the hunt is on

February 4, 2008 at 2:31 AM

Yet another evening preparing materials for students who are more interested in sleeping than actually participating...

That is one of many reasons why I am beginning the whole "look for another job process". I attended a teacher job fair in a neighboring county. You get to drop off resumes, shake hands, and do mini-screening interviews. The problem with being certified in music is that you can only do one thing, so the job fair is really not the best venue for finding that new job. But you have to do it anyway, if nothing else to practice the interview process.

These job fairs are basically big cattle calls for teachers, similar to an audition where far too many applicants show up for one opening. Only instead of playing Don Juan or the Classical Symphony, you must answer "What would your standards based classroom look like?" "How do you differentiate instruction in your classroom?", "How would you handle an irate parent?".

There is also a state-wide website that lists all openings as they occur, and those openings will begin to increase as contracts go out. It's an interesting process, because you must anticipate what a particular district is looking for while you are also self evaluating your whole philosophy of teaching. We'll see how this all turns out.

There is also another oddball concert approaching--the next symphony concert is a strange potpourri of opera choruses with a cast of thousands (well maybe hundreds). And a local university is killing its string program. Never a dull moment here...

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on February 4, 2008 at 5:40 AM

I know that job hunting can be a real pain. The job fairs I've been to sound just like yours. One memorable one was held at a conference hall and hotel. It was the only time I was interviewed in a bedroom.

I wish you good luck in your interviews. Keep persisting in spite of setbacks.

From Laurie Niles
Posted on February 4, 2008 at 5:43 PM

You Go Girl. Don't be afraid to turn things upside down and look down other avenues, too. I never thought I'd be running a website, but then something I did just for fun grew into a big crazy website. Basically, make sure you are doing at least a few things you want to do, because that can generate energy in that direction. I've found that even just going to a coffee place or book store or concert that I'm attracted to, I find other like-minded people that help me go in the direction I want to go. Best of luck with this!

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the hunt is on

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