This chapter was somewhat a confirmation of what I already knew going into education. I was told that there are no jobs, that the only way I might land a position would be through networking, "knowing the right people". While I can't confirm that this is a truth for certain (not having yet applied for a job myself), I believe it to be true. I am very lucky in that I am a music specialist in early years. Everyone says that "if you are a specialist or you are fluent in French, you're set." If you're a generalist, good luck. It's a matter of fact that people aren't retiring, or if they do, they continue subbing and taking those jobs, as well. We currently live in a less-than-perfect economic world, making it difficult to "get our foot in the door." Because we are the youngest and least experienced, we are the first ones to get the boot. And getting our Master's after our Undergraduate degree? FORGET ABOUT IT! Then you'll be over-qualified, no experience and too expensive to hire. But I'm not discouraged, because 1) I am a music specialist, 2) a job is bound to open up sometime, and 3) I can always teach voice or piano privately if times are tough. But I would love to be an early years teacher. I can't imagine a more rewarding profession. So even though the climate is rough, it is worth persisting.
Discussion Question: Coming out of the education program, how can we, as teachers with not much experience, make ourselves stand out enough to get hired?
No comments:
Post a Comment