found out i'll be jobless in 3 months.... help me get out of this rut - Page 2

J.A.Sucker · #11 03-14-2007, 02:59 PM

Go paint Ray Zee's barn. He's still looking for takers.

I'm not kidding. it'll do you well to get away for a bit and having a good time doing manual labor is perfect. Plus, I won't have to hear the old guy complain about his damned barn anymore.

Sooga · #12 03-14-2007, 03:08 PM

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Well, if your credentials are as you say you sure won't have a problem finding another teaching position. But, that being said, do you really think finding another position in the same area is a good idea??? Do the people who are letting you go have influnce/friends in other districts that you are looking at??? If you have ever wanted to live in another state now might be a good time to look into the possibilities of re-locating.

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Well here's the thing. I don't think the principal dislikes me, and I'm fairly certain I can get a good letter of recommendation from him. If I can get that locked up, then I really don't need anything from my department chair, and she really can't affect me at all in terms of getting a job somewhere else.

As for relocating, that's actually a good point, because I was seriously considering moving to Oregon if I weren't let go, and now I'm even more seriously considering it. I think the plan is to see if I can get a position around where I live, and if I can't by the end of June or so, I'll pack up and move.

Sooga · #13 03-14-2007, 03:10 PM

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is this your first teaching gig? from talking to teachers it seems like getting cut loose from schools even when you have good evals and no problems is fairly normal... there are a lot of [censored] administrators out there. if you find someone good they will be understanding.

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Nope, 2nd gig... but since I haven't been fully credentialed yet (I will be in June), it's basically like I'm still a 'new' teacher. I hear ya about the crappy administrator stuff, but at my first school they were pretty great. I shouldn't have left there; that was a big mistake on my part, but I'm glad I went through this place so I know what to watch out for in my next job.

mrmarkus · #14 03-14-2007, 03:17 PM

The best thing to do like other people have said is to just start looking. I left my first job after college with no plan and was unemployed for three months and it left me in a huge rut. I eventually found some new work but those three months were harsh on me mentally. Just start looking and you should be fine.

Another thing to remember is that you also need time to do other things. I have no idea what your hobbies are but make sure you get some exercise or play some sports. Spending every waking moment job hunting with no personal time can be even more mentally draining. Just treat your job hunt as your new job and do it from 7 am to 6 pm. Then, get out and do something.

Also, Oregon is awesome. I spent some time there in 2001 and would easily live there if my wife and her family weren't so close. The Oregon coast line is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I highly recommend it.

Sooga · #15 03-14-2007, 03:22 PM

[ QUOTE ]
The best thing to do like other people have said is to just start looking. I left my first job after college with no plan and was unemployed for three months and it left me in a huge rut. I eventually found some new work but those three months were harsh on me mentally. Just start looking and you should be fine.

Another thing to remember is that you also need time to do other things. I have no idea what your hobbies are but make sure you get some exercise or play some sports. Spending every waking moment job hunting with no personal time can be even more mentally draining. Just treat your job hunt as your new job and do it from 7 am to 6 pm. Then, get out and do something.

Also, Oregon is awesome. I spent some time there in 2001 and would easily live there if my wife and her family weren't so close. The Oregon coast line is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I highly recommend it.

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Yea, my parents/sister live in Oregon and I visit every summer and winter, and I love it up there. It's pretty much the exact opposite of L.A. in a lot of regards, which is kinda the reason I love it there so much.

As for the job search, I'm definitely looking every day, but as I said earlier, schools won't really start posting their openings for about another 2 weeks or so, so I just gotta twiddle my thumbs until then.

theblackkeys · #16 03-14-2007, 10:35 PM

does this contract termination have anything to do with posting that news story in OOT about a year ago?

Annulus · #17 03-14-2007, 10:52 PM

some good advice in this thread. im in a similar situation except im losing my job end of this month. been working for this company for 7 years. we were expecting to lose our jobs in september, but oh well. luckily for me i have made more money playing online poker over the last 2 years than i do with my job. however this year is not going to well poker wise. anyhow, i was wondering what peoples thoughts are here on collecting unemploymet? im actually looking forward to taking 2 months off just to travel and collect unemployment. all my family and friends are telling me that i need to start looking for a job asap and that 'taking' 2 months off is a losers mentality (i come from a family of motivated people). luckily as i said financially im in good shape and just want to chill for a minute. so,what do you guys think about that?

Sooga · #18 03-14-2007, 10:52 PM

Not sure... basically when they let you go, they really don't tell you WHY they're letting you go, because if they do, they have to have documented proof that they notified you about your flaws and gave you time to remedy them.

So basically when schools let teachers go nowadays the common reason is 'he/she wasn't a good fit'.

I'm sure the posting of the link had at least a small part to do with it, though I'm sure most of it had to do with the fact that my department chairperson probably trashed me when the principal asked her opinion of me.