[Lmc762]

I have been applying to different districts for a Special Education teaching position. I have been on several interviews but no one has hired me. I thought there was a SPED shortage. (I guess not.) I just reapplied to my home county again and another county. Honestly, I am sick and tired of subbing and I want my own classroom. But, if no one is going to hire me, then I am going to look into another field. What else can I do?

[Song of Joy]

That depends on where you live and what other strengths and abilities you have. Spend some time on your state job board, check into Indeed and Zip Recruiter and meet with an employment agency.

If I could have pursued other careers I might have gone into real estate, speech pathology or office management. Medical careers are also great because of the aging baby boomers.

[Tounces]

Look into getting help with interviewing skills. Maybe you’re doing or saying something that they are taking wrong.
Look up questions and answers. I found they like stories that go along with the answers. Scenarios are some tough ones for me. Have answers prepared for different topics like classroom management, due process, collaboration etc. I got free help from a service long ago. It’s important to think about your body language, what to wear, etc etc.

Sometimes the job you’re applying to isn’t really available too. They already know who they want to hire but are required to interview a certain number of applicants.
How many interviews have you had?
I think if you kept at it, you will get a job. I know it’s a lot of work and depressing when you put so much into it. It’s not fun at all. I hope you land one soon.

[Lmc762]

I had several. I would ask for feedback and they all say I did well, but they always go with someone more familiar with the place.

[cruxian]

So the good news is you're doing well on the interviews so there's nothing much you need to fix there.
I think Tounces gives good advice. You're going to have to do a LOT more interviews than you think you have to do. I stop keeping track of how many interviews I'd been on last year but it was double digits definitely. And I got one offer. (I didn't even get one that had been basically promised to me earlier in the year. I was like WTH?)
Sometimes the positions aren't really as available as you[d think they are. Sometimes you're just a box they need to check. So it's possible that if you've gone on 8 interviews, 5 of them weren't really available.
I would say,if you'd like to teach, that you shouldn't give up. Be willing to go on a lot more interviews. Practice makes perfect. And if you do an awesome job, they'll remember you. The job I got? I went in for an interview like two months before they offered it to me. They had an initial opening, ended up offering it to a long-term sub at the building, but remembered me when an additional position opened up later in the spring.

[MAsped]

What else to do besides teaching is the million-dollar question...I wish I knew too!

I used to be a special ed teacher very briefly but got out of it 13 yrs ago. It was OK. I'd never get back into it now. I just don't know what else is there to do? I agree that subbing gets old and tiring after a while too.