What on earth am I doing?

I am a first time blogger. I'm still wondering why I am starting this and hoping that I can keep it up. I will start by giving my motivations. I'm frustrated. I think that is the driving force. I am an unemployed teacher, a substitute, or a casual employee. I am feeling very frustrated with the process and I think it is very flawed.

To start, there are many many universities in the area, each with their own education program and each graduating hundreds of new teachers each year. As can be seen by substituting, the teachers in the school are quite young. The retirement rate is rather low and the need for new teachers is not great.  Yet, funnily enough, when I was completing my degree two short years ago the university faculty discussed at length how many jobs in education there were, how many retirees there were going to be in the upcoming years, etc... Therefore, there is a surplus of substitutes/

So what? you say, What difference? If you do a good job then the school will call you back. Maybe you are just a terrible substitute! Don't think that hasn't gone through my head. I have received many call backs and know that I do a pretty decent job. Quite frankly, being a substitute has little relevance on your competance as a teacher. I have done long term gigs before and the experience is completely different, as is the job. The problem is that the schools are saturated with substitutes.They do not need to show any loyalty to any one sub unless they know them in some way. So what I am finding is that you get one or two people in each school who get all of the calls, and then a few others who fill in the gaps. I have been the lucky one on occasion, but then someone else comes along who they know better or whatever reason, and you are bumped.  Its tough to break through.

So, this is my venting ground, I suppose. Somewhere that I can discuss my crazy and random life as a substitute teacher. I will try to keep a journal as often as possible. Hopefully I will be so busy teaching that I won't have time.

The topics I plan to discuss in my blog are my days teaching, my days not teaching, and quite frankly, whatever pops in my head at the time. I will be discreet and maintain secret the location of myself and my schools.