TIME TABLE FOR THE TEACHING JOB SEARCH
The independent school market reaches its peak in February and March. Public schools begin hiring in March and continue on through Labor Day. The greater the shortage of teachers, the earlier a district is likely to recruit. In fact, many of the best openings occur right before the start of school. Nevertheless, you can begin your search early by thinking about the kinds of places you want to work and researching these (including obtaining information about application procedures, which vary from district to district even within a state.)
TIMELINE FOR JOB SEEKERS IN EDUCATION
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER
-Attend any applicable orientations/workshops offered by
Career Services.
-Register with your college placement office and inquire
about career services.
-Begin to define career goals by determining the types, sizes
and geographical locations of school systems in which you have
an interest.
OCTOBER
-Identify references and ask for letters of recommendation
-Speak to a counselor about you job-search plan.
NOVEMBER
-Begin developing a resume and cover letter.
-Begin networking by contacting friends and faculty members,
letting them know your career plans. If possible, give them
a copy of your resume.
DECEMBER/JANUARY
-Complete your resume and get it reproduced. Get information
of resume reproduction from Career Services.
-Attend career planing and placement workshops for education
majors.
-Develop a list of schools of interest to you.
-Contact schools and request application materials and check
for applications online.
-If going to a different location, contact a career services
office in the area and the State Department of Education for testing
requirements.
FEBRUARY
-Send applications to school systems, including you resume
and cover letter.
-Find out about school systems recruiting and procedures
towards interviewing with them.
MARCH/APRIL
-Attend Education Job Fair.
-Attend on-campus interviews.
-Follow up by phone and with thank you letters.
-Keep updated on job vacancy listings available in Career
Services or on the Web.
MAY-AUGUST
-Maintain communication with you network of contacts.
-Stay updated with the job openings.
-If necessary, revise resume and cover letter.
-Attend off-campus interviews and do a follow up.
-Begin considering job offers, and accept the one best for
you.
-If you don’t have a position by the end, try to get on the
substitute list.
TESTING
Florida requires completion of its own exam. There is only one exam required, but it is divided into three parts:
CERTIFICATION
If you wish to teach in
public schools, you will need to think about certification. Certification
in Florida is a process of three steps:
1) Requirements for issuance of a Statement of Eligibility
2) Requirements for issuance of a two-year nonrenewable Temporary Certificate
3) Requirements for a five-year Professional Certificate
Some states grant temporary
certificates in high need subject areas, and some offer "equivalency" certificates
if the candidate has almost the appropriate number of credits. Independent schools
rarely care about certification; they are more interested in your subject matter
knowledge. For more information on teacher certification in Florida, go
to www.firn.edu.
RECIPROCITY
Reciprocity theoretically allows the bearer of a teaching certificate in one state to receive teacher credentials in another state. Reciprocity arrangements are not automatic. You may still need to fill out all the forms and submit supporting materials, such as transcripts, in order to have your application reviewed and accepted. Check into teacher certification early.
GENERAL INFORMATION
COVER LETTER
Your cover letter is a reflection of you, with respects to your personality, your writing style, your attention to detail, and your organizational skills. These facets are especially important for teachers. Write, edit, and proofread each letter carefully.
As in any cover letter applying for a position, your cover letter should not just be a reiteration of your resume. Include information about other possible teaching fields, specialties within your field, and other related experience and abilities. If you are interested in assuming responsibilities in extra?curricular activities, such as coaching or clubs, be sure to mention these, especially if you are applying to independent schools.
Always mention your availability for an interview, perhaps during a school vacation. Indicate that transcripts and references are in the process of being sent or are available on request. Make sure you understand application procedures. Ask for additional information if you need it.
BUILDING UP YOUR RESUME
Your resume is like an advertisement of yourself towards a prospective employer. You want your resume to look and sound appealing to enhance your chances in being selected for an interview. Your resume should be one to two pages in length, free of typographical errors, produced on high-quality bond paper, and organized, so that it is easy to read. Since your resume presents a combination of your skills, abilities, and qualifications, you want it to show your best assets towards being a teacher.
Skills commonly possessed
by teachers:
-Oral skills
-Written skills
-Ability to organize and coordinate
-Intercommunication skills
-Creativity
-Mathematical ability
-Ability to motivate others
-Curriculum development expertise
-Listening skills
-Language skills
-Special education skills
-Counseling skills
-Persuasive skills
-Group dynamics knowledge
Effective resume language:
-Designed and implemented instructional activities…
-Tested, tutored, and evaluated…
-Designed, selected, and implemented instructional material…
-Constructed, administered, and evaluated formal and informal
tests
-Maintained proper classroom management
-Assessed student achievement
-Designed progress reports to parents…
-Effectively incorporated audio-visual materials into curriculum
-Organized and directed play…
-Plan and execute lessons…
-Maintain a classroom atmosphere conducive to learning
-Planned and implemented remedial reading program…
-Administered test batteries and diagnosed reading difficulties
-Developed curriculum…
-Created and taught lessons in…
OTHER KINDS OF LETTERS
The main rule of thumb is
never to send any documentation without an accompanying letter. Be sure to keep
copies of all of these. These communications may include:
1) a cover letter when returning an application form
2) a letter accepting or declining an interview
3) follow?up letter after an interview: a brief thank you is always an important
courtesy. Stress your interest or make your
withdrawal at this point (if you know).
4) confirming a request for an extension of a date for accepting a job offer
KEEPING GOOD RECORDS
You may find yourself applying for many positions. Make copies of all your applications and correspondence, and keep a log of all phone calls and contacts.
LETTERS OF REFERENCE
You will need to gather letters of reference for your applications. Schools generally prefer to receive these from a third party rather than directly from you. You may also use your undergraduate institution. Obtain letters from your supervising teacher, others who know you work with children, and an appropriate professor. Do not wait until the last minute.
THE TEACHING INTERVIEW: QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT BE ASKED
Concerns:
How Will I relate to students in this school?
How will I work with other faculty members?
How will I cooperate with the administration?
How will I fit into this community?
Typical Questions Employers
might ask:
1. Why did you decide on a career in education?
2. Tell me something about your background
3. What is your philosophy of education?
4. Tell me about your teaching experience
5. How was your room organized? What was the atmosphere of your room?
6. As you look back on your teaching experience, what was most effective about
you? About your style? What was least
effective about your teaching style?
7. How do you provide for individual differences within your classroom? What
was the socio-economic level of your
students?
8. What worked best for you in classroom control?
9. How can you get students excited about your subject area?
10. What innovative ideas would you like to initiate in your classroom?
11. What strategies and/or materials would you use to aid students in developing
creativity?
12. Describe three ways to motivate students
13.What kind of relationship do you want with your students?
14. In planning your lessons or units of study, how do you organize and prepare
your material?
15. What do you anticipate as being the most satisfying aspect of teaching?
16. What hobbies or interests do you have that might help you as a teacher in
the classroom?
17. With what extracurricular activities would you be willing assist?
18. What are your professional plans?
19. What have you read in the last six months or year?
20. If you could spend a day doing anything you wanted, what would you do?
21. Tell about yourself in five minutes
22. What experience influenced your decision to teach?
23. What subject do you want to teach and how would you teach it?
24. Who was your best teacher and why?
25. Describe a difficult decision and how you solved it
26. How will your students describe you?
27. Describe an experience with kids or peers by discussing:
-The most difficult moment/situation
-The most rewarding moment/situation
-An incident that required
discipline
-A favorite/least favorite
student, camper, hall resident, etc.
28. What can you contribute to our school?
29. Why do you think you will be a successful teacher?
30. Why should I hire you instead of other applicants?
31. What do you believe your role and obligations to be toward other faculty
members?
32. How do you handle curricular content in classes with many levels of ability?
33. Describe the role of the teacher in the learning process
34. What would you do or how would you treat a student who refused to do the
work assigned?
Questions You May Want To
Ask In An Interview:
1. Are extracurricular assignments available for teachers interested and qualified
in after-school activities?
2. How many students participate in extra-curricular activities?
3. Does your district offer faculty in-service training days during the school
year?
4. What reading series do you use in upper grades?
5. In the past few years what has been the average faculty turnover rate?
6. Is there a budget established for supplies which need to be purchased during
the school year?
7. Do you have an active teacher-parent organization?
8. What percentage of your graduates continue their education?
9. What is the retention rate for secondary students?
10. Are there opportunities for team teaching or team planning?
11. What types of support personnel are employed by the school?(e.g. consultants,
counselors)
12. Who is responsible for the instruction in the use of resource materials
in your library of learning center?
13. How often will I be evaluated?
14.What kind of learning atmosphere (discipline) do you want in your classroom?
15. What is the school structure?
16. Do you require additional credits?
17. When will a decision be reached and will I be notified?
APPLICATIONS
For those of you tackling public school employment applications, here are some basic guidelines to keep in mind:
1. Always make copies of applications to practice on first, neatness really counts!
2. Be sure to follow all
directions precisely as stated. You might be asked, for instance, to complete
an application in your own
handwriting or to type all your responses. (If left to choice,
typing usually looks best.)
3. Take the time to complete all items. Don't leave blanks or write "see Resume".
4. If certification information is requested and you have not been certified, respond, "It is in process."
5. When asked about salary,
indicate a reasonable range. Public school system's salary scales are public
information and
available from Boards of Education.
6. In answering questions,
be creative! Don't miss an opportunity to sell yourself. Give thoughtful,
reasoned responses that
present your arguments in logical sequence. Be sure
to use correct punctuation, grammar, and spelling; always proofread.
7. Keep copies of completed
applications. They will help you prepare for interviews and complete other applications
in the
future.
8. Be sure to update your
application once in employers' files. If you receive certification, change your
name, address, or
telephone number, employers should be notified.
9. A school district will
hold your application for 6?12 months. To keep it active beyond this period,
you must follow up with
the employer.
EVENTS OF INTEREST TO PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS
CAREER FAIRS
-Education Career Fair –
Mid March, 2000, at Florida International University
-Middle Georgia Teacher Recruitment Day – March 18, 2000
-Teacher Recruitment Fair – March 24, 2000, at Metropolitan Atlanta School Districts
-Teacher Career Fair – April 11, 2000, at Georgia State University
-Education Day – April 12, 2000, at Career Resource Center in Gainesville
-School Recruitment Day – April 12, 2000, at University of Florida
-Education Job Fair – April 25, 2000, at University of North Florida
-Education Career Exposition – April 27, 2000, at Florida State University
-Teacher Information Fair – September 9, 2000, at Georgia State University
OTHER EVENTS
-48th Annual Convention
– April 5-8, 2000, in Orlando
-ACUTA 2000 Spring Seminar – April 9-12, 2000, in Miami
-NCSM Conference – April 3-4, 2001, in Orlando
-NCTM 79th Annual Conference – April 5-8, 2001, in Orlando
TESTING
-Florida Educational Leadership
Exam (FELE) – April 15, 2000 and August 5, 2000
-Florida Teacher Certification Exam (FTCE) – April 15, 2000 and August 5, 2000
SOURCES OF OPENINGS
1) Teacher agencies and
clearinghouses: Agencies are for teachers interested in independent schools.
Use them if you are
geographically mobile. Clearinghouses often serve several
public school districts. Except for few computer banks, most will
not match you with jobs.
2) Recruiting Fairs: Recruiting
Fairs offer an opportunity to come in contact with different employers and discuss
various
opportunities available. Listings are often found on the
bulletins.
3) Professional Associations:
Associations connected with your specific specialty often publish job newsletters
or have listings
available at conferences. Check listings under Employer
Directories, in the Career Library.
4) The Direct Approach:
Unlike some other fields, approaching schools and school districts you are interested
in can be an
effective way of finding out about openings. Since timing may be
a critical element, always follow up your inquiries. Don't
assume that because someone has your application that they will
contact you when an opening appears. Good documents are
essential. Combined with "networking", the direct approach can
uncover jobs.
5) Networking: Essentially,
it means talking with everyone you know about your interests. In addition, you
can contact people
in your "inside" circle, those whom you may not know personally,
but with whom you have an affiliation.
6) Internet: The internet
is a good source to find vacancy listings in any region desired. One place
to start looking is
www.talweb.com.
OTHER RESOURCES AVAILABLE AT CAREER SERVICES
APPOINTMENTS, RESUME
REVIEW TIMES, AND WALK-INS
You can make individual appointments to review your job search, credentials,
resume, or cover letters. Appointments can be for any day except the day
it is requested, and a schedule of walk-in times can be obtained at the front
desk of Career Services.
RESOURCES AT CAREER LIBRARY
Florida Education Directory
Directory of Public School Systems in the U.S
Guide to Services and Activities for Teacher Employment
Finding a Teaching Job
Teacher Supply and Demand in the U.S (1998)
Careers in Education
VGM’s Career Portraits
Opportunities in Teaching Careers
How to get a Job in Education
CAREER ALTERNATIVES FOR TEACHERS
Training
A training specialist or instructor is a teacher who works with adults in:
-business
-banks -industry
- hospitals -government
-social service agencies
-educational
institutions
Training is a function of personnel departments.
Administrative jobs in
education
Colleges and universities are large-scale employers of part-time and full-time
teachers and administrators. Below is a list of some of the positions
that exist in Higher Education administration.
Job Titles
| President | Provost | Associate Dean | Coordinator |
| Chancellor | Associate Vice President | Assistant Dean | Program advisor |
| Vice President | Dean of… | Assistant Director | Counselor |
| Vice Chancellor | Director of… | Assistant to… | Officer |
| Administrative Assistant | Liaison | Specialist | Supervisor |
| Manager | |||
Areas
| Academic Affairs | Adult Basic Education |
| Affirmative Action | Admissions |
| Alumni Relations | Athletics |
| Bookstore | Business/Finance |
| Campus/Student Activities | Career Planning and Placement |
| Computer Services | Continuing Education |
| Counseling and Testing | Cultural and Recreational Affairs |
| Educational Research | Development/Giving |
| ESL Program | Education-Employment Program |
| External affairs/public relations Housing/residence life | Employee relations |
| Institutional research/data management | Foreign student services/International Programs |
| Learning skills/study skills | Financial aid |
| Health, Health services, Health education | Disabled student services |
| Minority student programs/centers | Library services |
| Orientation | Off-campus internships |
| Registrar | Legal affairs |
| Language Laboratory | Media |
| Teacher training | Ombuds office |
| Vocational programs/professional programs | Publications |
| Veterans’ Affairs | Student union/food services |
| Experiential Education/Cooperative Education | Women’s services/Re-entry |
Institutions
-two-year community colleges two-year junior college
-four-year liberal arts colleges comprehensive colleges
-universities with graduate program speciality colleges (e.g.,
art, music)
-vocational training institute adult or continuing
education
Careers in Personnel
Titles
The Personnel Generalist
Benefits Assistant
Recruiter
Employment Interviewer
Human Resources Director
Trainer
Duties
Overall planning for the welfare of all employees. Interviewing and screening
of prospective employees. Orientation of new employees (introductions,
explanations of company policies, etc.). Consulting with supervisors to
determine their employment needs. Processing of benefits, claims, and
insuring forms. Setting standards for and monitoring performance of employees.
Counseling employees. Writing and/or placing employment advertisements.
Keeping employees abreast of new information. Acting as liason between
supervision and employees.
Creative Careers
Many people choose the teaching profession because of its tremendous creative
potential. There are dozens of fields that combine creative talents with
the organizational and communication skills that teachers frequently possess.
Here are some examples:
· Public relations: in hospitals, universities, businesses, government,
and community agencies
· Educational materials: Educational films; educational equipment;
graphics for educators; educational research; research and
development
· Publishing
· In-house newsletters
· Technical writing
· Radio and Television
· Audio Video Specialist
· Advertising Copywriting
· Photography
· Interior Designer/Decorator
Working for the Government
There are about 125 different types of jobs available in government on the professional
level. Here are a few:
Educational specialist
Housing project manager
Insurance representative
Information specialist
Educators (basic subjects)
Librarians
Job developers
Trainers
Placement counselors
Spanish-speaking educators
There are 55 state departments
of education and 70 federal agencies supporting education which hire in the
following areas:
| administration | research | consulting |
| career programs | career specialists | educational programs |
| curriculum specialists | Programs for handicapped | Library construction |
Sales Careers
The same abilities, capabilities, and attitudes that are used to “sell” reading,
English, and math are used to sell houses, business machines, a ticket to Honolulu,
or one hundred shares of IBM. Here are some titles:
Manufacturer’s Representative Real
Estate sales
Insurance Sales
Stock broker
Advertising salesperson Travel
agent
Self Employment
Many teachers have opted to start their own businesses. If you are thinking
of starting a business it should suit your personality, background and interests.
You will need know-how, good management techniques, and good luck.
Other Possibilities???
There are countless possibilities depending on your particular skills, interests,
values, and goals. The list goes on and on…
| Accountant | Counselor | Librarian |
| Actuary | Coordinator | Legal assistant |
| Administrative assistant | Corporate liaison | legislative assistant |
| Administrator | Development/fundraiser | Medical assistant |
| Assistant Administrator | Curriculum developer | Manager |
| Account executive | Customer Service Representative | Market researcher |
| Affirmative Action | Gerontology | Office manager |
| Officer Banking career | Engineering aide | Paramedic |
| Bookkeeper | FBI special agent | Social worker |
| Computer programmer | Job developer | Speech/hearing specialist |
| Collection agent | Internship director | Project director |
| Computer operator | Job analyst | Systems analyst |