A New Plan: Job Search, Part 2

It's times like this that I just love blogging and the blogging community--I have gotten so many thoughtful comments and emails over the past month and a half wishing me good luck on my search.  Thanks guys. :)  So far I have no HUGE news, but lots to update on in the job search department!  First of all, looking for a job is TIME CONSUMING!  My goodness.  Between applying for jobs, doing grad school work, and oh yeah, actually being a teacher (plus tutoring, running the science fair, and training for next month's half-marathon...), I'm spread a little thin these days!  I'm a teacher on the edge, folks!  Hence the break from blogging over the past few weeks.  I'm so grateful to be on spring vacation in Florida right now with my family...it's been some much needed relaxation!  And time with this beautiful baby...

But more about this cutie later!  Onto the job search.  So my search continues expanding...While I hadn't been planning on it, I have applied to a few of the nearby districts with openings posted. Now, staying in Chicago isn't really my priority, but I'm still keeping my options open.  Boston is the big priority.  I've been applying like crazy, but no bites yet... :-/  I know it's still only March, so I'm hoping that Boston schools aren't hiring quite yet, not that they're just not interested in me!  We'll see!!  I'd mentioned looking for a job in Colorado as well, and I've pretty much ruled that out at this point.  I'm not sure why, but it's just not where I see myself right now.  I actually got a call for an interview from a district in CO, but turned it down since I'd have to fly out there and I already was luke-warm about the idea by this point.

I had e an interview Friday morning at a school about half an hour from where I currently live.  It went really well, but was just a 1st round screener for two positions in the building, so I'll find out if they want me back for round 2 sometime next week after spring break is over.  The school was beautiful and the administrators seemed really nice, so even though I said Chicago isn't my first choice, I'd for sure be open to the job if I did get an offer.  I also have an interview in my district in a couple weeks, at the school my old principal is currently at.  It will be nice to have a friendly face at the interview, but I'm sure it will be a whole panel--eek.  Hate those!!

Had to dust off my interview suit...literally.  It was in a dry cleaning bag, but a little bit of the color was poking out, and it had collected a layer of dust!  I guess that because teachers don't actually wear suits...I always feel like I'm playing dress up in this thing!

In true Anxious Teacher form, I showed up almost an hour early...good thing my wonderful book club friend loaned me her Kindle so I was able to start rereading Hunger Games while waiting for the interview to start!

The big update though on the job search is that I'm looking outside the country too.  For many years I've dreamed about living and teaching abroad--I'm a total bleeding heart, and have especially wanted to teach in a developing country.  As a senior in college, I actually went through the whole application process for the Peace Corps, and was nominated to serve as a teacher trainer in the south Pacific.  I ended up dropping out of the application process when I got my teaching job offer.  I was having trouble getting medically cleared for the Peace Corps (I'm 100% healthy, but the Peace Corps is super picky, and having a history of asthma and also having struggled with an eating disorder, I was a "medical risk" in their eyes...), and just couldn't turn down a job offer knowing that my Peace Corps dreams might not work out.  

ANYWAYS, long story short, I haven't exactly spent the past three years longing to be abroad, but given this opportunity for a fresh start, my mind has wandered back there.  I applied for a program called WorldTeach a couple weeks ago.  If I'm accepted, I would be volunteering as a teacher for a year in Micronesia.  Never heard of it?  I hadn't either, but it's a tiny little island country in the south west Pacific near Indonesia.  I actually just had a Skype interview this evening, and it went really great.  It's definitely something I can see myself doing, although it's pretty crazy to think about that big of a change, especially when a couple months ago this wasn't in the cards for me at all!  Besides that, I applied to a placement program for teachers at international schools around the world.  Currently, the only positions available that I am eligible to apply for are in the United Arab Emirates (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, etc.).  That's definitely not a region I ever envisioned myself teaching, but I'm beginning to think, why not apply?  Who knows?

We will see.  Please send any and all positive thoughts/job leads/connections/magic wishing beans my way...I'll keep you posted!