SOB

[cornerofmadness]

Well I finally got off my lazy butt and started trolling for jobs. The more I look at the college scene, the more I think about teaching high school (in fact I have a college-level competitive high school on my list) Why? Because at least 50% of the jobs are the SAME jobs from last year AND the year before. Obviously they go through teachers like tissues. When you see the same school year after year (and sometimes three times in one year) you just know something is wrong. I feel my heart sinking to my toes.

Comments

[natgel.livejournal.com]

You're thinking about teaching HS? *blinks*

COME HERE NOW AND TEACH ME, BIATCH!!!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I dunno. That's a far commute. How are you in science?

[natgel.livejournal.com]

*pulls out geek cred* I'm in extended biology. You're in luck! My teacher is this close to buggering off.
But seriously now, good luck in finding something that works for you. I would've never considered teaching as a profession, I imagine it's stressful.

[esmerelda-t.livejournal.com]

Teaching High School in one of those really swanky high schools sounds like an option, the kind that doesnt come with metal dectators at all doors.

[makd.livejournal.com]

I'm not familiar with the rest of the country, but teachers on Long Island are well-paid (salary commensurate with credentials and experience), well-insured, have lovely pensions and marvelous other benefits.

Teacher friends of my daughters (who are teaching in Ulster County and Duchess County, in Upstate New York) who have been teaching for 3 YEARS have bought nice houses, are doing well, yadda yadda.

Meanwhile, there are still a few folks I went to grad school with (in the early '70s) still don't have full-time teaching jobs at the college level. They are well-credentialed, bright, highly-experienced, fine teachers. There just aren't the jobs - full-time jobs, I mean.

So...go for the high school teaching. Think about Upstate New York, which makes where you're living now seem Polar (weatherwise), where you can have insurance and a pension and a non-haunted house. (If you want these things.)

Downstate - LI - the houses average $450,000. Forget it! But Upstate, the houses average about $200,000, often much, much less. Living and living well is very accessible.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks for the input. I really didn't want to go thru the alternative certification to teach high school but I look at the severely sad pay for community college (even at full time) and see how they cycle teachers around, HS is looking better all the time. I might give this one more shot then if it doesn't pan out, rethinking where I'm heading

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

that was my thought

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

you know what it's more stressful than I imagined it would be. It took me ALL damn day yesterday to get that test written,

good luck in bio. if you find a stumper feel free to ask me

[lejlkwiet.livejournal.com]

Ouch :S Wish you LOADS of luck with the job hunting, hopefully just the right thing will turn up :)

[bashipforever.livejournal.com]

Honestly I would think high school would be more 'fun' because you have the same students for a whole school year. College you only have your students for a semester. Just the time you get used to them and vice versa, boom you have a whole new lot of them. Of course that could be a good thing if you have students like you did last semester.

Anyway, keep us informed on how it goes and I'll be thinking good thoughts for you

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

there's pro's and con's to both. COllege yo have more control. HS you lack the ability to discipline and you're to blame if your students don't bother to try and learn. In college, no one gives a shit if they're wasting their time and money.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks. I'm hoping so too.

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

Something is wrong? They don't want to pay someone the salary and benefits of a tenure-track job. And it's probably not the department, it's the administration. And they can get away with it, because everyone qualified is desperate for a job.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

this is prettymuch it from what I'm gathering from experience and people in the business. I look at the Chronicle and see jobs paying the same in CA and NY as they do in oh KY or OH (let's say 40K) you can imagine that no one can afford to live in CA on that while they could in KY.

[makd.livejournal.com]

Whatever your decision; good luck.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks. I guess at this point I'm not ruling anything out. I just look at all the extra training I have to have for high school and cringe