Thank you for the encouragement. I'm working really hard on getting to the point that I can believe those words. I totally get what you are saying; I don't see it as morbid. You are right.

I wish it were that easy! I've agreed to teach at my current school one more year (USA) and I also have to sell my house and have an estate sale. I know you're right, sigh, and I've just got to think positive that there will be another sweet position awaiting me next year. :) I'm itching to get out there in the world with all of you.

Thanks PsyGuy! I can always count on you! I am not going to be able to begin my overseas teaching adventure for one more year but I saw this position and were wishing, wishing, wishing I could apply now and leave now rather than later. :) Is it ridiculous to contact the administrator and tell him/her that I can be there in one year and to keep my resume?

Does anyone have past experiences at this school that you could share? Thank you.

PsyGuy, thank you for your insight. Although I do think it is good to show some examples of student projects, if for no other reason than showing the breadth of creative lessons, I also agree that it is good to show "how" I excel at teaching, whether that is through video or having a colleague take photographs of me actually teaching in my classroom. I will totally get on this as soon as school starts this year!

Additionally, I've started collecting some recommendation letters from a variety of parents, those with super talented kids and those with average kids. I will have those letters to include with the "Supplemental Packet" that PsyGuy explains above.

Furthermore, I have just started a blog about my experience of teaching and within my blog I have my philosophy of education and some photo examples of student work. I also have my resume and references and a link to my personal artwork website. This, hopefully, will make it super easy for a school to "see" me and understand more about me. Blogs are a super easy way to "showcase" yourself. They are free (blogger.com or wordpress.com) and you can write articles, or posts, or simply include photos. For me, it has been an easy and inexpensive way to store all this information.

PsyGuy, I took for granted that a school would be interested in my student's projects that I had overseen/taught. I did not think they would be interested in my own, personal artwork. I have my own website for that, so that's an easy link.

Thanks for the heads up re: iDVD. No problem.

Got it re: Application Packet.

If requested, do you send "Supplementary Packet" in the mail/FedEx? How do you send your certificate, transcripts, passport cover? Do you simply photograph each of those items to send digitally?


So at a fair, when the recruiters pop in a CD/DVD, they want to look at my own, personal images of art and not that of my students? I would have never thought that.

I appreciate all your suggestions. Thank you.

PGuy, thanks for the input and now another question. . .

I have many student project images available to make a digital portfolio. Great idea! Would it be best if that digital portfolio was created in PowerPoint? There are many web-based digital portfolios as well, such as carbonmade.com but if a web-based digital portfolio was made there would not be a way to burn it to a CD for distribution.

I think it was you that suggested putting everything together into one PDF file to attach when emailing schools. This PDF could include a cover letter and resume, but would it also be wise to include this digital portfolio (perhaps done in Word) so that the entire document could become one PDF file?

If schools are receiving hundreds of resumes, will they even take the time to click open a PowerPoint, insert a CD or watch a video?

Yes! I have it in my notes to send materials by FedEx. What ever happened to Ichiro? Her/his posts are deleted.

I have been reading ALL forum entries, starting at November 2011 and coming forward to educate myself. I have also been collecting "stats" from SA (since March 2012) on how many "ART" jobs have shown up and there have been 27 total, which is encouraging to me. My personal stats are these:
• I'm single, no dependents
• I've taught Art for 11 years, 5th-12th grade
• I'm certified to teach Art, K-12
• I will be working with SA and may or may not go to a job fair
• I may or may not also attend the UNI fair

In regard to resumes/CVs, I've learned that if I attend a fair, I need to have a colorful/flashy/concise resume. Something that will catch a recruiter's attention. It's also a good idea to have a more professional looking resume and CV in case it is asked for, but as I understand it, hot pink versions and creatively concerted versions seem to be better at grabbing attention from recruiters.

My question is this...If I don't attend a fair and simply respond to SA's daily job postings and email my PDF materials to the individual schools, should I use the colorful/flashy versions of a cover letter and resume or just use the more traditionally-professional versions (non-colorful/flashy)?

I'm getting very excited to begin my search in a few months for a 2013-14 position.