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[quote=Mike in TN;5579360]I'm an unemployed PE major. I graduated last year with a 4.0 gpa, awards, recommendations, you name it. quote]
Having sat in a ton of teacher interviews, I can say that all the above matter little to nothing in the hiring process. One may think they do, but in this field it matters little.
Rather, that you can hold up a good interview, dress and speak well, give off an overall good vibe to everyone in the interview and your open to do a ton of extra's like coaching and other types of after school activities. Also, having a very good teaching portfolio to match is huge bonus points in an interview process!
I am certainly not saying that you didn't do all these requirements, just an general insight to what goes on during the interview process in a good, well desired school district.
Seems like a national trend in education what job positions are quite open and which are very difficult to get into.
Why don't you simply get an endorsement in special education? Get your foot in the door and latch onto a teaching job after a year or a few in a school district of your choice?
I am quite suprised no one from you university informed you of the saturated market of PE teachers!!!! And, didn't encourage you to become dual certified to make you more marketable.
I graduate next year with a undergraduate in physical education and a double minor in health and coaching. I have four regions in mind where I would like to live. Where do you think would be the easiest to get a teaching job in physical education? Where would be the hardest out of the four?
Grand Rapids, MI
Chicago Suburbs
Raliegh, NC
San Diego, CA
Having sat in a ton of teacher interviews, I can say that all the above matter little to nothing in the hiring process.
You aren't telling me anything I don't already know.
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Also, having a very good teaching portfolio to match is huge bonus points in an interview process!
I don't believe a teaching portfolio matters much here, especially for PE candidates. Most administrators won't even look at one. I'm not speculating either, I know a few assistant principals and principals.
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Why don't you simply get an endorsement in special education?
That's like telling a car salesman to all of sudden be an engineer. I don't have any interest in SE. That said, I'm contemplating geting an add-on endorsment in math.
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I am quite suprised no one from you university informed you of the saturated market of PE teachers!!!! And, didn't encourage you to become dual certified to make you more marketable.
I realized what the market was like, but I took the chance anyway. I don't blame anyone but myself.
You aren't telling me anything I don't already know.
--Then why did you list you had some qualifications? You boasted your achievements and acted like because you had them you should have been awarded a job.
I don't believe a teaching portfolio matters much here, especially for PE candidates. Most administrators won't even look at one. I'm not speculating either, I know a few assistant principals and principals.
--Sure it does, they look at them all the time.
That's like telling a car salesman to all of sudden be an engineer. I don't have any interest in SE. That said, I'm contemplating geting an add-on endorsment in math.
--With a mindset like that, you may be an unemployed PE teacher for a long time. ALL teachers must have some understanding of students with special needs. Its obvious you have never truly been in the classroom beyond you subbing and student teaching experience because you would know that inclusion of students with special needs happens in nearly every mainstream class, with the exception of honors and AP classes.
I realized what the market was like, but I took the chance anyway. I don't blame anyone but myself.
--Maybe you should be a bit more receptive to those trying to give you advice and help you.
You aren't telling me anything I don't already know.
I don't believe a teaching portfolio matters much here, especially for PE candidates. Most administrators won't even look at one. I'm not speculating either, I know a few assistant principals and principals.
That's like telling a car salesman to all of sudden be an engineer. I don't have any interest in SE. That said, I'm contemplating geting an add-on endorsment in math.
I realized what the market was like, but I took the chance anyway. I don't blame anyone but myself.
If you go to a small school, it's likely you'll have to teach a few classes outside of your area of expertise. That's my experience as a student who lived in a small town. You might consider a regional college or community college, also.
Then why did you list you had some qualifications? You boasted your achievements and acted like because you had them you should have been awarded a job.
Fair enough.
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Sure it does, they look at them all the time.
LOL, okay man. I never said no administrators look at them. The three administrators I personally know say they don't bother looking at them for extracurricular teachers.
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ALL teachers must have some understanding of students with special needs.
Did you know that water is wet?
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Its obvious you have never truly been in the classroom beyond you subbing and student teaching experience
Please reference where I said otherwise. I seem to have forgot.
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inclusion of students with special needs happens in nearly every mainstream class
Depends on the school, but it seems that's the case for the most part. Why are we talking about this anyway? I was just making the point that going from a PE license to a SE license isn't very closely related.
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Maybe you should be a bit more receptive to those trying to give you advice and help you.
By those do you mean you?
Like I said, I'm not looking for any sympathy at all - I made my own bed. I was just trying to share my experience, which seems relevant, to the OP.
OP -- I am from Grand Rapids originally. I was a Health and P.E. major and had a hard time getting a job there in my major. The first year I taught reading and study hall (Reading minor) and then a Health job opened up after that and I taught Health for three more years. I moved to Denver last year and taught Health at a middle school for a year, and now I am teaching High School Fitness and Dance.
I would say out of your options listed, Grand Rapids would be the worst for actually securing a job in your field. Southern California is much larger, as is Chicago, but also more expensive. And personally I would not teach in North Carolina because the pay is crap!
LOL Georgia has good pay? You probably have never seen the salaries in the northeast.
I've seen salaries in the northeast, i teach in PA.
I'm going by my college advisor, who taught in georgia and said most schools start around $40,000, which is pretty good pay to start at. i never actually looked it up though, so if thats incorrect, i apologize
My friend is a PE teacher in a Chicago suburb. For the middle and high schools, it's really difficult to get a job as a PE teacher if you don't have a connection with the sports program. FYI, my friend was 4 time all conference soccer player, played Div. I soccer in college, graduate assistant for his college team, and then became a volunteer coach for my high school. When a PE coach retired (ex-football coach) they offered it him the position after they hired a new football coach who taught English instead of PE.
Please reference where I said otherwise. I seem to have forgot.
Depends on the school, but it seems that's the case for the most part. Why are we talking about this anyway? I was just making the point that going from a PE license to a SE license isn't very closely related.
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Here are just a few examples, take them for what its worth...
-We hired a P.E. teacher this year in the district I work for. She beat out hundreds of other applicants for the position. How? A S.E. endorsement. After she was hired she was informed that she would be teaching 'adapative' P.E. with students who have mild to moderate disabilities. She also has to teach an ESL P.E. If she likes it, she will stay. If not, she just needs to bide her time until a teacher retires or transfers then she gets their spot in the same school.
-Our current Asst. Prin. told us his story about being a history major and subbing for 3 years without finding a job. Got a S.E. endorsement and landed a job in very affluent district right away. After teaching S.E. history for 3 years worked his way up to regular classroom teacher, then administration.
Point being...I know both of these people very well and both never planned on being S.E. teachers. However, in both of their intial job markets the saturation was so high the only way they could get their foot in the door was to do something like S.E.
Maybe if they wouldn't have done what they did, both would be unemployed and bitter...who know's!
P.S. Of course PE and SE are closely related...who do you think teaches gym to students with mild disabilities who are considered SE? A PE teacher does!
Just my observations from my personal experiences of teaching high school the past 7 years....take them for what there worth.
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