• Welcome to Fearless Friday Bulletin Boards. Please login or sign up.

 FF is powered by:        Do Not Sell My Personal Information

First Coaching/teaching position

Started by 20Baseball, May 18, 2015, 03:18:39 pm

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

20Baseball

I have applied for over 40 positions in the last year since graduating last year from ASU in Jonesboro.  I have applied for every position up to an hour and a half (about 80 miles) away.  But i have only had 3-4 interviews and nothings has went further than that.  I am certified in Physical Education and Health so far and take the History Praxis on Wednesday.  I am a Military Vet. of 10 years and been deployed twice and have finished my degree at the 28.  I've served in Iraq and Afghanistan.  I'm wondering if there is something i need to do to make myself more appealing to school districts to help me land a position at a school but so far it is looking dim as far as finding a job for the upcoming school year.  I have been doing SUBTEACH for the past year to help build up some teaching experience while i am not working at a school full time, but that is my only form of teaching experience.  For coaching i have some experience but it is mostly with adults and not students. If anyone can give me some pointers on how to spruce up my application process or any advice on how to make me more appealing to school districts please let me know.   

Nomad1324

Honestly, it isn't hard to find PE/Health or even History teachers. If you could get certified in math or science you become a lot more attractive. I appreciate your service.

When my brother in law went through he has had trouble breaking in with PE/Health and History certification.

OB11

I would say the same thing.  Get certified in something else.  Even if you teach in a field you don't necessarily want to be in for a year or two, it's a job and can help get your foot in the door. The more certifications you have the more marketable you are to schools.  Getting your CDL wouldn't hurt anything either. 

Mother Theresa

Good advice in those posts. You also need well known references! You could get a salesman to work with you on selling yourself. If you're getting interviews you may need help connecting with the interviewer

Wonderdog

As previously stated, math and science is the key that will get you in the door. Most of the time those PE/Health jobs have a line of people within the district waiting for a rookie to come along. The coaches with more experience or the very well liked coaches will slide from a history, math, or science job into that PE/Health job. Leaving the latter open for the new guy. It's a tough system to work in if you do not have many connections.

True Fan

Become an official. It will give you the opportunity to become familiar with the schools, coaches, and often the AD's in your area school.

gameoflife

Quote from: True Fan on May 20, 2015, 06:41:13 pm
Become an official. It will give you the opportunity to become familiar with the schools, coaches, and often the AD's in your area school.

This is along the lines of what I would suggest.  Who you know is key in getting any type of job, networking!!.   You may also make yourself available to help out in the athletic program, such as Booster Club or perhaps filming for one of the team. Get out and go visit with active coaches.  Ask if you can come chat with them about football techniques. Most all the coaches I know love to talk football.  Once you establish some connections I bet you find a job.

Grond

Question for "20Baseball":  Did you play baseball at ASU?

I have a son starting at Southern Arkansas University this fall (2015). He is also a walk-on football player.

Here are a few things we were told:
A) Major in something like math education, to be more marketable.
B) Playing a college sport helps.
C) Originally planned on majoring in Middle School Math, then SAU suggested Phys. Ed., get coaching license, and minor in math (to pass math teaching exam).

Not sure how accurate A, B, & C are.  ???

OB11

Quote from: Grond on June 01, 2015, 12:23:25 pm
Question for "20Baseball":  Did you play baseball at ASU?

I have a son starting at Southern Arkansas University this fall (2015). He is also a walk-on football player.

Here are a few things we were told:
A) Major in something like math education, to be more marketable.
B) Playing a college sport helps.
C) Originally planned on majoring in Middle School Math, then SAU suggested Phys. Ed., get coaching license, and minor in math (to pass math teaching exam).

Not sure how accurate A, B, & C are.  ???

I would say all 3 are pretty true.  A & C for sure.  A lot of coaches got a PE degree then tested into a subject area.  B helps but I don't necessarily think that playing a college sport will get you a coaching job.   At least not in Arkansas because you have to be able to teach in whatever opening the school has (schools are always looking for math and science teachers.)

Okieback

Be sure you are going to coaching clinics, lots of times there are job boards .
U also could try and get on as a sporting goods salesman or at least become friends with them, they always have the scoop

Jimbo Morphis

in life it's not what you know but who you know.

KOJACK


OB11

Quote from: KOJACK on October 01, 2015, 01:18:45 pm
Get Special Ed certified and/or ESL

You can pretty much work wherever you want and name your price if you are Special Ed certified. But...it would be nearly impossible to coach and do special ed.  There is so much time and paperwork that go into teaching special ed that takes time outside of the school day.  I'm not saying it can't be done but it would be so hard to be an effective teacher and coach if you did special ed.  One would suffer because of the time commitment needed for both. 

Also, it takes a very special individual to teach special ed.  I have the utmost respect for teachers that go into that area. 

rzrbk_32

If a school likes you enough they will usually hire you and give you a grace period to pass the given praxis exam. Also, it's all about who you know.

Nip/Tusk

I was under the impression that a district cannot legally hire someone not certified if they have another applicant who is.

OB11

Quote from: Josh Louin on October 15, 2015, 05:25:32 pm
I was under the impression that a district cannot legally hire someone not certified if they have another applicant who is.

I have heard that before and always assumed that was the case.  But I'm not 100% on that. 

ReddieKnightTrojan

Quote from: Josh Louin on October 15, 2015, 05:25:32 pm
I was under the impression that a district cannot legally hire someone not certified if they have another applicant who is.
A district can hire anyone that they want as long as they are a certified teacher (in anything) and the teacher has 3 years to become certified in the advertised subject area via ALP (additional licensure program) The district can also hire a non-certified teacher who chooses to follow the non-traditional licensure process.

Either of these programs do put a red flag on a district until the teacher is fully licensed.

young_gun

December 01, 2015, 02:17:40 pm #17 Last Edit: December 01, 2015, 02:19:12 pm by young_gun
Speaking from personal experience. I graduated college in May 2011 and applied for everything under the sun and was told I needed to get more experience and was overwhelmed because I was not sure how I was supposed to do that if I couldn't get a job. I subbed at a local school for a year and I finally took the last little bit of money I had and went to the AHSAA coaches clinic and on the job board posted my resume and got a call from a school three hours from me and four from where I am from down in SE AR. I found an up and coming coach who wanted to find younger guys on his staff to try and upstart a program that had been down for several years. I found my foot in the door. Finally a job closer to home came open and I knew the superintendent or better yet he knew who I was I made it to where I really wanted to be.

With that being said my advice is as follows.

1) Certification in Health/PE covers you P-12 so it's a great choice.
2) Get certified in other areas as well via Praxis. Math and Science 7-12 is best though I currently have 4-8 Math Science and Language Arts
3) Go to clinics and volunteer with local schools(It's not who you know but who knows you) I can throw names out there and say i know all kinds of people but if they don't know me it does no good.
4) Keep applying and never give up and if you really want a job sooner than later you must be willing to move away for a while.

Hope this helps and if anyone has any more questions feel free to message me.

OB11

Quote from: young_gun on December 01, 2015, 02:17:40 pm
Speaking from personal experience. I graduated college in May 2011 and applied for everything under the sun and was told I needed to get more experience and was overwhelmed because I was not sure how I was supposed to do that if I couldn't get a job. I subbed at a local school for a year and I finally took the last little bit of money I had and went to the AHSAA coaches clinic and on the job board posted my resume and got a call from a school three hours from me and four from where I am from down in SE AR. I found an up and coming coach who wanted to find younger guys on his staff to try and upstart a program that had been down for several years. I found my foot in the door. Finally a job closer to home came open and I knew the superintendent or better yet he knew who I was I made it to where I really wanted to be.

With that being said my advice is as follows.

1) Certification in Health/PE covers you P-12 so it's a great choice.
2) Get certified in other areas as well via Praxis. Math and Science 7-12 is best though I currently have 4-8 Math Science and Language Arts
3) Go to clinics and volunteer with local schools(It's not who you know but who knows you) I can throw names out there and say i know all kinds of people but if they don't know me it does no good.
4) Keep applying and never give up and if you really want a job sooner than later you must be willing to move away for a while.

Hope this helps and if anyone has any more questions feel free to message me.

This is spot on and great advice.  This is pretty much exactly what I went through.  Graduated with PE/Health, tested into 7-12 English and took a job an hour from where I was living.  The next year I tested into 4-12 Business Technology and got a great job coaching and teaching at a school much closer to my house. 

Don't be discouraged if you can't find anything right off the bat.  There aren't an abundance of PE/Health jobs out there.  Get more certifications and make yourself as marketable as you can.  Something you like will come open.  You just might have to pay your dues and be patient for a while. 

Pat Swilling

land your first job.  keep your mouth shut.  Keep your ears open.  Be 1st to work and last to leave.  Work your a@@ off.  Never, ever say or do anything to embarrass your school.  Be loyal. and most importantly Make the HC think he cant live without you.  Do those things and the certification area doesn't matter.

Grond

Just curious, what were your "approximate" starting salaries?

OB11

Quote from: Grond on December 12, 2015, 01:24:57 pm
Just curious, what were your "approximate" starting salaries?

Really depends on what district you happen to land a job in.  In the district I started in the base salary for no experience was about 31K.  That's without a coaching stipend.  I was only there for a year.  The district I'm in now has a base pay with no experience of 39-40K.  I'm in my 3rd year now.

Not going to mention any specifics, but I went from one of the poorest districts in this area of the state to one of the best paying around here.  (Northeast Arkansas)  It's same in education as it is in real estate. Location, location, location. It really makes a difference as far as salaries go. 

Grond

Quote from: OliverBoy11 on December 12, 2015, 02:40:40 pm
Quote from: Grond on December 12, 2015, 01:24:57 pm
Just curious, what were your "approximate" starting salaries?

Really depends on what district you happen to land a job in.  In the district I started in the base salary for no experience was about 31K.  That's without a coaching stipend.  I was only there for a year.  The district I'm in now has a base pay with no experience of 39-40K.  I'm in my 3rd year now.

Not going to mention any specifics, but I went from one of the poorest districts in this area of the state to one of the best paying around here.  (Northeast Arkansas)  It's same in education as it is in real estate. Location, location, location. It really makes a difference as far as salaries go.

Thank you.

27 Trap

Quote from: Nomad1324 on May 19, 2015, 06:02:10 am
Honestly, it isn't hard to find PE/Health or even History teachers. If you could get certified in math or science you become a lot more attractive. I appreciate your service.

When my brother in law went through he has had trouble breaking in with PE/Health and History certification.

Totally agree, not many PE/Health jobs in schools, big problem when hiring coaches....if you can teach Math / Science then you stand much better chance of landing a job ....

Fox 16 Arkansas Fox 24 Arkansas