Monday, February 22, 2010

Landing a Teaching Job

I landed my first teaching job by nabbing an interview because I knew someone who worked in the district and they gave my resume to the Director of Special Services, then the interview went very well. It was my second interview for a teaching position. My first interview in another district did not go as well. I knew I was good but did not express it well during the first interview, so I practiced in front of the mirror for the next one, as weird as that is.
I landed my first teaching job because I was able to answer very specific questions on how to work with children who had very specific learning disabilities. I was knowledgeable in this area because I had just completed a course that outlined specific disabilities and types of interventions to use in the classroom.
I know finding a teaching job is hard, but here is some advice to make it easier. Always leave a “great impression” in the field; whether it is in a substitute position, practicums, student teaching or in your college classes. By this I mean show that you are willing to work hard, be open to constructive criticism, show a love for learning and implementing new ideas, ask questions. Let it show that you truly enjoy working with children, get involved in the community where you would like to teach.
This post is part of the Teaching Jobs Portal: “How to land a Teacher Job”. What was your journey like to become a teacher? If you’d like to share your experience with other aspiring teachers please see this post for more information

Monday, December 28, 2009

Promtion for Hope

With the economy down the tubes, and budgets constantly failing, it is so hard for teachers to get the funding they need to provide the type of education our children deserve. Promotions that I have seen lately, like through MAT@USC/ MyTeacherMyHero.com, as well as with Yahoo!, all partnering with www.donorschoose.org, have given me much hope for the future of education.

These third party websites come together to help educators get the tools they need to be better teachers and provide a better education for the students. Thank you to the countless donors who have helped classrooms, and also to the employees of these great companies who are helping our country's educational programs. You are our hope for the future.

This post is a part of the MAT@USC Hope for the holidays event. Did you experience or witness something in 2009 that gave you hope for the future of American education? If so, please see this post for more information on how to share it.