Teaching Job

When a school district calls you to offer you an interview, ASK who will be on the interview panel. If you know the names and positions of those on the panel, you will be able to think about how to phrase your answers to satisfy the interviewers. For example, if you know there will be a Reading Specialist on the interview committee, then you may want to pay particular attention to strategies for teaching reading.

If you find out a Social Worker will be on the panel, you will want to think about ways of dealing with students that have challenging social issues at home and school. And if there happens to be a Special Education teacher on the panel, you can bet on some specific questions that relate to students with special needs. The most prepared candidates have a good idea of what types of questions will be asked before the interview. If you know who is on the panel, you can have a clear picture of what types of questions will be presented. If you don't ASK, you won't know.

After a short while, all of the applications, resumes, and cover letters will start to look the same. All of the cover letters are written of thick white paper, in Times 12 font, and everyone is using the same statements, like "All children can learn" and "I will be an exceptional teacher for your district." The resumes all seem to look the same as well-- a bachelor's degree, a couple of student teaching placements, and an occasional bit of experience subbing.

I visit many Web forums and communities where I have the opportunity to chat with people in search of teaching jobs. One question that arises time and time again is: Where are the best places to look for teaching jobs in the United States?While many candidates have family, home, or community ties that prevent them from relocating to a new city, there seems to be an increasing number of college graduates who are excited about the opportunities to relocate to new areas, begin their teaching career, and experience a new lifestyle.