Based on the article "Getting Hired. 5 Tips to Being the Candidate of Choice" by Fueling Education, posted 2016
http://www.fueling-education.com/2017/04/getting-hired-5-tips-to-being-candidate.html?spref=tw The strategy that really spoke to me the most was number 3 to have a vision. To know what you believe in, even as a new teacher, is an attractive quality to have. The article also mentions that you need to be able to learn, and I agree, but by having a clear vision you show that you are a teacher who is passionate about the job and cares about the teaching process and kids. Personally I think history classrooms need more historical thinking and more literacy work (like essays and vocabulary using historical thinking), so I plan to incorporate my vision into my classroom. The example of number 4 (Find Separation) I found to be a little bit imperfectly explained. I do get the concept, but the one example given seemed a little over the top where as a few smaller examples may have been more realistic. Recommending a Jack Johnson I video, to me, is not a realistic expectation, though I am sure it is impressive. I think the thing missing from the article is to "keep your expectations for the school" because this will not only help you get the job you want but also show the interviewer that you are a desirable candidate who has expectations of his employer and pays attention to details. The job market is better now than it was in 2016, so perhaps it is more fair to say that the article is a bit outdated than to say it is missing anything.
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From the article "74 practical ways to build relationships with students", Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Some of my favorite methods from the list (I liked so many) are: 9. Be vulnerable! Let your guard down and show your students that you are a learner, you make mistakes, and persevere. They will see you as a person, opening the door for a relationship built on trust. Share stories about yourself as a learner or challenges you’ve faced when you were there age and help them see what it took to overcome it. It’s easy to forget how much a simple connection can make the difference. 46. Share your own goals, successes/failures. Don’t be a mystery to your students. Many of the 74 strategies in this list of ways to build good student/teacher relationships (written by a dozen or so educators/bloggers) I found to strike home. In fact there were very few that did not resonate with my experiences in the classroom. The relationship with the students is the best part of the job to me, and I hope to hone my skills and be a teacher that many students remember as someone who helped them mature and learn while having fun. I have seen in action many or most of the 74 strategies, though one memorable instance is my Mentor Teacher does a "law day" with our 8th grade history class. In this day, students fill the rolls of congress and supreme court, Mr. Turner is the President and I am the Vice President. The students got to make all sorts of laws which were to be enacted out on "law day" a couple of weeks later. We had to sing, dance, wear a tutu, and do all sorts of funny things with the students that day, and I will never forget it. Personally I do not think I will do exactly that activity but it perfectly encapsulates number 58: "Take risks so students feel comfortable doing the same. Don't ask them to do anything you wouldn't do." The only thing I would actually add to the list is coaching. There are two things on the list that mention sports, but only as a fan. I am a coach also and I like to play sports with the kids sometimes, like tennis and soccer. I find coaching to be a wonderful way to make relationships with your students because there is a lot of fun involved in sports. As much as you try to make the classroom fun, plenty of kids will just prefer to be outdoors doing physical activities. I think relationships are one of the very most important aspects of having a healthy and potent classroom environment. I have learned a lot about kids in my first year, and I believe kids (at least 8th graders) are naturally drawn to me as a friend and trust me. I am sure that it is not the case with all of my students, and I may have even have a few who do not like me, but for the very most part I have been impressed with my ability to build relationships day by day with kids because I really did not know how that aspect would go because this was new to me. |
AuthorDavid Emmons, new history teacher ArchivesCategories |