I'm so down. It's almost August and I have no job offer or any promising interview. And they keep saying that "we need teacher???"
Job searching is annoying, especially with ACP. It is almost August, but there's still time and last minute hiring.
It's a very tough market right now. Lots of people looking and fewer positions due to budget cuts, people not leaving, etc. Hang in there. I was hired two weeks after the school year started before.
Yea, I am in the same boat as you txnewbie. I have been calling, emailing, and even going by schools here. One district had supposely 92 openings, but when you go by or call they say they are already filled. I have even considered driving an hour away just to get a job this school year. I have twins to put in daycare, and I have not registered them yet because I am waiting on a job. So just hang in there, we will find something hopefully!!
The school I got hired at hasn't finished hiring everyone yet. I know that they still have several openings and they are still looking at people. Things take time and everything has started later this year than many others. Don't lose faith!
Newbie...someone the other day told me that a district nearby will be posting next week. I'm hoping this is true. Supposedly she heard it from someone inside the district. The thing about getting hired....in my area, there is a lot of competition. We have a lot of recent education graduates, and I'm one of them. We just have to figure out ways to make ourselves shine to the Ps doing the interviews. I just need to get over my nervousness. I'm sure we will be called here pretty soon. Things'll pick up!
One thing to remember is that sometimes districts post that they have x amount of openings (which they technically do) but then they have a list of riffed teachers from the previous year or two. So yes, they do have "openings" but according to contracts, riff negotiations and union agreements those teachers get first crack at the jobs. Some districts will only post those openings internally but it all depends on what is worked out with the bargaining unit. Don't despair! Like others are saying, it's still "early" enough even though it seems like time is running out. Sure it wouldn't be ideal to start a new classroom after the school year has started but it sure beats pounding the pavement.
Same here. I've applied for so many positions. Only got one "screening" interview - and wasn't even called back for that. I wish everyone luck!!!!
I am still waiting on a call too. I have emailed, called, texted, walked in. My husband is so upset with me right now because I don't want to go out of the house. I am over answering the questions of " Have you been offered a position, Have you gotten a classroom yet?" It has worn me down. And now the ones I graduated in May with are all calling or emailing about their upcoming interviews and I have yet to get ONE!!!
I understand the desire to stay in. Last summer I think it was more "acceptable" to people for me not to have found a job becuase I had just graduated and had several interviews but as the months went on and especially this summer, I get asked almost daily by people at work, friends, family, etc. Even going into Staples they see my "teachers reward" card and ask where I teach which really bums me out so I usually just pick my dream district (hey, they'll never know). But... it's great to be able to come to this board and share these experiences with others because unless you're in the job search or have been through it, you have know idea what it feels like. All I can say is stay positive, the power of positive thinking is amazing. Go into every interview knowing you are the best candidate for the job.
I'm still waiting/looking too--this is really frustrating. **To all those veteran teachers out there, do you really think more jobs will be opening or they will be filling and doing more interviewing in August???
Hanging in there with the rest of you! It does get frustrating :unsure: but we have to believe that our time is just around the corner (that's what I keep hearing!!)
I just got back from a screening interview. Same old questions, and nothing is really promising. I believe that we have a teacher surplus.
txnewbie--I have a screening interview in August, can you tell me what to expect? I'm not getting my hopes up, this is a district that has you schedule your own interview, so it's not like they saw my resume and said "oh! we should interview her." Thanks--
With that H district, you need to know a lot. My interview was almost 1 hr long. She asked about classroom management, why do you want to teach, what to do with disrupt students, how would you set up your classroom, your sub/student teaching experiences... After that screening interview, it's just another hunting game.
This is true about teachers who have been cut and then getting first crack at any openings. I have a job now,but when I was interviewing, I interviewed at a school that already knew they were going to give the postion to a teacher whom they pink-slipped. I found this out after the fact because I knew someone who worked at the school. Had I known that earlier, I would not have bothered to interview. I guess it was just like practice.
So why are they screening you? I don't get it. After they screen you and you "pass", do they set up interviews with principals for you? Or can you just apply to individual schools and not go through the whole screening process? And if that is true, why bother to screen at all? I just don't understand this process.
I don't get it either. One district I applied to has you complete the app, then schedule a screening interview--which if they haven't looked at your info, how do they know they want to waste their time with a screening interview. I would think they would at least look over the app and then contact you to set up an screening interview.
The district in my neighboring county is huge and they do screening interviews. From my understanding, only people who have "passed" the screening interview can be interviewed for positions and are can be hired. Each P gets a list of the candidates that have been screened, deemed hirable and from that list they are allowed to select candidates to interview. I would think it might be the same. Keep the faith . . . from listening to the news, many states are just now finalizing their budgets and things should begin to turn around
I've been through a few "screening" interviews in OH in the past year and each one is different. Some districts will host screening interviews for every candidate that turns in an application but most only do for those candidates meeting their preferred qualifications of X, Y, Z. Usually they're pretty standard interview questions with quite a few scenarios that they want you to respond to. Sometimes the interviewer will preface the interviewer by saying, "I'm going to ask you a series of questions... I will not be providing you with feedback so please feel free to answer the question to the best of your ability." Some districts even give their interviewers training on what to say, how not to show emotion (no head nodding, uh-huhs, etc) and the worst part is when they pause after you finish your answer and you're not sure if they want you to continue or not. A few I've attended have been based on a paper version of the TeacherInsight test. But like I said, each district handles their screening interviews their own way. Most of them aren't as scary as I probably made them out to be but I don't want you to be surprised or caught off guard if they are like that. Just answer everything honestly, don't worry about trying to answer how you necessarily think they want you to because then you could end up getting a job at a school that's just not going to mesh well with who you really are as a teacher. Most of the larger districts in my area have screening interviews that supposedly (because we all know those cases that don't seem to follow the rule) all candidates have to pass through and be recommended in order to be called for additional interviews.
Screening interviews just help the P pick out the one they really want to interview. Nothing more nothing less you can't really count on screening interview. I have 3 of those but none of them offer me any interview with Ps.
I was hired 2 weeks AFTER school began. Many schools are still waiting on actual numbers. In Texas they don't even let you ENROLL your kids until August, so there could be a massive influx of families moving to the area and they will NEED you! Keep the faith. All is not lost yet. I would definitely be aggressive at this point and email your resume, follow up with phone calls and personal visits. Have a cool brochure to hand out when you do a "drop in" and be prepared to possibly interview. I would not wear a suit to the drop ins, but I would have a dressy top and a nice pair of capris and a low heel. You never know! Then, even if you are professionally dresses, you can say, "Well, I am so excited to be here! Had I known this would be an informal interview I would have dressed up!" Keep the faith! I know it is hard.
ARe you in the mood to dress up, throw some resumes together, and do some drive bys??? Just stop in to see whehter there's any possibility of scheduling an interview? It just might get you somewhere.
I have spamed all the Ps email in one district but no interview. I did some drive by and got 1 interview. So just try your best, let them know you are looking
