52 Teaching Jobs in 52 Weeks

Phaedra, my roommate from college, looked at me with the look on her face that said, ‘I can not believe you just said that out loud’. While dining at the home of the rich and famous or the rich and well-known I should say, I happened on this debonair man from the state of Texas who asked me what I was going to do after I graduated college (undergrad). I looked at him with a grin and said, “I am joining the circus”. He laughed. And that is when Phaedra’s “I can not believe you just said that look” appeared.

I was one-half serious and one-half not so serious. I was not able to locate too many teaching opportunities in Texas (partly because I wanted to live in a certain area, and I was unwilling to give up my geographical preference).

The response I’d given to the man came up simply because I’d taken Phaedra and Claire (a mutual friend) to see Cirque du Soleil in Austin, Texas. From my fascination then came intrigue and there I found myself on the Cirque du Soleil Careers website looking for jobs for teachers. Eureka!

Because there are child-performers there was a demand for teachers to teach children of the circus. Teachers would travel with the children and other circus members and teach the children when they are not training.

It seemed like a heavenly opportunity. I figured, however, someone else would do better at the job than I. So, I never applied. It was a lofty thought for me. Though, had I had the sense I have now, I would have at least applied.  If this job strikes your fancy I’d consider looking at other traveling circus shows (or other traveling shows for that matter).

Oh, yes, and if you’ve not been to see Cirque Du Soleil, you must make every attempt to do so in this lifetime. It really is that wonderful.

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I was in the office with a psychologist and he tells me, “Naw you don’t want to do that, you’re a melancholy”. He was responding to my plans to leave the United States and Teach abroad. That conversation seemed to stun me and bring me to a four year halt. I did not honor my internal desire to travel to another country and teach. Instead I listened to the outside influences that kept me bound to a limited experience.

Now, four (or so) years later I am leaving the country to do that which, I suppose, I’ve wanted to do all along, teach abroad.

For years teachers have been well aware of the opportunities to teach English abroad.  With the growing demand to learn English in many countries throughout the world both native English speakers with and without teaching degrees are in demand.  There are several (I do mean several) teaching opportunities that will accommodate you and your family if you desire to venture into something so new.

A recruiting company I am working with right now, TEACH ESL KOREA was founded by a married couple who spent over two years abroad with their young son. They taught English to many students and experienced the headaches of teaching abroad. They now work collaboratively to place teachers in the best schools throughout South Korea so that teachers traveling to South Korea will have the best possible experience.

The flight is paid, room and board are paid (again they accommodate you with the size of the home), bills and other expenses are also paid. And, most people who venture here are able to save about one million Korean Won (or just shy of about one thousand US dollars).

If South Korea is not your forte’, I have to recommend another respected company (I’ve got a friend teaching with this company right now): TEACH AWAY.  Teachers will be high sought after for the August 2011 school year start, so begin applying now!

Whatever country you choose, you should know that you are in demand; so, do your homework on the various organizations and consider relocating for a new venture in life.

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At the age of five I was intent on becoming a teacher. In fact not only did I proclaim I’d become a teacher, but I proclaimed I would go to Vegas at the age of twenty-one. I had a peculiar fascination with coins free falling out of a machine just for me. I thought I’d be a winner.  Well, my proclaims were true.  On my twenty-first birthday I was in Las Vegas at the Bellagio winning 750 nickels off one play ($38) and by twenty-two I was teaching.

Now, just five years after first stepping into the classroom I find myself at complete odds for the current economic state. With the recent transition into a new educational career came an abrupt and unexplainable lay-off the day after Christmas. Of course, I pouted, I cried and I became angry. And, after that I went to finding solutions.

This week I offer you the first of fifty-two weeks of solutions to accompany the book, Jobs for Teachers in Transition (noted in the video) above.

Many of you may want to immediately go back into a classroom after a lay-off , it is familiar for you and less frightening.  However, I can’t continue writing without sharing how important it will be for you to keep an open mind in the midst of this transitional time. If you’re not open to new opportunities, then you’ll only close yourself off.

The first job opportunity is to become a student. I know, you might be thinking, how in the heck am I going to get paid to become a student? Well, if you’d like to you can enter into graduate school and obtain a Ph.d. (for those of you who already hold Master’s degrees). There are institutions who will pay you to acquire your Ph.D (and in some instances for Masters).  Do check the following universities and if you’re up for it you’ll gain a wealth of knowledge, continue teaching and grow in more ways than you ever thought possible!

• Emory.Edu (Check out the tuition and financial awards for the Educational Studies PhD Program)
• University of Oregon (Check out the GFT Jobs, Awards and Funding)
• University of California –Los Angeles (Check out the Academic Student Employees)
• Northwestern University (Check the Master’s of Science in Graduate Assistance Program and the Federally Funded Internship for Higher Ed Administration & Policy)
• The University of Wisconsin-Madison (Check the Costs & Funding for Graduate Assistantship under admissions)
• The University of Texas at Austin (Check the Tuition, Fees and Other Costs for exemptions,  TA/AI Tuition assistance process)

These are only a few of the MANY Universities/Colleges to get further funding for graduate education (Master & PhD). If I didn’t list the school nearest to you please visit the school’s site nearest to you and check out the admissions link which will house the financial assistance link. Once you’ve gotten there you’ll easily be able to navigate the opportunities.

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