Before I met my husband I knew absolutely nothing about Army life or what it meant to be a military spouse. It’s been a “learn as you go” kind of situation. All I knew is I wanted to maintain my career as a teacher, as best I could, regardless of where or how often we moved.
I get DM’s on Instagram all of time from other military spouse/teachers, so I thought I’d answer some of your most asked questions below:
Q: How many times have you moved because of the military?
A: I’ve moved 3 times. From Michigan to Alaska to Alabama to Germany.
Q: Does the military help you get your job?
A: There are programs that help military spouses get jobs, but I have never personally used them. As soon as I know where we are moving to, I start looking at schools right outside of the military base we are going to be stationed at.
Q: Does the military help you move your classroom books/supplies?
A: You have to move all of your classroom supplies to your house, but once it’s at your house the military will move all of your household and classroom goods to the next location. The military gives you extra pounds per move if they know your occupation.
Q: Is It hard to transfer your teaching license to other states?
A: So far, I’ve transferred my teaching license 3 times. It hasn’t been hard to transfer my license, just time consuming collecting all the necessary paperwork. I usually look on the Department of Ed website of the state I’m moving to to see what they’ll need from me. This typically includes: teaching license, finger prints, and transcripts. If I have any questions, I’ll call someone from the Education Department of the state I’m moving to and explain my situation.
Q: Are there actually DODEA opportunities?
A: I’ve never taught at a DODEA school. I’ve always found a school right outside of base to work at. I will say that I have tried to sub at a DODEA school and it took over 8 months just to get accepted. So keep in mind that it’s a very slow process and if you have any questions DODEA takes months to respond to phone calls or emails (or doesn’t respond at all).
Q: How hard is it to move all the time?
A: It gets easier the more you do it. I always put together a “bucket list” of things I want to do in the area we’re moving so that I get excited about the move. It’s always difficult to be away from friends and family, but you’ve got to make the most out of the new location you’re in.
I just also joined a MilSpouse Educator Facebook page where I can ask questions to other military spouses/educators if I’m in need of advice. If you have any more questions, feel free to leave them in the comments or DM me on Instagram.
