HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

With the news of school districts in various areas consolidating or downsizing, folks with dreams of getting their Teacher Certification are reconsidering their strategy. Even so, there is a dire need for science and technical teachers.

The Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship is encouraging college graduates in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (“STEM”) to get a Master’s in the field to become a teacher. To qualify, you must have carried a GPA of 3.0 or better in an undergraduate degree and your graduation date can be no later than June 2011. Selected candidates will receive a $30,000 stipend to start and complete the Master’s degree which will include field experience. While no one can predict what the demand might be in the future, the candidate must commit to teaching in a high school classroom setting for at least three years. Therefore, applicants must be U.S Citizens or legal permanent residents.

Right now, the Fellowship partners with colleges and Universities in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. You may receive your undergraduate degree from any accredited university or college, but the Masters must be completed at select institutions within these three states.  To apply or for more information, visit http://www.wwteachingfellowship.org.

At right: Former college professor, and of course, President of the United States, Woodrow Wilson

There is a portal for animal welfare jobs on the web at AnimalWelfareJobs.com. I didn’t happen to find any in my area, but when I just typed in “animal” or “pet” I found a few. I took out my zipcode and it also showed me a broader range of jobs. I don’t know if it “remembered” that I had typed in my zip prior, or it was reading my IP.

The site is not a dedicated site where companies post animal jobs.  Rather, it extracts related jobs from a variety of job sites across the internet.  You have to register for the other sites to apply if you find something, but you may just save time by not having to meticulously comb through each one.  If you are in the job market, it is worth a try to save a few minutes of your valuable time.

There are many families here affected by lay offs and cut backs in the auto industry.  Despite naysayers saying it is the “next Great Depression” or the end of the world, there are parts of the countries that are thriving.  New Jersey, for example, has so many jobs that the Chamber of Commerce is even making a big effort to help businesses recruit employees from around the country. They have a section on their website to search for New Jersey Jobs. Simply enter the metro area or town you hope to be located in, and check off your skills.  Keep in mind that the site works best in IE, Firefox, or Safari.  The site does not seem to work as well in Opera.

I was quite surprised by New Jersey, actually.  I went there for a training class once and it expected it to be dirty and rotten.  On the contrary, there were rolling hills, green mountains, and wildlife!  I shook my head and thought that I must have taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque.   I may just have to go back down my bunny hole and dog a little further.  All of the signs, and the folks running the training assured me that I was in the right place.  I encourage you to check it out sometime.

A word to the wise: New Jersey DOES allow dogs.  There is no sign on the state that says, “No Dogs Allowed.”  I see so many people who give up their pets because they are moving to another state.  Pets do great in New Jersey.  They have dog parks, fields, and landlords that allow pets, just like where you live right now.  Even if you have to live in a small place before you establish yourself, pets have a way of adjusting.  Being with the people they love and temporarily inconvenienced by space is preferable over living in a home with an open field without your loved ones.  Better to break out the leash and take them for long walks than break the heart.  Yours and theirs.

I was a tutor for a very short time in college. I didn’t quit because I was poor at it, I just didn’t have a regular schedule and it was hard to keep up with, being that I had a heavy classload. While I know that everyone needs a little help now and then, some days I wonder if all of the commercial tutoring programs popping up are a result of not having as much parental involvement and attention in regards to schoolwork, or if it is just the recognition of a long term need finally addressed.

I was reading about Clubz Tutoring and it seems to be a little different from what one traditionally thinks about when it comes to tutoring centers. The tutors work strictly one on one and come to your home, just like the high school or college student parents used to enlist. Only, instead, the tutor won’t cancel out because of their own mounting schoolwork. In many ways, I think having a tutor coming to the home helps instill better Study skills, for the fact that the child doesn’t think that study is for the center only, and the tutor sees the child’s routine in person and can offer feedback. All tutors have a bachelor’s degree or higher and are well versed in a particular subject, or with teaching study skills.

Maybe, an opportunity like this could be the perfect antidote for people who are finding that they are underemployed or unemployed, but hold a degree.  It might be a good way to help others while paying the extra bills.