how I'll feel when I get a call about a teaching position!
I'm working my dream job. I've worked there for 17 years. My philosophy and the school's mesh well. I'm liked and respected. My administration backs me up. When things got incredibly rough in my personal life, they went out of their way to help me out in large and small ways. I don't really care what math course(s) I teach; at this point I've taught every math course we offer except Math 8. (Strange, since I've taught math 7.) I would teach any course in the building if it meant not leaving the job I love so much. (Yes, TG, even the dreaded Physics if somehow it were a matter of teaching it or teaching elsewhere.) But what I don't understand is how someone who hasn't worked in a particular school or district yet KNOWS it's the dream job. I read post after post after post talking about that mythical dream job. There are several threads running right now where people are chasing that "dream job" having never worked with anyone in that building or district. And I've read SO MANY posts here from teacher in nice schools making nice pay, working with uncooperative team members or psychotic principals. That's never been my experience, but it seems very common around here. How do you recognize the dream job without ever having taught there????
My dream job. http://www.levy.k12.fl.us/schools/cks/ Smallest HS in FLa. A special law was made to keep it open. Cedar Key is like stepping back in time. If the oil stays away,
I have read a lot of posts about "dream jobs" also and basically just take it with a grain of salt because I know that the job description, location, salary, etc. might just fit into what they perceive a perfect job to be in their minds. In reality it not be what they expected. I have a "dream job" in my head too. I have applied to the school that I "think" will fit into this mold. Is the school perfect? The staff happy, jolly, fun people? Who knows? It is fun to dream
Thank you for posting this. It makes me realize that I have a pretty good school to work at. We ALL get along (for the most part) and 90% of us hang out after work hours participating in our kids's birthday parties, out to dinner, heading to community activities, etc. I also have a supportive principal who will stand up to parents if there is an alleged "issue" with a teacher. I had some rough patches in my personal life this past year and the admin. at my school went out of their way to help me out. I am eternally grateful for that. My dream job would have to be where WE make the regulations and don't have to listen to the state! lol
Oh, come on. Please don't be annoyed by job seekers posting about their dream jobs. It’s safe to assume that members who reference their dream position or dream school are aware that even such a job will fail to be perfect. I see that as no reason to not set your ideal career opportunity in your sights! And one thing to keep in mind is that, sure, perhaps in some of the massive districts discussed in another thread it would be difficult to gauge the "dreaminess" of a job, but for a lot of people, such as myself, there are only a few schools within a reasonable driving distance, so you tend to know a lot about the schools because of community...you have family attending the schools, friends employed by the schools, etc. I don't know...discussing your dream job? I get it.
When I was in college, everyone knew exactly what grade they wanted to teach. I always said I would teach whatever job I got. I had never actually taught any of those grades, so I didn't feel I could say which grade I preferred yet when I had only observed for an hour or so. Like a lot of other people, I don't think you know what your dream job is until you're there. My job now is probably the closest I'll get to my dream job. The only thing that would make it better is if I was in Missouri (by my family!) instead of Idaho.
No one could have told me 5 years ago how much I would love my current assignment--20 years ago I could never have imagined that I would be doing what I am now.
Personally, I always said when I first graduated that my dream job would be working in a school with a good administration, and while I'm not picky, grade two would be my dream. Next yearr, I'm halfway there... I have both of those things, but only a half a job :lol: I suppose I never really specified that my dream job would be full time...
My dream job would be to go back in time to my second year teaching and do it again with that group and my para. I love love love my para and this year she was taken from me and I was given a warm body. So my dream job to go back to having my para again. I do miss her so much and this year was terrible for me and it started about the same time my para left me.
I would say that Everybody has a list of desires they would like in a job: Supportive admin Great community Parental Support Technology available (at least for me) a school where i would be proud to send my own children great co-workers/collaboration good location When all of those line up in one job I would call it a dream job. But yes your job could suck even with all those things, but why not shoot for your top choice and be happy with any teaching job because at least you have one.
Ok... so that's what I was trying to say. I'm better at walking around a point than actually getting there
There is no "dream job"...the dream is an asymptote. Some jobs are close enough that you can't see the difference, while others fall so far short of the dream that you could drive a truck through the gap. Of course there's no way to evaluate exactly how closely the job approaches the dream before working at it for a while, but it is possible to say that a job has certain attributes that are cause the job to approach the dream as compared to a job that doesn't have those attributes. To me, the pay isn't really in there past a certain point...yes, it needs to be enough to live on and not hand-to-mouth, but as long as that basic need is met, a tradeoff in pay for smaller classes or better admins would put a job closer to the dream in my opinion, not further.
