Developing as a Professional Is teaching a reality for you???

Beliefs of Pre-service & Beginning Teachers Your beliefs will strongly influence how you teach and develop Teaching is more complex than simply explaining Survival skills for the 1 st year teacher ◦ Well organized ◦ Understanding how to manage a classroom ◦ Learning how to plan ◦ Develop skills – questioning, getting to know your students, learning about their needs and developing cognitive abilities

Making Yourself Marketable You can have the best resume and still not receive a job offer. Why???

Making Yourself Marketable Developing a Professional Reputation ◦ Attend your classes, be on time ◦ Turn in assignments on time, follow guidelines ◦ Study!!! ◦ Participate in class ◦ Take opportunities to learn ◦ Read – be informed ◦ Be the best student you can

Making Yourself Marketable Broadening Your Professional Experiences ◦ Observing & working in the classroom Substitute Teaching ◦ Advantages and disadvantages Build a Portfolio & Resume ◦ Professional Portfolio – collection of materials  Great way to tell about yourself, documentation of your competence & qualifications ◦ Keep and document everything ◦ Digital portfolio ◦ Resume – a document that provides a clean & concise overview of an individual’s job qualifications and work experience

Finding a Job Where are the jobs?? ◦ Job outlook – good – increase by 6% between ◦ Depends on geographic area and grade level ◦ Greatest increase in south and west ◦ Opportunities greater in rural & urban schools ◦ Your area of specialization will affect job placement ◦ Greatest areas of need: special education, English language learning, math, physics, chemistry & technology ◦ Lower areas: English, social studies & physical education

Interviewing Effectively Your best opportunity to show that you are knowledgeable & a committed professional This will probably determine if you get the job Guidelines ◦ Interest in making a difference in students’ lives ◦ Knowledge of content ◦ Understanding – organize & manage a classroom ◦ Life experiences

Interviewing Effectively Additional preparation ◦ Why do you want to teach? ◦ Why do you want to work in this school ◦ How would you plan for classroom management? ◦ How would you handle misbehavior? ◦ How would you motivate? ◦ How would you involve caregivers?

Assessing Prospective Schools Is this the place you want to work at?? Research – upkeep & physical condition as well as professional culture will have a powerful influence Ask certain questions Factors to consider: ◦ Teacher morale & efficacy ◦ Commitment & leadership of the principal ◦ School Mission ◦ School Climate ◦ Physical Plant ◦ Community Support ◦ An induction program for teachers (Mentoring Program)

Private School Employment 6 million students – projected to increase by 5% in the next 10 years Teachers job outlook – increase 10% Starting salary – usually lower and typically do not offer medical and insurance benefits

First Year of Teaching Survival Skills Organization Classroom Management Teaching Effectively Relationships with Students

Surviving Your First Day of Teaching First impressions = IMPORTANT First day teaching – important – sets the tone for the rest of the school year ◦ Students notice everything!! Survival skills & checklists help ◦ Room setup should maximize learning ◦ Explain procedures  Older students – help Teach them something – allows them to know that your classroom is for learning Learn students’ names

Teacher Evaluation Fact of professional life Two forms ◦ Formative evaluation – gathers information and provides feedback that you can use to improve your practice ◦ Summative evaluation – gathers information about a teacher’s competence for decision making about retention and promotion Observations – assess elements such as: ◦ Classroom routines in place & used effectively ◦ Extent to which students are attentive and involved ◦ Can the teacher correctly identify sources of misbehavior and deal with them quickly

Induction & Mentoring Programs Transition to teaching – rarely smooth  ◦ Isolated in classroom, given little help (think sink or swim) More than 1/3 of teachers leave by the end of their 3 rd year Half leave within the first 5 years ◦ Isolation & lack of support – major reason To address problem – many schools offer induction and mentoring programs ◦ Induction programs – professional experiences designed to help beginning teachers make the transition into teaching ◦ Mentors – experienced teachers who provide guidance & support for beginning teachers