If you are student teacher right now and life hasn't been crazy yet it's about to reach hurricane speeds real quick! I loved my student teaching experience, but the second month is when it started to pick up the pace and it just kept getting faster until the end. As if you are not being pulled in a million directions already, you now need to start thinking about the job hunt- your ultimate goal! From my job search experience during student teaching, I have a few tips to help reduce stress and make it an enjoyable experience. I was hired into my current position by the second week of April (I am a spring graduate) and had 4 other offers sitting on the table and still 2 requests for interviews. Graduating with a job was amazing! UNC students have the perk of being regarded as the cream of the crop, so here are some helpful hints from my experience to capitalize on that perception.
1. Complete your Student Teaching Requirements ASAP
I intentionally planned it so that I had all of my required student teaching work mostly done by the teacher fair. I had all of my observations complete, data collected, and was just finishing up on the last touches to my work sample by the time I started interviewing. This was essential for two reasons: I had no other pressures besides interviews and I had evidence to show future employers.
2. Bring Extras of Everything to Every Interview
Of course I brought extra resumes (I printed off 20), but I also printed off extra copies of my very best lesson plans, sample materials, any ESL/CLD work, and my introduction letter (you know the one you wrote to introduce yourself to schools? Shorten it and make it crisper to give to employers mostly so they remember your face). I had MANY people ask me if they could take my work. One school district even asked a week later for my permission to copy and distribute the work to a teacher prep program at a school in CO Springs. Bringing extras of your very best work gives schools something to hold onto when they look back over candidates.
3. Research the Schools you are REALLY interested in
My current employer says that they knew they wanted to hire me as soon as I said "I have researched your school and know...". I interviewed with at least 10 districts, but I really only deeply researched the schools I was really interested in. Knowing demographics and history makes a difference in the interview, but don't feel the pressure to know about every school in a district!
4. Bring Evidence of Differentiation or Progress Monitoring (Data Collection)
I got second interviews and offers because I could show in concrete ways how I use differentiation in my classroom and how data collection influenced my teaching. If you can work either into your interview you will stand out. Cherry Creek Schools was totally won over by my interview because of how well I incorporated this in my materials and our conversation.
5. You Can Turn Down an Offer
So I wouldn't share this tip to every field- but if you are mathematics endorsed you have a hot degree right now. I was so afraid to turn down offers, but I did. I even had a school call me back after I turned down an offer to counter offer me! However, I waited for my first choice to call me. I learned a lot about respectfully asking for a little time to consider the offer without making an employer feel like I was saying "I am not THAT interested". Only one school wanted me to be straight with them about my request for extra time, but most places very respectfully gave me the time while I fielded more offers and had more interviews.
And of course, have fun! This is exciting, and big, but so great to see your hard work pay off!
