Strategies and Tools for Today’s Educator

Making a good impression on paper.

The very first task on your agenda after graduation should be getting your licensure in order. You might be the best teacher in the world, but if your paperwork isn’t on file with the state, no school can bend the rules and hire you. Make sure you have sent in all your documents to your state’s DOE, passed all your required exams and filled out the application in its entirety. If you are unsure about your licensure requirements, e-mail licensure@wgu.edu or visit the WGU Student Handbook www.wgu.edu/sh for a list of the requirements.

Once you receive your teaching license, I highly recommend putting it in a sheet protector and placing it in your professional portfolio. It is now in a memorable spot and protected so you have it to show potential employers.

While waiting for your teaching license to arrive, the next step is to start working on your resume, cover letter and professional portfolio. Here are a few guidelines to remember:

a)Your cover letter is an introduction to your resume. It should be a simple letter stating who you are, what position you are applying for and why you think you are qualified for this position.b)Your resume should be a one page synopsis of your education, experience and additional qualifications for the position. Unless you are asked to supply a full curriculum vitae, limit your experience to the last ten years.c)Your professional portfolio should contain your entire education background. It should include all of the additional information that doesn’t fit on your resume.

When preparing your resume, it is important to make a good impression on paper. Be sure to use the list below as a guide to assist you:a)Create a one page document with a standard font and pitch. Limit yourself to one ink color and refrain from using any photographs.b)Check for spelling errors and grammatical inconsistencies.c)Assess your email address. Is it professional? If not, create a new account and don’t forget to check that account for possible interview notifications.d)Recognize if you might need help putting it all together. Feel free to visit WGU’s new resume assistance tool, Optimal Resume. It’s under the career resources tab in the alumni community.

Once your cover letter and resume are complete, it’s time to start the application process. Make a list of the school districts where you’d like to apply and visit their websites. Learn about their application process and make sure that you have completed all the steps. After a week or two, call the HR department and verify that your application is showing complete in their system.

After you have completed the application process, you have to wait for the much anticipated interview request. Make the most of your time, by completing your professional portfolio. Why should you do this?

It is a compilation of your educational experience. It showcases everything you couldn’t fit on your resume. It also gives the interviewer something to look at and discuss with you, during the interview process.

I recommend getting a plain colored three ring binder and a box of sheet protectors from your local office supply store. Start to assemble everything that pertains to your educational background. Look for commonalities and group them together. Create a title page for your portfolio and then use your originals (or if you’re more comfortable, make photo copies of all your documents) and begin to assemble your portfolio.

The list below should give you some ideas about what to include in your portfolio:a)Your resume, teaching license, your college degree(s) and your philosophy of education b)Any letters of recommendation, letters of commendation and any awards you’ve receivedc)Your professional development history. What workshops have you attended? Have you presented professional development of your own? d)Your technological background. What skills/proficiencies do you possess? Are you familiar with the school’s grading and attendance software?e)Any specialized trainings in ESOL/ELL or ESE.f)Any parent/student appreciation letters/thank you notes.g)Photos of your classroom, your student interaction and your bulletin boardsh)Any extra-curricular involvement on school committees and how they made a difference.i)Student work samples and sample lesson plansj)Professional affiliations/organizationsk)Community service projects you completed with your studentsl)School sponsored activities/clubs/coaching you participated in

Once your portfolio is complete, hopefully some interview requests will start to come your way. Once you do get the call, the next step is crucial. You must do your homework and investigate the school you are interviewing with. You need to know more than the name of the school and its location.

-What are the successes and failures of this school? -What is their school improvement plan? -Who are the administrators? -What is the school grade they received from the state? -What is their attendance policy? -What are their demographics? -What is their total student body?

This information is usually available on the school or school district’s website. Read up on this information and create five questions that you could potentially ask an interviewer. You will be given the opportunity to ask questions at the interview. Be prepared.

Making a good impression in person

If you’ve obtained an interview, the school is interested in you. You have passed all of their preliminary screenings, so the interview is their chance to meet you in person and see if you are their ideal candidate. A few important things to remember:a)Dress appropriately.b)Turn your cell phone off before entering the building.c)Arrive early and check in with the receptionist.d)Look around the reception area while you are waiting. Read the literature/pamphlets on the welcome desk, look at the trophy case, study the pictures on the wall, pick up last year’s yearbook. These can provide important information about the school.e)Be personable with the secretary/receptionist. He/She might very well might be part of the interview!

Once you enter the interview itself, try to keep the following in mind:a)Introduce yourself and shake the hands of all present.b)Smile and be personable. Compliment something great you witnessed about the school as you were waiting.c)Be prepared to tell them something about yourself. All interviews start this way, so have a short response prepared. Make it natural and not from memory!d)Answer their questions honestly. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification. Be confident in your answers and if possible, include some specific examples during your student teaching experience or when you substituted, etc. Refrain from embellishing on experience you don’t have.

e) Keep your portfolio visible. If they ask to see it, let them look at it and be eager to discuss it with them. This could lead to some very natural dialogue between you and the interviewer about something very personal to you. This would be your time to shine!

f) Offer them your reference list. You should have gotten pre-approval from your references to include them. Aim for three professional and two personal references.

g) Keep the questions you prepared handy. They will ask you if you have any questions, so be ready. Impress them with your knowledge of the school. Refrain from asking any questions about salary.

h) End the interview by thanking them, shaking their hands and offering to come back and teach a sample lesson or class, if necessary.

Making the interview memorable

Once the interview is over, you aren’t finished! There are a few key things you could do to help keep your interview fresh in the interviewer’s mind:a)Send a thank you note within 24 hours. Keep it simple, thank them for their time and sign your full name.b)Follow up with a phone call in a few weeks asking about the status of the position. If they have already filled it, be polite and ask them to keep you in mind for a future opening.c)Contact or network with people you might know at the school. If you have substituted or did your DT there, ask your supervising teacher to put in a good word for you.d)Attend a school event soon after your interview. Showing up at a school game, attending a PTA meeting or even coming to a fundraising event gives you one more opportunity for the principal to recognize you and your interest in his/her school.

What else can licensed teachers do other than teach?

If you aren’t successful in getting an interview, go back and re-look at your application and resume and reflect on your interview. Is there something you should change? If so, make the necessary adjustments. If not, you just might be in an area that doesn’t need a lot of new teachers right now. For a new teacher, this can be a very anxious time. Don’t let it get you down. Think outside of the box and realize that educators are very talented people! They have a wide variety of knowledge, they are used to public speaking and they are accustomed to handling a large group of diverse learners. What other skills do you have? You might find that your dream “teaching” job isn’t in a classroom, at all. Maybe you’ll take something temporarily until a teaching position opens. Whatever you choose to do, recognize that you are not limited to a traditional school environment.

Consider the following positions as a viable teaching alternative:a)Inquire about being a permanent substitute at your local school district. Some permanent substitutes even get health benefits, since they are required to work every day.b)Investigate the tutoring services in your area. There are a few large chains that hire licensed teachers to tutor after school and evenings. You make your own hours.c)Ask your local school district if they have any hospital/homebound teacher openings. It’s not a traditional classroom, but you still are a full time teacher.d)Research online schools. Many schools have a state run virtual school. You work with kids but from a distance learning environment. Some states even provide full teacher benefits, salary and retirement for online teachers.

e) Consider writing or proofreading textbooks. There are many publishers who need licensed teachers to develop their book curriculums, edit material or proofread for content.

f) Use your networking skills. Have you befriended your local textbook representative? Inquire if they have any openings. These representatives are assigned a territory and they visit the schools in that area presenting their textbook. This is a sales position, but you are selling education.

g) Call your local community college and see if any adjunct positions are open. Most colleges will require a Master’s Degree to teach on campus, but there might be another opening, perhaps for an after school teenage program or something equivalent that they might offer you.

h) Be a consultant or speaker for professional development. Put your public speaking skills to good use by working for a company who delivers educational workshops across the country.

i) Investigate mentoring opportunities at your local schools or look at online colleges and universities who need an academic mentoring faculty.

j) Consider relocation. Many school districts are under a hiring freeze, but there are many who aren’t. Some states are even actively recruiting teachers across the country. Start looking at states that have licensure reciprocity with your own. You should find this information at your DOE. If you find a state that is compatible with yours and you are willing to move, start applying for positions in that state and see what happens. If you get offered a position, licensure in the new state should be an easy process, given the reciprocity agreement.

Questions or Comments?If you have any questions or comments about this presentation, please contact Marcella Ryan, WGU Teacher Mentor, at mryan1@wgu.edu

Feel free to provide your own ideas by visiting our WGU Teacher Blog and sharing your thoughts at

www.alumni.wgu.edu.

If you haven’t updated your WGU file lately, please send me the name of your school district and the grade/subject you teach.