Getting a teaching job is more difficult than ever.  Baby boomers simply are not retiring in the numbers previously expected, many people are switching careers to become teachers, and now soaring fuel costs and a tough economy have led school districts across the country to make massive budget cuts.  In fact, some schools are cutting their budgets by so much that they are expected to actually lay off teachers.  For example, in Manatee County, Florida, the school district is expecting to make close to 30 million dollars in budget cuts and may possibly lay off as many as 400 teachers.

Therefore, finding a teaching job is more difficult than ever before.  And, the reality is, a new teacher may not find one the first go around.

Therefore, prospective teachers will have to do everything they can to get “their foot in the door” at local schools. 

The question is, “What is the best way for teachers to get their foot in the door in a way that will best help them secure a teaching job down the road?”

The two obvious choices are substitute teaching or working as a teacher’s aide.

There are pros and cons to both...

Subbing

Pros...
By substituting you get to know many schools and will know which one you would rather work at. You will get to know many administrators and teachers who can help you get a job either at their school or write recommendations and place phone calls to get you in at another school. You will also get to work with many different grade levels and therefore get to know which age group you like best.

Just remember, if you are going this route you must think of everyday as a job interview...dress the part, be professional, and MAKE CONTACTS.

Cons...
Substituting is not teaching. Most teachers will leave some type of busy work for the students when they have a substitute teacher...or a movie. The reason is that the teacher doesn't usually know who the sub is going to be and it is quite difficult to leave extensive lesson plans for a sub.

The other problem is discipline...substituting can be quite difficult in terms of classroom management. However, just because you are not a good substitute does not mean that you will not be a good teacher...unfortunately, if you are not a good substitute you may very likely get an undeserved bad reputation as a teacher who does not have good classroom management skills.  Therefore, while you decided to substitute to help you get a job it may actually backfire. Likewise, I have seen many good substitutes NOT do well as classroom teachers.

Aide

Pros...
You are getting valuable teaching experience. Aides have tendency to do much more “teaching” in their job.  They are often working with individual students, learning from master teachers, and applying the teaching strategies learned in professional development courses.  This will look much better when it comes to interviewing as you can discuss actual lesson plans and various strategies you have used in the classroom.

Another strong argument for going this route is that the contacts you make are much better.  Since you are working with only a handful of teachers you get to know them well. Likewise, you have the opportunity to get to know your administrators better than a substitute and this can pay off big in the long run.

Cons...
The major downside to working as a teacher’s aide is that you are only in one school and usually only one grade level/subject and therefore will not be able to make nearly as many contacts or see different schools, grade levels, subjects etc.

In the end, with teaching jobs becoming more difficult to secure, a prospective teacher will need to make the tough decision on which route to take in order to get their foot in the door.

Personally, when weighing the pros and cons I tend to lean towards working as a teacher’s aide. While you will not make as many contacts, the contacts you do make can always help you get a teaching job at another school by simply writing a letter and placing a phone call on your behalf. Plus, there is simply no substitute for real classroom experience.