Getting a Teaching job (career, misdemeanor, background, counselor)

[Jenny357]

When I was 18, I received a Class C Misdemeanor for shoplifting. It's a long story that involves being an ignorant freshman giving the wrong people a ride to Wal-Mart. Anyway, the theft is on my record and I can never get it off. I'm almost 23 now, and in May, I will receive my M.A.T. I'm in Louisiana; what are the odds of me getting a teaching job?

[collegeguy35]

I would talk to a lawyer seems like you should be able to get that off your record. In some states you will not get a clean background check. Thus you will not be hired others it will not be issue. It depends on the state. Check with states you want to work in. Please read posts under the teaching job outlook. There are bigger problems in teaching then your record mainly a lack of jobs. Good luck have a plan B if teaching dose not work out wish I had

[RDSLOTS]

Not sure exactly what your own style is, but until you get this record expunged, I would try to just go with it. For example, if it comes up during an interview, you could discuss with HR what actually happened, and then point blank ask, "would this keep you from hiring me in spite of *whatever else great you having going for you*?" If the answer is 'yes,' or the interviewer hems-and-haws, then be ready with your argument as to why your own experience could help you in your career.

For example, if you are applying to teach in an inner-city school, how better to be in a position to identify with children who make stupid choices, and find themselves in bad places. Even if it's just a regular public school, kids there have problems too.

When I was applying for teaching positions, and being interviewed, I noticed that one HR Head had already checked low priority in the upper right corner of the application, and pointed to it, and asked 'why?' Flustered, she opened the application, pointed to my college transcript, and reminded me that I had failed Math, and a US History class, my Freshman year. I asked her why she hadn't asked me why I failed those two classes, when I was obviously a much better student than that -- and told her that at the time, I was the recipient of a scholarship that was tied to the editor's position of the college newspaper (as a Freshman, I was editor-in-chief), and if it came down to going to class or getting the paper out on time, I chose to get the paper to the printer's and had missed too many classes.

Then, I directed her attention to the next semester. Transcripts don't show such, but I told her -- same two courses, same professors -- and I pulled A's in both. I also asked her to look at the specific courses in my major and teaching area, and at the courses that supported such an area (the arts), and didn't she notice -- nothing less than an A? In my major, I was 4.0. I also pointed out to her what my overall GPA was, upon graduation, and that it had taken me all those semesters to make up for those two big, fat Fs.

When she wanted to argue that the school system strived towards academic excellence, I told her I agreed wholeheartedly, but pointed out this was a public school system with children from all walks of life, all strengths and weaknesses, blah blah blah, and asked I could be expected to identify with that struggling child if I had never failed myself?

I got the job. I also had a wonderful career, and those struggling students were always my favorites.

While this doesn't look great on your record, you could make a reasonable argument for taking into account how you could use your own adolescent mistakes to identify with adolescents (if it's HS students you are interested in teaching). Do some research, and see if you can find a judge/court attorney/officer who may be sympathetic to what that record may cost you, and see if you cannot get it removed.

[Daniel_G017]

I really like what you had to say,.. and I hope and pray that I can do the same for my experience. In a perfect world, yes I agree, having a record definitely allows me the real world lesson to relate to students. Especially as a school counselor, in a perfect world, I'd pick an ex convict turned helper to work with students anyday over someone with a sparkly record that's never been in trouble...

My situation is like a bad dream though... I'm devasted. 32 years old, not a thing on my record, have a B.S. and MPA and have been working for years in several nonprofits in marketing-related/community outreach roles. Well, it's all in jeapordy now... got mixed up with this extremely toxic woman, she was also on a lot of prescription drugs, diagnosed with bipolar (which I didnt even know until the night of the incident).. basically we were on and off for 6 months, we are on the fritz/breaking up once and for all, I went to return soem of her items to her, she chased me down, so we talked in my car at length- she was getting messages from someone else, like a dummy, I tried to get her to show me, well of course she wouldnt, and was refusing to leave my car, I asked her a dozen times to get out and she refused, it was about 1:30 am on a work night and I was so tired. To finally get her away from my car so I could drive away I splashed this water bottle at her so she stepped away and I sped off... come to find out next day she made this insane police report saying all these crazy things, none of which were true, and like most, dug my own grave my talking to the cops and telling them the God's honest truth. So I spent a night in jail and now have a assault DV and disorderly conduct charge. It's like a bad dream... so anywho I have a lawyer, but its in AZ and no matter what the outcome, I fear it will still come up on a federal FBI background check with a diversion/dismissal. So it's gonna be an uphill battle. I've always wanted to go back to school to be a language arts teacher or most importantly a school counslor, except jobs are few and far in between so Ive been debating for years. I feel it's my calling to help youth as I came from a troubled home.. hence why I attract crazy narcissists as a co-dependent, letting ppl walk all over me. I've learned so much through this, and I pray it doesnt haunt me.. it's so messed up. Should've never admitted it without lawyer cause she wanted to drop charges, but once I admitted to splashing water, the state steps in. That's my story for now, hope it doesnt affect my future, and I'm forced to do menial labor or serving jobs.

Send me some prayers and strength! Thanks all...

Originally Posted by RDSLOTS

Not sure exactly what your own style is, but until you get this record expunged, I would try to just go with it. For example, if it comes up during an interview, you could discuss with HR what actually happened, and then point blank ask, "would this keep you from hiring me in spite of *whatever else great you having going for you*?" If the answer is 'yes,' or the interviewer hems-and-haws, then be ready with your argument as to why your own experience could help you in your career.

For example, if you are applying to teach in an inner-city school, how better to be in a position to identify with children who make stupid choices, and find themselves in bad places. Even if it's just a regular public school, kids there have problems too.

When I was applying for teaching positions, and being interviewed, I noticed that one HR Head had already checked low priority in the upper right corner of the application, and pointed to it, and asked 'why?' Flustered, she opened the application, pointed to my college transcript, and reminded me that I had failed Math, and a US History class, my Freshman year. I asked her why she hadn't asked me why I failed those two classes, when I was obviously a much better student than that -- and told her that at the time, I was the recipient of a scholarship that was tied to the editor's position of the college newspaper (as a Freshman, I was editor-in-chief), and if it came down to going to class or getting the paper out on time, I chose to get the paper to the printer's and had missed too many classes.

Then, I directed her attention to the next semester. Transcripts don't show such, but I told her -- same two courses, same professors -- and I pulled A's in both. I also asked her to look at the specific courses in my major and teaching area, and at the courses that supported such an area (the arts), and didn't she notice -- nothing less than an A? In my major, I was 4.0. I also pointed out to her what my overall GPA was, upon graduation, and that it had taken me all those semesters to make up for those two big, fat Fs.

When she wanted to argue that the school system strived towards academic excellence, I told her I agreed wholeheartedly, but pointed out this was a public school system with children from all walks of life, all strengths and weaknesses, blah blah blah, and asked I could be expected to identify with that struggling child if I had never failed myself?

I got the job. I also had a wonderful career, and those struggling students were always my favorites.

While this doesn't look great on your record, you could make a reasonable argument for taking into account how you could use your own adolescent mistakes to identify with adolescents (if it's HS students you are interested in teaching). Do some research, and see if you can find a judge/court attorney/officer who may be sympathetic to what that record may cost you, and see if you cannot get it removed.