How to Find a Teaching Job
Teaching is one of the most relevant, needed and portable professions in the world. Thanks to technology, teachers have so many opportunities to train when and where they need to, exercise their skills and to choose a pedagogical approach that aligns with their own personal values.
In America, we’ve started to slowly walk away from the image of a traditional school teacher who spends time in a classroom with kids, passing knowledge along to them. Today we have so many opportunities, from private schools to public schools, from classroom teaching to online teaching. The issue of online vs. traditional education has become a very popular topic; it’s up to you to choose which professional path you want to follow.
If you need help to find a teaching job, you might need some useful advice on how to do it efficiently. So here are some great tips on how to find a teaching job.
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Decide what job is the best for you
This involves making a decision about whether you want to teach in an actual classroom or online through Skype and video chat. Both options involve communication and interaction. However, the methods which these two types of teaching involve are quite different.
While the process of teaching in a classroom is rather understandable, Skype lessons, for example, can be rather confusing for a teacher in terms of preparation. There are multiple pros and cons of teaching through Skype; they may be rather time-efficient, but on the other hand, they don’t allow the teacher and students to do certain types of exercises. In general, it’s all up to you and what’s convenient for you.
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Drill those career websites
Nowadays, the best way to find a teaching job is to search for it on the Internet. Many companies place their job offers on certain websites with detailed job descriptions, so you can get the full information on a vacancy you’re interested in.
You can search the popular websites for career seekers, like CareerBuilder and Indeed.com. You can also send your resume to a place you’re interested to work for. They might not have an opening for you right now, but if they have your resume and know that you’re interested in working for them, they might give you a shot!
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Go to all job interviews
You definitely shouldn’t agree on something right away. Serious employers have their potential employees coming two or three times before they consider employing them. If you are offered a job on the spot, ask for a day or two to consider it.
A job interview is a great opportunity for you to see the setting you might work in, your future colleagues, and the culture in general. Applying for a job as a teacher, you should ask the interviewer some specific questions, like methodology and school culture. Don’t be afraid to ask all kinds of questions; you might be spending most of your time in that very environment soon, so it’s OK to be concerned and ask questions.
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Do your research
As a teacher, you probably know that research is the key to knowing what you need to know. And the process of finding a teaching job necessitates deliberate research too. “Looking for a teaching job is a very delicate process, and it requires a lot of time and attention”, says Millie Atkins, a student and a future teacher of English. “Just like when I write my essay or any other school paper and need to do some research for it, it’s the same thing with the job search process. Research is everything.”
Always browse through school’s website and look for reviews from students and former employees. This will give you some vital information and will likely raise additional questions, which you can ask during the interview.
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Listen to your intuition
You shouldn’t jump to any conclusions. Agreeing to take a certain job is a very involved process, with lots of factors to consider. If you feel like a certain position is not right for you, but you can’t quite explain why, don’t force yourself to take it.
Research will help you better understand what you will be doing in your new workplace. Listen to your feelings about the working environment and the attitude with which the employees there are treated. The best thing to do here would be to make a list of pros and cons of a particular job, and then to make any decisions. At least you’ll know that your choice is well-grounded.
In Conclusion
Teaching jobs always require a lot of skills and preparation. The culture of the school plays a huge role too. As a teacher, you should be satisfied with the approach you’re working with and the atmosphere of the school itself.
All in all, finding a job can be very overwhelming. But, if you do your homework, you will stand a much better chance of making a good decision about your professional future.
Diana Clark once gave up her educator career for something she always dreamed about – writing. Diana is a freelance writer at Awriter. She discovers the world of digital nomads and believes that some day people will become location independent. Feel free to follow Diana on Twitter.
