Mike Vigilant

I had today off from work, and spent it working on teaching applications.  There’s always a challenge in making sure you cross your i’s and dot your t’s, but after some frustrating moments involving PDFs I think I made some pretty good progress.  I’ve had to start a spreadsheet to keep track of what forms I have and haven’t filled out, reference forms given out and mailed back and such, and it’s good to be able to check some things off on that.

In the background, I’m also considering the future of this site.  What do I want this to be?  I was hoping to produce a whole semester plan and associated content for each of my subject areas, but now that I’m up to five certifications (and counting!) I’m not sure how practical that is.  I am considering creating a sort of rough outline of the things I would teach in each particular class.

I’m also on the hunt for a good book.  Though I trend towards economics books, I’m trying to keep an open mind, and may read a history book next.  I am especially interested in books that give me some insight into subjects taught in school, and I’m always looking for the next good book review on here!

Still also considering my next GACE options, which I hope to make a decision on soon.  I said I wouldn’t reveal anything until I was ready, but I’m learning towards Middle Grades Science.  Totally out of my comfort zone, but that actually kind of excites me, and I think that would be a great topic to teach.  I’m going to review the GACE study guide for it the next chance I get and see if I think I can make sense of it.  I still have a couple of months before the next test.

Finishing those applications–well, except for the reference forms–has given me a much-needed boost of inspiration and motivation, and I’d like to be able to get up early tomorrow and try to build on that.  Here’s to a productive morning!

Made it safely through another GACE Exam this past weekend.  I’ll get my results in a month, but I’m hopeful I did just fine.

In the meantime, I’m trying to plan out my testing strategy for the rest of the academic year.  I am hoping to attain as many additional certifications as possible in the hopes of making myself the best candidate in town for the next hiring season.  While I don’t know the exact details yet, let’s just say there is a good chance I will break out of my comfort zone and try something different.

Also on my radar this academic year is the GRE.  I’m looking forward to going to graduate school when I am settled in a teaching position, and I’d like to go ahead and get the GRE behind me.  I’ve got the book and really all I need to do is schedule a time in the future to take the test.  The results are accepted by most colleges for five years–that should give me plenty of time!

This weekend, I’ll be taking the GACE in Behavioral Sciences.  It was a rather last-minute decision, and I”m studying pretty hard, but my goal is to make it to every GACE examination this academic year, and truly have a certification in just about everything.  It’s Saturday morning, and luckily, it’s right up the road from me, since I’m working Friday night until midnight.  Wish me luck!

So it’s almost time for another certification test, and I’m wondering what [if anything] I should shoot for this time.  I have until Friday to make up my mind, then a week or two to study.  I am thinking about diversifying outside of social studies and attempting a science test, but I can’t decide.  Will be looking into it today.

I just finished Amity Shlaes’s latest book, “The Forgotten Man.”  In it, the author gives a comprehensive review of the history of The Great Depression, which makes this book timely in the light of recent events.  It was very well written and comprehensive in it’s review of the period’s events.

The book is written as an overview of the entire Great Depression, so it doesn’t follow just one person though the stories, which I got used to quickly after some early confusion.  I heard after I read it that there were some questions as to the political neutrality of the author and her perception of the main subjects, especially President Herbert Hoover.  In retrospect, I can see that.  Still, if you aren’t familiar with the Great Depression and are interested in learning about it, I’d recommend it.  It’s out in paperback now.

I am proud to announce that I received my new certificate from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission in the mail today.  It lists my newly certified field of Middle Grades Social Sciences.  I am so excited!  I am hopeful that my new qualifications that allow me to teach essentially the second half of a student’s public school career will open up new job opportunities for me, and I am thrilled to have it.

That gives me five certifications total: Economics, Geography, and Political Science for high school students, Middle Grades Social Sciences for middle school students, and Special Education Consultative for all grades.

I am also happy to announce that I continue my perfect passing rate of GACE exams on the first try!  I’m glad my efforts have been starting to pay off.  I am currently pondering which certification to pursue next and look forward to sharing that information when I’ve made a decision.

Expensive, name-brand basketball shoes have been a teenage trend for many years–a rite of passage for many a high school athlete.  Anyone who has been around teens has undoubtedly heard of the Air Jordan line of Nike basketball shoes, a brand that has been around for almost 25 years and currently sells for an average of $150 per pair.

But this far-reaching economic slowdown has not left even adolescent pride untouched.  A rapper named Fat Joe has recently announced plans for a $30 shoe called The Recession, and snubbing traditional outlets, the shoes will only be sold at Sears and Kmart.  While reaction from shoe aficionados has been mixed, all are surprised, and some are accepting.  Some who are not accepting of this break from tradition still understand the motive behind Fat Joe’s method.

I’d be interested to know what students have to say about this.  Would they be more likely to buy shoes designed by a famous person?  Could the stigma of buying your shoes at a discount retailer be overcome?  I’ll be curious to see what the further reaction to this is, and whether or not “Recession” shoes are successful.

As the new year begins, I have decided to gain some additional certifications, in order to increase my skills and marketability as a social studies teacher.

I already have:
Economics
Geography
Special Education Social Studies
Special Education Consultative

I would like to obtain:
Political Science
Middle Grades Social Studies
History

I have already made plans to take most of these certification GACE exams, and I look forward to continuing my record of 100% pass rate on these tests.  I have also begun the spring job hunt in earnest and am looking forward to getting out there and meeting administrators soon.  Look for new additions to this site as I continue to build my online resume; I also hope to be posting some economics-related book reviews soon!

It is difficult to turn on your television or your computer these days without reading about America’s economy.  Today the Dow Jones Industrial Average saw its biggest percentage drop in over two decades.  That alone would be a huge news story, if it had not come two days after the Dow’s biggest point gain ever and just a week after the biggest point loss ever.  Lest one think the credit crisis is limited to those in Wall Street and those invested in it, the effects have trickled down to our street, where lending to consumers has mostly dried up, and many banks have either merged or gone out of business.  My own bank sold itself just hours before it was to be seized by the FDIC after essentially running out of money and was unable to obtain loans for more.  We taxpayers just agreed to spend $700 billion–a fourth of our national budget–in an attempt to rescue the banking and lending industries.

Times like these are why I believe a strong background in economics is so important for every American citizen.  This is why I love teaching economics.  Helping students understand what events like this mean–for themselves, their families, their communities, their country, and their planet–is what motivates me as an economics teacher.  If part of education is preparing students to live in the world outside school and be effective citizens, economic education is an important part of that preparation.  Today’s events prove just that.

I love connecting economics theories and ideas with current events, to let me students know how the information they are learning in my classroom pertains to life outside its walls.  When economics makes the news, as it sometimes does, students often ask about the meanings of all these stores, and rather than just tell them, I like to think I give them the tools to figure it out on their own.  Economics isn’t in the headlines often, so I will take advantage of it when it is.

I have recently begun my full-fledged efforts to pin down a teaching position for the spring semester.  I have certainly learned a great deal about searching for teaching jobs over the past year, and I will be putting that hard-earned knowledge to good use over the next few months.

I’ll start this week with my first round goal, which is to send an individual e-mail to the principal of every school I would work at in driving range of where I live.  I want to start getting my name out there right now, even though I am aware many schools have not decided or do not even know which vacancies they will need to fill over the winter break.

Round two, starting in 7-10 days, will probably be a mail assault, sending a copy of my updated resume directly to principals.  I know principals are busy people who may not have time to check their e-mail in a timely manner, so sending them an actual piece of paper seems like a good idea to me.

Round three, which I am planning for the time around Thanksgiving, is when I start the phone calls and school visits.  I can’t wait to meet some of these principals face-to-face and discuss what assets I could bring to their school!  I’ve uploaded much of my work to this site, and once I get even more documents on here, I’ll be putting together a professional portfolio to bring with me to interviews.

During all of this, I will be keeping my eye on the online job postings, but as I have discovered, applying online is generally not the best way to get your name out there, as postings tend to be listed by district offices while actual interviews are conducted by principals.  I will be checking the listings often, and I will apply for positions I believe I would be a good match for, but I will be going the extra mile and contacting principals directly.

I am also very excited about the opportunities I have through this website.  I have already posted some of my work on here, and I look forward to finding more ways to build my online portfolio, so that potential employers can get an accurate picture of what they can expect from me as a teacher, as well as evidence of my technology experience.

I know that things will be tougher this time around, and I am anticipating the challenge.  Not only are there fewer positions available during the winter break, but I am well aware of the current economic situation, and that some schools are even reducing their head count to compensate.  While it appears that teachers have not been affected yet, I know things may change, and I’m more than ready to be competitive.