Applying for your first job in teaching - UBC Okanagan

Applying for your first job

in teaching

UBC Okanagan

BC Education Snapshot 60 public school districts - one French school board An aging workforce and retirements will lead to

more opportunities in the next few years There were more jobs posted on Makeafuture.ca to

date than the whole of last year Isolation allowances in rural districts are attractive

incentives to teach in smaller communities

BC Education Snapshot Seniority is portable, and can be carried over from a

continuing position in one district to a continuing position in another

Hiring peaks in June & August BC school districts use www.makeafuture.ca to

recruit all employee groups including educators, senior leaders, business professionals, trades people and other support staff

Demand for Educators

http://www.bcjobtrendtracker.ca/lmf/forecast

25,460 openings in the next 10 years

Where is the demand?

Teaching areas in high demand

• FI & Core French• Technology Education• Sciences• Special Education• Counsellors• Primary/Elementary• Math• Aboriginal Languages• Arts (Drama, Music, etc)• Montessori• Counsellors & Psychologists

Demand varies from district to district

Preparing an application

Resume, Cover Letter & References

University Transcripts

Teaching Certificate, TQS Card

Teaching Portfolio

Practicum and

Evaluation Reports

Application Documents

Tailor your application

Job Posting

Job Description

District Website School

Website

Teaching Philosophy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE-NQAu_qRU&feature=player_embedded

Writing Resumes

Writing Cover Letters• Tailor the letter to your audience • Personalize it with concrete examples • Explain “why you are the best candidate?”• Use action verbs (e.g. Collaborated; Coordinated;

Planned; Evaluated; Assessed) to describe your responsibilities and achievements

• Spell Check and Proof Read!

Gathering Good References• Ask for a good reference from anyone who’s

observed and evaluated your teaching • Ask for a reference letter if possible• Inform your references ahead of time that

they may be contacted

Applying Online on Makeafuture.ca

Discover the latest career opportunities

Search and apply for jobs. Stay up-to-date with email job alerts

Learn about school districts, the communities they serve, and the benefits they have to offer

Compare salary grids between districts

Interviewing for a Job

Interviews gather information used to compare a candidate’s education, skills and qualifications with pre-determined selection criteria.

Sample Selection Criteria1. Subject Matter Knowledge2. Planning Skills3. Instructional Skills4. Assessment Strategies5. Classroom Management Skills6. Professional Responsibility - development as a

Professional Educator

Interview Questions• Open-ended questions– Tell me about yourself– Why do you want to work for our district?– What books are you reading right now?

• Behavioural-based questions– Can you describe a unit or lesson that you created

that allowed for the participation of all learners?

Behavioral Based Questions• Describe a unit you recently completed with

your students and explain the process you used in its planning.

• Describe strategies you have used to evaluate your students’ academic progress.

• Describe specific management strategies you have used in your classroom.

What questions to expect and how to answer them

How do you plan your units?• Tell a story and consider:– What resources did you consult?– Did you ask for help?– Did you look at the composition of your class?

What’s key:– You were thoughtful in preparing your units while

consulting a variety of resources and considering your student composition

How do you teach in a classroom?• Tell a story and consider:– What strategies have you used for instruction?– How did you present the material?– How did you engage learners?

What’s key:– You demonstrated the use of diverse strategies to

reach all learners in the classroom

How do you assess and evaluate students?• Tell a story and consider:– What are the different methods you used to

evaluate and assess student outcomes?– What did you do with that information?

What’s key:– You utilized a variety of assessment strategies– You utilized the results of the assessments to

facilitate student learning

How do you manage your class?

• Tell a story and consider:• What was the worse scenario that you

encountered and how did you deal with it? What’s key:• You demonstrated and employed a variety tactics

when dealing with classroom issues• You are able to create a climate and environment

conducive to learning

How are you developing as a professional educator?• Tell a story and consider:• How have you demonstrated professional

responsibility inside and outside of the classroom?• Are you a reflective practitioner?

What’s key:• You demonstrated a collaborative approach to

sharing you knowledge and helping the educational community as a whole

Interviewing Tips• Reflect on your best lessons,

accomplishments, what you are proud of in your work

• Don’t just talk about it, show off your accomplishments with a portfolio

• Use the STAR technique• Practice, practice, practice

“It’s about tapping into your experiences, challenges and reflections on your student teaching, and bringing it to life in an interview.”

-Janet StewartAssociate Superintendent, VSB

Job Search Resources• Resumes & Digital

Portfolios– Linkedin.com– CVmkr.com– VisualCV.com– Pathbrite.com

• Interviews & Cover Letters– Quintcareers.com

• Job Search– Huntsy.com

• Pro D– Teacher Mentorship BC– Pita.ca

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