1. Chapter 13 Developing a Plan and a Personal Philosophy: Where Do I Go From Here?
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2. How Do I Get My First Teaching Job?
In some years and districts, there is great demand for new teachers; in others, opportunities may be limited
To be hired, teachers first need to be licensed by the state
Actual hiring of teachers is done at the school district, or individual school, level
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3. How Do I Get My First Teaching Job?
State licensure and examinations
Many states have college or university-based approved teacher preparation programs
Many different teaching licenses exist, including:
Elementary/Middle School/High School
By subject area (English, math, fine arts…)
Special education
Bilingual education
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4. How Do I Get My First Teaching Job?
State licensure and examinations
Alternative routes to teaching include:
Free-standing organizations, such as Teach for America
“In-district” programs that recruit graduates and award licensure after apprentice-style program
Individual applicants based on experience and/or advanced knowledge of a subject in which there is a high shortage of teachers
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5. How Do I Get My First Teaching Job?
State licensure and examinations
During the last decade, examinations have become required for most state licenses
PRAXIS exam is offered in many states
Some states have created new examinations
Know the rules for the state where you want to teach
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6. Join the Dialogue
Map out your plan. Which level, content area, or specialization are you interested in teaching?
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7. How Do I Get My First Teaching Job?
Getting hired
Hiring officials look for two primary things when selecting a new teacher:
They want to know that the person will be a good “fit” with the position
Research the district and school before the interview
They want a person who has some meaningful experience in teaching and can speak confidently about that experience
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8. How Will I Survive as a New Teacher?
The critical first year
“Sink-or-swim” model is less common now
Teacher induction programs offer more support, though this varies with the program
Some programs focus on helping new teachers adjust to the status quo
Others have a robust teacher mentoring system
Some universities have programs which keep them in touch with previous graduates
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9. What About Me?
How do you deal with challenges and how might the lessons you have learned from your experiences help you once you get into the classroom?
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10. How Will I Survive as a New Teacher?
Staying, surviving, thriving, contributing
Sonia Nieto writes of teaching:
There is no “magic bullet” that sustains teachers year after year in the difficult work of teaching
There are a number of recurring themes (i.e. finding support) that are absolutely essential if one is to survive and thrive in teaching
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11. How Will I Survive as a New Teacher?
Staying, surviving, thriving, contributing
Maintain a life and interests outside of school
Maintain a sense of humor and perspective
Keep a journal as an outlet for frustration and reflection
Network and find other teachers and all of the resources available for teachers through the internet
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12. What Kind of Teacher Do I Want to Be?
Successful teachers are:
Caring
Competent
Passionate
The best teachers can be very different from each other in style
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13. Concluding Questions Ask yourself: Do I still want to be a teacher?
What kind of teacher do I really want to be?
How can I best prepare myself to be that teacher?
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14. Reading: From What Keeps Teachers Going? by Sonia Nieto
Lessons Nieto learned while teaching:
Teaching is hard work
Becoming a good teacher takes time
Social justice is part of teaching
There is no level playing field
Education is politics
Teacher autobiographies from Junia Yearwood and Mary Cowhey represent thoughts from successful teachers
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15. Reading: “Passionate Teaching” by Robert Fried
Through personal teachers’ stories, Fried shows what passion is in teaching
Advocates for passion-in-action, a way of transforming images of passion into use during daily work with students
Fried makes two observations:
Passionate teachers organize and focus their passionate interests by getting to the heart of their subject and sharing this with students
Passionate teachers convey their passion to novice learners—their students—by acting as partners in learning, rather than as “experts in the field”
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16. Irvine describes teaching as having four essential elements:
Reading: “Caring, Competent Teachers in Complex Classrooms” by Jacqueline Jordan Irvine
Defining the terms “caring” and “competent” is a difficult, but necessary, task for all teachers
Terms can mean many different things to different people
Irvine describes teaching as having four essential elements:
1. some person
2. teaching something
3. to some student
4. somewhere
Many variables exist in each element which, in turn, influences how each student learns
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