Teacher job fair help

[OceanCityGirl]

I am graduating in a few weeks and ready to find a job teaching. My school is having a job fair for teachers tomorrow. I have never been to a job fair and don't really know what to expect. Any tips?
If you are a teacher would you bring copies of your resume as well as your portfolio or only the resume?
How can I keep from getting nervous? When I get nervous I get blotches on my chest and if I get really bad they will spread up my neck to my face. I am a non-traditional student and I worry a bit that they might prefer a young fresh face.

[Skibo]

Relax. Take copies of resume and portfolio with you. Think of it as a social event (meet and greet) Your maturity is a positive in this case I believe. Talk with the people, hand out your resume after you speak tho the person, in addition, make a note in the margin of what you discussed or an important point you covered before you hand it over. It might help them remember you later after they scan the pile they receive.

[Fruitcake14]

I went to one a couple years ago.....Definitely bring copies of your resume....mark of pages in your portfolio tha really highlight your strengths and things that make you stand out.

Also, GO EARLY....I know the one I went to was PACKED.....If you can find out what positions are being posted, figure out which schools you DEFINITELY want to apply for.


As for getting nervous...I'm a mess in those things too...Relax, be yourself and let your personality shine through. They're looking for the people who stand out. Non-traditional or not...they NEED good teachers...that's the most important thing to remember!!!!



Good luck and let us know how it goes!!!

[txaggirl91]

take both... you will want to have the resume and the portfolio just in case they want to see any of your work. if you visit a campus, make sure you take the portfolio and extra copies of your resume. sometimes with a campus visit you may meet with other teachers. see if they can tell you how many you will meet.

just breathe and be yourself. administrators will know you are nervous and should help put you at ease.

whatever you do - do not accept a job at the fair. you want to be able to visit the school, meet other teachers and see the climate of the school. if you are offered a job, let them know you are very interested but would like to visit the school. if you can do it when school is in session that is even better. you can see how kids behave in the halls, how clean the school is, etc. those things tell you a lot about a building and it's staff.

when you take a job, make sure that the contract says what grade and subject you will teach. that helps keep you from being hired to teach whatever.

is your state unionized? have you joined a professional organization that supports your rights to teach? like NEA or TFA? texas is not unionized and our state organizations like ATPE, TSTA and TCTA provide legal protection for teachers.

here are the things I still my students...
dress conservatively. nice slacks and a top, dress... something that your grandmother would be proud to see you in. you don't have to wear a suit.
earrings only in your ear.
no visible tattoos
be able to tell them if you have your full credentials or when you are taking the state exam....
be able to tell them your philosophy of teaching

here are some general questions they may ask
what has been the hardest thing you have faced teaching?
what has been the most rewarding?
what is your classroom management style?
how would you handle a parent who thinks they know how to teach and has problems with your policies?
what are your experiences with non-english speakers? special ed students?
give an example of how you taught a difficult concept to students? what did you do if your students didn't get it?

questions you can ask
what kind of professional development is provided outside of the district professional development? you want a principal supportive if you want to go to a workshop or conference
how active are parents in the school?
what kind of support are kids given when they are struggling in school?
what is the discipline policies?

hope this helps.

[OceanCityGirl]

Yes this is helping a good deal. I'm feeling better. I know I'm well prepared.
Also, how many letters of reference are good to have? I have a glowing letter from my CT. I can get more from my school, including from the vice principal if needed. My supervisor said that more then one if it is good is overkill.

[txaggirl91]

Yes this is helping a good deal. I'm feeling better. I know I'm well prepared.
Also, how many letters of reference are good to have? I have a glowing letter from my CT. I can get more from my school, including from the vice principal if needed. My supervisor said that more then one if it is good is overkill.

you need at least three....

your CT is great (are things better?)
your university supervisor
a professor that you "clicked" with

if you have done volunteer work at a school/church/organization - someone from there is good too

[NZParrothead58]

First of all...best of luck! I never really went to one of those before but I know others that have and they enjoyed the experiences.

Secondly, I don't know if this is an option for you or not, but New Zealand is SCREAMING for teachers and is a pretty good place to live. We are heading into term 2 of 4 at the moment and there are tons of positions available all over the country. The school system is a bit different from the states, but as I said in my interview here...kids are kids. It took me over two unsuccesful years of searching for a job in Michigan before coming this way and landing a job within two months (school's were on summer break at the time, so I started on the 1st day of the new school year).

I just thought that I would mention it and also wish you well. Best of luck!

[NZParrothead58]

First of all...best of luck! I never really went to one of those before but I know others that have and they enjoyed the experiences.

Secondly, I don't know if this is an option for you or not, but New Zealand is SCREAMING for teachers and is a pretty good place to live. We are heading into term 2 of 4 at the moment and there are tons of positions available all over the country. The school system is a bit different from the states, but as I said in my interview here...kids are kids. It took me over two unsuccesful years of searching for a job in Michigan before coming this way and landing a job within two months (school's were on summer break at the time, so I started on the 1st day of the new school year).

I just thought that I would mention it and also wish you well. Best of luck!

[The Lost Manatee]

First and foremost, good luck, I hope you find the perfect job for you tomorrow.

Second, relax and enjoy the networking that you will be doing, not only with people hiring but with other teachers and graduates.

Third, be sure to point out that you only get drunk when going to job fairs or Buffett shows, you aren't like that at work, generally. Oh, wait, that's not number 3, that's what you shouldn't say.

Seriously, the third thing is to remember that this is not an end all, be all situation. This is kind of like speed dating, you get to meet someone briefly and then move on. You have a couple of minutes to decide if you are even interested in what they are offering. I've been to several job fairs, both as a job seeker and as a representative of my employer and they are not a one sided affair. Both the seeker and the employer are looking for the best fit and this is just a chance to explore what's out there. There is a real shortage of teachers in this country so you don't have to take whatever comes your way. You can pick and choose, especially if you are willing to relocate.

The last thing I would suggest is to remember to be yourself. You are a truly wonderful soul, as all of us here can attest and therefore you should just have fun with this job fair.

[diverg]

First of all...best of luck! I never really went to one of those before but I know others that have and they enjoyed the experiences.

Secondly, I don't know if this is an option for you or not, but New Zealand is SCREAMING for teachers and is a pretty good place to live. We are heading into term 2 of 4 at the moment and there are tons of positions available all over the country. The school system is a bit different from the states, but as I said in my interview here...kids are kids. It took me over two unsuccesful years of searching for a job in Michigan before coming this way and landing a job within two months (school's were on summer break at the time, so I started on the 1st day of the new school year).

I just thought that I would mention it and also wish you well. Best of luck!

Oh man, I might have to keep this in mind for the future. Where do you live in NZ? I visited Auckland, Christchurch, Whangerei and a couple of other places in February 2003.

[Ceol na Mara]

So how did it go?????

[OceanCityGirl]

Even though it was only open to my school lines were long. Atlantic City is doing a big hire. You basically had to choose between waiting in line for AC which went around the building or going to most of the other schools. I did a few schools, got into line for AC thinking there are still three hours left. After being in line for AC an hour all of the other schools started leaving early. They were sitting empty while everybody was afraid to get out of line for AC. But I had some positive responses and gained a good deal of experience. They throw quick random questions at you that I now know I have to be able to answer.
I'm hopeful. I have a very good resume and skills. It's a tougher market then expected though because many teachers are choosing to delay retirement another year due to the economy.

[NZParrothead58]

Well done OCG...I'm sure it went even better than you imagine.

First of all...best of luck! I never really went to one of those before but I know others that have and they enjoyed the experiences.

Secondly, I don't know if this is an option for you or not, but New Zealand is SCREAMING for teachers and is a pretty good place to live. We are heading into term 2 of 4 at the moment and there are tons of positions available all over the country. The school system is a bit different from the states, but as I said in my interview here...kids are kids. It took me over two unsuccesful years of searching for a job in Michigan before coming this way and landing a job within two months (school's were on summer break at the time, so I started on the 1st day of the new school year).

I just thought that I would mention it and also wish you well. Best of luck!

Oh man, I might have to keep this in mind for the future. Where do you live in NZ? I visited Auckland, Christchurch, Whangerei and a couple of other places in February 2003.

As for me...I have been here in Auckland since December 2006. My wife is a kiwi and after we had our first child in the states she wanted to be close to home...so here we are. Auckland is DESPERATE for teachers...especially male ones. In this short amount of time, I have gone from a struggling teacher who couldn't find a job in Michigan for two years to a full time, fully registered teacher and dean (that means that I am in charge of the well being of about 360 students in the school - on top of my class load). I have also been offered a Head of Department position that I turned down. Oh how things change! Not only that, but I don't see snow and the weather suits my clothyes...most of the year. Not a bad gig...other than missing family and Detroit sports!