Where's that teaching job?

Dear reader, before you say to yourself "This girl can't even use proper grammar, she should not be teaching," you must realize I worded the title in such a way that would be catchy... you know, for entertainment purposes. But, that is not the topic of this post; this post follows my struggle with the infamous teaching-job-search and the endless frustration I find myself having with today's schools.

Four years ago, I, I'm sure along with many of my peers, went into college with the assurance that I would have a job when I walked across the stage. Teaching used to be a guaranteed job, but, with the budget crisis, the "one profession that touches all other professions" is no longer a definite. Here it is, four years later... college degree (and soon to have teaching license) in hand... but no job. My lack of career is certainly not due to laziness or failure of marketing myself. I have done everything my wise professors have advised me to do... from making brochures to hand-delivering resumes and cover letters all across my desired school district. After a while, it becomes disheartening.

This is the problem...
You're a recent college graduate with fresh, innovative ideas; you know it is not an easy task, but you have the drive and desire to push every student to his/her fullest potential. You want your future students to see what they never saw in themselves- giving them hope for their futures, while at the same time, providing rigorous activities allowing for high academic achievement. You stayed up many nights never getting sleep, making sure every mark on a paper or project was perfected. You wanted to pack your brain with every inch of teaching knowledge you could so that you could constantly improve yourself to so that you could one day best teach your future students. After all the sweat, tears, and coffee, you finally graduate and receive that beautiful diploma... but wait, where's that job you have been studying for the past four years?


I recently watched Waiting for Superman, an documentary about how America's current educational system is not the best for our students. Many problems were presented, and I'm sure many educators have noticed these issues, but are befuddled with how to fix them. The problems facing education today are BIG, which is why one teacher may not feel adequate enough to make all the necessary changes. But, I have the belief that one educator can do quite much- one educator can make the difference. We all know one teacher who made our lives a little easier; whether this teacher made learning fun, or just said hello to you evey morning while your own peers never acknowledged your presence as you stared at the ground while walking the hallways- this teacher impacted your life. So, you see, one teacher can make all the difference. I know I may be too small to influence the political powers and leaders, but I do know I can influence what occurs in my future classroom. And you see, the students one teacher influences then go on to positively effect the lives of their peers and their co-wokers, making a continuous chain of optimism and ambition. This chain... this never-ending line of encouragement... can make all the difference. This notion, I believe, is at the heart of all educators- this is what pushes us to do what we do, and in turn become frustrated when we do not have the opportunitiy to do so.