Greetings and Salutations

Instead of constantly whining about wanting to be in Europe and "OMG, how do I get a teaching job over there?", I have decided to do something constructive. I'm going to gather whatever information I can find and put it all down in this little blog.

I want to teach in Europe. England would be great, but I don't think I'll be too entirely picky if someone will give me a decent salary and good working conditions.

After almost FOUR years, I am getting close to finishing my degree and will FINALLY be able to teach. I went to a small, private four year college in Iowa for my undergrad degrees. I graduated cum laude with a double major in English (literature) and Western European Civilization (equivalent to history, more or less). I believe my minors are Spanish and political science (sorry, don't remember those too well!). That was in 1999. You can't do too much with either unless you're a teacher.

I farted about in the corporate world for a while. After I got laid off twice within a calendar year, I decided that the universe was telling me to go back to school like I always said I was going to. I've been attending Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago since 2003 (while working full time). I'm going to earn my Masters in Teaching, Secondary Education/Language Arts this coming December (2007). I will actually be student teaching this fall. I'm alternately scared and relieved. Scared because OMG I finally have to put everything I've learned to use; relieved because I am sick to death of getting the runaround at school. (How many hoops can you be told to jump through? I've lost count.) Seriously, for someone who has been working and paying the bills for years now, it can get extremely annoying when the school you attend doesn't treat you like an adult. (I think they're too used to the snot-nosed undergrads who still have mommy doing their laundry at home.)

Anyhow, I have passed all the tests so far: Illinois Basic Skills exam (seriously, if you actually have to study to pass this, you should not be teaching), the English content area exam, and the pedagogy test. I'm going to take the history content exam next Saturday, actually. I don't need that one to graduate, but I do want it so I can be qualified to teach history in addition to English; it's all about marketability!

Some days I suffer from the "WHAT AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE?" syndrome combined with a side helping of "AM I ANY GOOD?", but then I discover I may actually have a clue after all. Case in point: my research proposal that I made for my master's thesis class was actually put into use by a friend/peer of mine this semester and she said it worked a treat. So YAY for me.

What's the plan?
Once I graduate I will begin searching for a teaching position around home. But in three-five years, I want to teach overseas. Most of the places I've been researching want that much experience at least.

Meanwhile, I think I'll spend that time teaching (duh) and possibly earning another qualification or degree. Current darling: Latin. I miss Latin from high school. I want to be able to teach that as well!