I started as a high school Spanish teacher, entirely unintentionally. My original intent was to teach high school mathematics. I wanted to work in the high school where I had done my student teaching and the Department Chairman did not discourage me. He was expecting to make multiple hires. I waited. And I waited. One woman with previous experience was hired, then another. The Department Chairman called me in July to say two anticipated positions still awaiting funding might not be funded. He then suggested I talk to the man in charge of the bilingual department to see if that department had a possible mathematics position.

(I apologize if some of this is familiar history to regular readers.)

I journeyed north in the summer heat, into a school with almost no air conditioning, none in the classrooms.* A sweaty, flushed, blond man with a fondness for videogames told me that no math positions were available, but the school desperately needed another Spanish teacher. Could I teach Spanish?

It was mid-July. I would have signed on to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts or even Potions if either position had been offered. My Spanish was oh-so-rusty, but good enough to hack my way through a job interview. Within little more than an hour, I had met administration, shook hands, and signed on to teach Spanish, all with a slight sense of unreality. Then I went home and started furiously reading books and watching TV in Spanish. I immersed the household, a slight challenge for the daughter learning Spanish and a real learning experience for the one taking French. My husband’s Spanish was functional and he played along.

Maybe you are out there looking for the right early elementary reading position right now. I’d like to suggest you throw your hat into the ring for a middle school language arts position as well. Here’s a fact to consider: I was convinced I wanted to teach high school mathematics, but eventually I ended up teaching bilingual middle school classes instead. I taught bilingual mathematics, but I also enjoyed language arts, social studies, and science. (Oh my, do I have endorsements 🙂 .) In fact, language arts and science turned out to be my favorites. I discovered I preferred middle school to high school as well. Heck, I love middle school. Kids in transition are kids you can reach.

A colleague once explained to me why he preferred middle school mathematics over high school mathematics.

“You can get them to believe in themselves,” he said. “You can still convince them to like math.”

We agreed that middle-school students often proved more reachable than their high school counterparts.

In terms of job searches, what I want to convey is that what you planned to do may not turn out to be what you most enjoy doing. So if you are trying to find that position and not having much or any luck, consider moving up in age. Or down. If you are not finding any open high school history positions, consider middle school social studies. If you qualify or almost qualify for a health endorsement, apply for middle school health classes instead of high school biology.

It’s almost July. At this point, I’d advise taking a few chances. Fact: Spanish had not been my plan, but overall I enjoyed teaching Spanish more than I enjoyed teaching mathematics. I enjoyed teaching metaphors more than I enjoyed teaching geometry. I loved astronomy.

As we move into July, administrations will be worrying about filling open positions. If you qualify for a position, I suggest applying. If you are close to qualifying for a position in an area where no qualified candidates may exist, consider applying. Defense Against the Dark Arts may sound sexier, but Muggle Studies will get your foot in the door.

You may find your true calling in Muggle Studies. Who knows? The latest rubber ducky research could turn out to be a fascinating read. At worst you will be an experienced teacher with a story to tell when you start applying for Dark Arts posts in the spring.

*Fortunately, I was younger when I applied for employment in that sweltering office. Some American schools still have limited or even no air conditioning. I recommend being careful when considering working in those schools if you are unusually heat-sensitive.