>4 weeks to go and hopes are dimming

I've finished all my classes, but things are looking pretty dim at this point. I earned an A in my final class (finished up on the 25th), but UAH absolutely refuses to release my final transcript until after the second term, and I assume after the GPAs are calculated on August 10th (coincidentally the first day of the '09-'10 public school year). No transcript equals no letter from Susan Gill, Certification Officer, equals no chance of getting a job with Huntsville City Schools. Huntsville won't even look at you without that letter. I have a Letter of Completion from UAH, but they won't take it. Madison City and Madison County will accept the Letter of Completion, but the jobs are few and far between...a spot finally opened up at Liberty Middle, which excited me to no end, but when I went to the school to hand deliver my updated resume packet the principal told me that they're looking for softball and baseball coaches. Nooooooooo!!!!!!! I told her I could coach softball. I'm afraid I'll suck at it with my lack of coaching experience and I hate that it's going to interfere with my teaching, but I will learn whatever I need to learn if it gets me the job. I know exactly which job it is too because the teacher I would be replacing is the one I observed/assisted during Block 4. He was great and we had a lot in common, philosophy-wise. It was 9th grade, which I love. I prefer the high school atmosphere, but middle school has its advantages. For instance, they're not ALL bigger than me. Anyway, my girls are going into 7th and 9th grades this year and my son is going into 11th (I saved a bunch of his stuff from when he was in 9th just in case I might be able to use some of it for teaching purposes). I'm good with the content and I love modern world history. I'd be great for this job, if only I could get an interview.

The interview...there's the kicker. I haven't had a single interview yet, despite having applied for around a dozen positions. Part of it is not having the necessary paperwork (thanks a lot, UAH), and part, I'm sure, is the fact that the schools already have a particular skill set in mind when they seek new teachers. You know, like "boy's football/basketball/baseball coach." It sucks when you're a small, non-athletically inclined female. Darn, I should go find a softball league or start running or something. I hate to whine, but it's not fair! I didn't know it would be this hard to find a job...not that it would have changed my mind when I chose this major. This is my niche. It's where I belong. At least I got to spend the last three years blissfully unaware of the ugly reality of the situation, eagerly anticipating the time when I would introduce myself to my very own first classful of students. If it comes down to it, I will be a substitute teacher, but that is SO not where I want to be. I don't want to spend the next year with an artificial smile, pretending that I'm happy to be the students' temporary teacher while inwardly burning with frustration at my inability to get a real job. I could find a job that makes a lot more money, but then I wouldn't be in a classroom practicing my craft (or whatever the equivalent is in someone else's class). "Teachers get sick or pregnant," they tell me. "You'll get your foot in the door that way." But what if I have to be a long term sub for someone totally out of my content area, like English, math, or heaven forbid, keyboarding? I would want to run screaming!
I console myself by telling myself that if I don't get a teaching job, I can tag along on one of Jerry's overseas business trips. Which I'm sure will coincide perfectly with some three-week gig in seventh grade math or something of the sort. Ugh, I remember when I used to be optimist. What happened to me?

If anyone's reading this, PLEASE give me a chance for an interview. I'm going to be a great teacher. I'm passionate about learning, I believe in tailoring instruction to different learning styles, I love creating interdisciplinary learning opportunities, and yes, I will coach if you need me to. I just want to teach!!!