Landing your first Teacher Job!

Brenda Sheftall
Whiting Elementary School
PK-5 Health and Physical Education
http://www1.manchestertwp.org/teacher/wh/bsheftall/

I landed my first teaching job by applying to each school district in my county and every PE opening posted in the Star Herald, Gloucester County Times, Daily Journal (Vineland) and the Press of Atlantic City newspapers and Career Builder and NJSchoolJobs (and any other web source I could find position postings).

I made sure that I personally dropped my resume packet off and introduced myself to either the personnel director or the superintendent when possible.

Each resume packet consisted of a nice presentation folder (available at Staples, expensive but worth it) with my business card on the front, cover letter, resume, and references, sample lesson plan, 3 letters of recommendation, certification, background check and a copy of my college transcript.

After each interview I sent a thank you note thanking them for their time, recapping key points discussed during the interview, and finally asking for the position.
Follow up one more time asking for the job and for feedback to help you improve for future interviews if you do not get the position.

I landed my first teaching job because I possess these qualities flexibility, confidence, perseverance, cheerfulness, eloquence, experience, and engaging.

Finding a teaching job can be hard, but here is some advice to make it easier apply everywhere. Don’t limit yourself to one area. Wouldn’t you move for $40,000? Get a lot of experience working in your teaching area. Substitute and leave a business card with everyone in the school so that they can call you and request you for future absences. Ask for feedback from teachers you have subbed or worked with. Volunteer to work or assist in extra curricular activities. Volunteer to just help photocopy papers or assist in any way during the school day. You will have a better chance at a job if the school staff knows and likes you.

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.

My American Eduation Hope for 2009

I think the websites our Ridgeway teachers have for their classrooms are amazing. I like knowing that my children at any time can go on and check to see what their homework is or what spelling words to write sentences for. Teaching kids early the means available to them to solve certain problems or issues only helps them later in life. I also like that they are also equipped with many links to other resources for parents to access from home to do with their child. I only wish they had something like that when I was in shcool. This post is part of the MAT@USC Hope for the holiday’s event. Did you have an experience or witness something in 2009 which gave you hope for the future of American education? If so, please see this post for more information on how to share it.