A New Plan: Job Search, Part 1

Can I just take a moment to again thank every single person who commented on my post about losing my job? Your kind words mean the world to me as I deal with this crappy situation.  Many of you asked if I could contact my union because it seems unfair that experienced teachers were let go instead of the newest teachers to the district.  Unfortunately, in my district all non-tenured teachers are on the same playing field and seniority doesn't come into play.  Bummer, right??

 

Thanks, Michelle, for sending me this magnet!

It is exactly the reminder I needed...

Since I wrote that post last week, as I promised, I have ended the pity party and really begun to make my peace with the situation.  Like I've said in a million posts in the past, and like I told one of my students yesterday at school, in life we can't control what happens to us.  We can only control how we react to situations and how we move forward.  I am in charge of me, remember?  We could go crazy being angry about what happens to us or irate about the injustice of it all...but is that any way to live?  I've decided to see this experience as an opportunity.  Like I said, while I am happy at my school, it has CERTAINLY been less than perfect, and it is definitely not my dream job.  I am choosing to see this as "being set free" from my school, and given the chance to explore something new.

So, I've spent the past two weeks researching and applying to school districts in Boston and in Colorado.  I've been tossing around the idea of moving some place new for a couple years now, and while it would have been nice to do it on my own terms, an opportunity is an opportunity.  I love Boston--I've visited a few times, twice in the past three years, and on both of those recent visits I looked around and thought, "Yeah, I belong here."  My cousin and one of my close friends from high school live there too, so that's another bonus.  Do they need teachers?  No idea.  But that hasn't stopped me from applying to every public and private school I can find.  I actually haven't been to Colorado except for one family ski trip in Steamboat when I was 5 years old.  I don't remember it at all.  But I love the idea of Colorado and figured I'd at least send out some applications and see if an opportunity comes up!

Applying for jobs out of state is certainly a lot more work than jobs in state.  First, I don't know the names of any of the suburbs, and I don't know what the districts are.  I've been doing a lot of google searches and looking at google maps!  Second, there is the certification issue.  I've fully applied for my Massachusetts teaching license, and am in the process of applying for my Colorado license.  Colorado makes you submit finger prints and go through a background check before you can even apply for licensure!  It's definitely been time consuming, and EXPENSIVE!  So far I've spent about $20 on transcripts, $100 on the Mass license app fee, $40 on a background check, $10 on finger prints, and a couple bucks on stamps to ship things out.  Yikes!  And who knows if any of this will even lead to a job!!

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The more research I do and jobs I apply for, though, the more excited I am about the idea of starting over some place new.  (I pretty much listen to the song "Boston" by Augustana at least a couple of times a day..."I think I'll go to Boston, I think I'll start a new life...")  I love Chicago, and absolutely LOVE being near my parents and Oldest Brother, but I'm getting a little...restless.  I have always seen myself coming back here, but I feel so much like I need to take this opportunity when I'm young and unattached to experience a new city.  Cross your fingers that something works out!!

Have you ever made a gigantic change in your life?  How did you get the courage to do it?  Did it work out?