How to Get the Teaching Job You Want: The Complete Guide for College Graduates, Teachers Changing Schools, Returning Teachers and Career Changers
Competition for the best teaching jobs is becoming more intense. Since publication of the first edition, when it was mainly the most desirable schools that were deluged by applications, the economic climate has made the teacher market more competitive across the board, and is changing hiring practices.
Now extensively revised, this book maintains its place as the most up-to-date book available on job hunting for teachers. The authors cover changes in the educational marketplace; the new mandates about standardized testing and public reporting of student achievement and what they mean for applicants; how new certification standards and schools requirements affect career changers; the growing acceptance of on-line applications and electronic portfolios; and provide additional advice for teachers applying to change schools or districts.
This is also the only guide written by school administrators. Offering the insights and experience of two authors who do the hiring, it details a step-by-step program for taking charge of your teaching career.
How to Get the Teaching Job You Want enables you to:
* Match your unique talents to the needs of a particular school
* Craft effective cover letters and resumes, using models that address the specific needs of college graduates, teachers changing schools, returning teachers and career changers
* Make effective on-line applications
* Leverage your achievements as an experienced teacher or, for graduates or career changers, student teaching, substitute teaching, volunteer work or content knowledge into a job offer
* Locate jobs on-line and discover valuable information about schools, including test results, educational philosophy and names of key administrators
* Design a portfolio in book or electronic format to showcase your abilities
* Practice interview skills using 100 questions taken from real job interviews
* Apply proven strategies for a variety of interview formats, including high stress interviews and performance interviews
* Address controversial questions during interviews
This book covers procedures for applying to elementary, middle and high schools; public, independent, and parochial schools; as well as international and boarding schools. Anecdotes recounting the experiences of real candidates looking for jobs illustrate key points. Access to the authors web site ensures that you will stay current in a changing job market.
This is a vital book for teachers and aspiring teachers who want to achieve their career goals. It will also be invaluable for guidance counselors, psychologists, librarians and other school professionals.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars More than I found on websites
This book has easy to read and use information that I could not easily find on-line. It has samples of cover letters and resumes for teacher applicants from different backgrounds which is very helpful. I can’t say that I “got the teaching job that I wanted” yet but this book was a great reference. I definitely recommend it!
3 Stars Outdated already…a shame
This book was written in 2004, and it’s already beginning to show it’s age. At the time, online applications hadn’t really been the norm, apparently, and they recommend you look in a number of sources which, as of the time of this writing, do not appear as though they had anywhere near a large number of job offerings to be considered viable. They suggest that you mail in information, which, at least in my experience, is not something that any school is encouraging me to do, especially since I’ve been uploading all of my information.
There is value in the job interview process chapter, the sample interview questions, and in the short discussion of some common interviewing requests, such as demonstration lessons. The latter section is unfortunately short, this guide giving only a paragraph or two to what will probably amount to the most important section of the entire interviewing process, though they did good to include the section at all.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to get to that point if you can’t find a lot of job openings, and their sources are simply too far gone for me to consider this book a high quality recommendation, particularly when you consider that this information makes up almost a quarter of the book.
If they update this book to include more information about the job hunting process in 2008 and beyond, then this will be an excellent resource. As it is, this book barely qualifies as a quality reference. Barely.
3 Stars Took too long
I have no problem with the textbook since I needed it for class anyways but it took over two weeks before I received it. That was definitely the longest I’ve had to wait for any order and I was not impressed.
4 Stars will this really help me get a teaching job in THIS market?
How to Get the Teaching Job You Want: The Complete Guide for College Graduates, Teachers Changing Schools, Returning Teachers and Career Changers
Excellent resume tips, job fair navigation, thank you note etiquette, and deciding what school matches your needs and experience
5 Stars Great help!
This book was very useful!!!! I ordered the book and practiced the interview questions inside and out for an interview I had. A week later, I got the job! This book really helped me to focus and I was able to feel prepared for my interview! I am so glad I bought this book!
Filed under: Resume Writing Book Reviews