You've worked hard to get through college. You've finished student teaching. You have a great portfolio and you have a lot of ideas about how to be a good teacher. Now how do you get hired? I've hired many teachers in my career as an elementary school principal. Here are some tips I offer to prospective teachers:
Tip Number One: Know what you want. Make a list of what you are looking for in a job and read that list every day. Don't settle for anything less. Read the book The Secret. If you believe it you will achieve it. A couple of times in my life I've been hired for jobs that I was probably under-qualified but when I went into my interview, I exuded self-confidence.
Tip Number Two: Maintain a positive attitude. Make a list of all of your positive attributes related to teaching and read them out loud every day. This will help you with your own self-esteem as well as prepare you for you for your interviews as well as any phone and networking contacts you may come across unexpectedly. Read positive literature. Keep a journal.
Tip Number Three: Plan your day as if you are already working. Follow a daily schedule. Get up in the morning. Work out. Get dressed as if you were going to work. You never know who you will run into that will be a job lead. You want to look your best. Spend at least one hour per day sending out resumes. Work a part-time job or volunteer. Make a list of areas you need to work on as well.
Spend at least two hours per doing relevant reading and research on those areas as well as the following topics:
1.Classroom Management: I haven't seen a new teacher yet who knew enough about how to control large groups of children.
2.Effective, hands-on lessons: Principals are looking for creative teachers who can keep students actively engaged.
3. Helpful, online teacher websites: It is helpful to have at least five bookmarked websites that you can go to for lesson plan ideas in your chosen teaching area. Make a list of areas you need to work on as well.
Tip Number Four: Develop a good cover letter and resume. Superintendents, principals and other district Human Resources staff spend between ten to fifteen seconds perusing your resume to determine if you are worthy of an interview. They look at skills, work experience and college attended. Your resume should be one page because they won't look at the second page. They will also peruse your letters of recommendation so make sure they are attached to your resume. At my website My Special Needs Classroom, I give sample resumes and related items.
Include relevant work experience, especially work experience involving children. The quality that employers seek above all else is a strong worth ethic. They want teachers who are energetic, dependable, team-oriented, and hard-working and set a good example to the community. Job experience with a positive recommendation is the best way to demonstrate you meet these qualifications. Volunteer experience is also helpful, particularly volunteer experience with children who have special needs, who are English Language Learners, are socio-economically disadvantaged or from an urban area.
Tip Number Five: Get at least three positive letters of recommendation. The most important letter of recommendation you should try to get is one from the principal of the school where you student taught. Principals value the opinion of other principals. The others should be from your cooperating teacher for student teaching, a supervisor from a previous job and a college professor. In addition, you can ask for letters of recommendation from field experience supervisors, a clergy member, a volunteer coordinator or a family friend who is prominent in the community. Make sure you have working summer numbers for all of your recommendations. Unlike some professions, your references will be called.
Tip Number Six: Network Tell everyone you meet you are looking for a teaching job. You never know who you will run into who will lead you in the right direction. I was fortunate enough to have the former state superintendent of Ohio, Dr. Franklin B. Walter, as an adjunct professor at Ohio State University when I was getting my Master's Degree. He told us if we really wanted a job to call the Superintendent's office of the district we wished to work for and make a five minute appointment to see that person. He said to go into the superintendent and say, "Hi, my name is Susan Smith and I want to work for you. I am the most qualified person you can find." My point is, it sometimes takes some guts to get what you want.
Tip Number Seven: Ace your interview. Find a list of potential questions. Write them out and practice, even videotaping if possible. Dress professionally in a simple suit and flat heeled shoes. Typical teacher interviews last 15 - 20 minutes and include six to ten questions. Plan accordingly.
Tip Number Eight: Send a thank you note after your interview. I can't tell you how important this is. If you don't get the job, it will keep you in the mind of the administrator interviewing you and when another principal calls him/her your name will be at the forefront of their mind.
When you get that dream job, remember you make a difference every day.
For more information on how to get a teaching job go to Kristin Whiting's website, My Special Needs Classroom, at http://www.myspecialneedsclassroom.com. There she offers valuable tips for those seeking a teaching job, both regular and special education teachers.
Kristin Whiting has over 20 years experience in the field of education, including teaching and administrative experience. She is currently doing what she loves best - teaching. She is a Special Needs Preschool Teacher. She loves to write and in addition to her two blogs, she is a regular contributor to Associated Content, EzineArticles.com, Examinier.com, Squidoo and Hubpages.
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