The Valuable Gift: A dime a dozen?

I was sitting at my computer this morning at a loss for what to google next. I had already checked out all the new jobs posted on every imaginable website, and I can't just sit here waiting for a job to come to me! I decided to type in "how to get a teaching interview". Many websites came out of that search and the funny thing was they all said the exact same thing...

It's not what you know, it's who you know.

How unfortunate is that? While it does make sense that an administrator is more likely to check into someone that came recommended by a colleague or friend I find it bothersome that amazing teachers are being passed over because they don't have a connection with someone in a hiring district. I have no solution for this or even an idea to help I'm just simply stating a fact.

I just wish that every teacher behind every resume could get the chance to prove themselves. My resume does not define me. What defines me is what I can do in front of a classroom full of students. I think most teachers feel this way, and to be honest, if someone truly is a better teacher than me they deserve the job...but how do you know who deserves it if you're looking at a mountain of resumes that all say different versions of the same basic things?

One of the articles I came across said a common misconception by people is that teaching jobs are a dime a dozen...something to fall back on when all other plans fail. I laughed out loud slightly when I read this. I think back to my first education class in college. My professor was an adorable older man with the whitest hair I've ever seen. He stood in front of the class on the first day and said, "Why are you all here? Why do you want this?". The answers as he went around surprised me. Summers off, good benefits, I didn't really know what else to do, my parents are both teachers so I figured why not? People like the ones in my class are the reason people think teaching is easy. Let me just say, not all of the answers were awful, and I'm sure that some of the people in that class went on to be amazing teachers.

Basically, what I determined from that google search was nothing new. I keep trying to be productive with my job search, but I don't really know what more I can do. I've exhausted all of the job listing websites, I've read hundreds of resume and interview articles, I've spent hours writing essays and filling out applications...I suppose all I can do is wait for a response, keep at it, and read more to better myself as a teacher when I finally do get a job!

I just ordered several books and I'm very excited to start reading them!

I'm about halfway through