u/meteorflipzz

Hey, all!

I interviewed last Friday. On Monday I was informed that I was selected. The recommendation for hire was sent in on Tuesday.

I'm excited, but also very anxious. What's the usual follow-up and when can I expect it? Would it be by phone or email?

Thanks!

Hello, I was wondering if someone could explain the application process for teachers?

I've heard/read a lot of different things about the screening process and wanted some clarity. What's HR's actual role in the hiring process?

Scenario: you're a student teacher who is also a para. You're put on investigation because a colleague reported to the district (didn't like admin's stance) that you showed signs of yellow boundaries behavior for writing summer letters to your class (crazy, right?). You were placed under investigation, and it ended in your favor, but afterwards the district deemed you "risky" and decided to terminate you.

After graduation, you apply for your cert, disclose the investigation, its results, the termination, and the state still awards you with your certification.

When applying for teaching jobs, should I:

• disclose the investigation/termination on an application?

if you disclose the information on an application, is it the administration who screen/review applications and decides if they still want to interview you? Or does HR/HR's system flag and remove your application before it even makes it to administration?

• don't disclose the investigation/termination on an application.

1. if you don't disclose the information on an application, and it doesn't come up, in the interview or through references, can HR pull your information from the previous district?
2. if you don't disclose the information on an application, but somehow it comes up during the interview or post interview (say, you share it or they find out from a reference, but they advocate for you) but the administration is understanding and still wants to send you through for recommendation for hire, does admin have to disclose the findings to HR? And if so, will HR deny the recommendation for lying on the application?

I'm looking for my first teaching position. I live in an area where teaching positions are hard to come by for anyone. However, it's even harder for Black men. To have your name tied to "investigated" and "terminated" can put you at a huge disadvantage in a competitive field.

I don't necessarily feel good about asking these questions, but I would feel better knowing what my peers would do.

Hey!

I just heard back from the school I interviewed for. The email says "congratulations, you're a finalist", and that they're having trouble hearing from my references.

Does this mean I got the job?

Hey!

This is a follow up to my previous post.

I had my interview yesterday. I was the 3rd candidate to be interviewed out of 6. When I left there were 2 candidates that were waiting to be interviewed - seems they were a little behind. It's a Title I dual language school and there are 2 vacant positions. I have about a 33% chance.

Some background: Although I'm looking for my first teaching position, I did my full year residency/student teaching in a Title I dual language school, receiving my master's, multilingual learners' endorsement, and teaching cert. I have 10 years working in a Title I dual language school - I've been a para since a couple years out of high school. Just for full transparency, I am a Black man - reason for stating this is the disproportionate amount of representation in schools.

I felt the interview went great. I answered to the best of my ability as a new teacher.

• I expressed passion for my work.
• I talked about family and community involvement and how important it is.
• I also talked about inclusion and culturally responsive learning and how I incorporate aspects of my student's identities into lessons.
• I told them how my work is data driven and how I teach to the state standards.
• For class management, I shared how important beginning the day with a meeting where students share their mood and something special that may have happened since school let out, and how I check-in with those who shared having big feelings.
• I went on to shared how at the beginning of the year it's important to practice policy and routines with students and model expectations.
• Used examples on how to support ELL - the different scaffolds and partnership with bilingual support.
• How flexible I am.
• How important it is to validate students' feelings in the event of emotional outburst and break spaces and behavior plans.
• That I don't speak in deficit language about a student.
• I provided recommendation letters from former students who are now in middle and high school (they were given at my going away party at the school). I also provided two print outs of my favorite lessons from last year.

I'm a big reflector and some of the things I forgot to mention were: explicitly supporting neurodivergent students; how often I reflect on lessons or interactions with students; tiered interventions; restorative practices (although I talked about PBIS and community circles), my belief in non-punitive measures; and an emphasis on my willingness to learn.

You never know who people want to hire for their positions, so I'm not holding out hope of getting picked and I'm already back looking for job openings (it's scarce but it'll pick-up in the next few weeks, I'm sure).

The school probably interviewed until around 2-3p. When do you think they'll make a decision? When do you think they'll begin reference checks? Would they start immediately, or pick back up Monday? Do I read as a valuable candidate?

Thanks!

Hey!

This is a follow up to my previous post.

I had my interview yesterday. I was the 3rd candidate to be interviewed out of 6. When I left there were 2 candidates that were waiting to be interviewed - seems they were a little behind. It's a Title I dual language school and there are 2 vacant positions. I have about a 33% chance.

Some background: Although I'm looking for my first teaching position, I did my full year residency/student teaching in a Title I dual language school, receiving my master's, multilingual learners' endorsement, and teaching cert. I have 10 years working in a Title I dual language school - I've been a para since a couple years out of high school. Just for full transparency, I am a Black man.

I felt the interview went great. I answered to the best of my ability as a new teacher.

• I expressed passion for my work.
• I talked about family and community involvement and how important it is.
• I also talked about inclusion and culturally responsive learning and how I incorporate aspects of my student's identities into lessons.
• I told them how my work is data driven and how I teach to the state standards.
• For class management, I shared how important beginning the day with a meeting where students share their mood and something special that may have happened since school let out, and how I check-in with those who shared having big feelings.
• I went on to shared how at the beginning of the year it's important to practice policy and routines with students and model expectations.
• Used examples on how to support ELL - the different scaffolds and partnership with bilingual support.
• How flexible I am.
• How important it is to validate students' feelings in the event of emotional outburst and break spaces and behavior plans.
• That I don't speak in deficit language about a student.
• I provided recommendation letters from former students who are now in middle and high school (they were given at my going away party at the school). I also provided two print outs of my favorite lessons from last year.

I'm a big reflector and some of the things I forgot to mention were: explicitly supporting neurodivergent students; how often I reflect on lessons or interactions with students; tiered interventions; restorative practices (although I talked about PBIS and community circles), my belief in non-punitive measures; and an emphasis on my willingness to learn.

You never know who people want to hire for their positions, so I'm not holding out hope of getting picked and I'm already back looking for job openings (it's scarce but it'll pick-up in the next few weeks, I'm sure).

The school probably interviewed until around 2-3p. When do you think they'll make a decision? When do you think they'll begin reference checks? Would they start immediately, or pick back up Monday? Do I read as a valuable candidate?

Whatever feedback you have I'll take with me into my next interview.

Thanks!

Hey, all!

I just received an email to schedule my very first teaching interview! The email stated I am part of a handful out of 70 applicants. They want to host interviews this Friday which is a quick turnaround.

There are two openings - a 5th grade and a 4/5 - the latter which I thought was a day split, but is a split classroom which is totally unexpected, but I would do it although I'm sure there would be a steep learning curve.

Are there any interview tips you can share with me that will impress? What to say/not say? Do/not do? What about potentially teaching a 4/5 split?

Thanks!

Hi,

I wanted to know what month did you get hired for your first teaching position?

I guess I'm a little nervous about it all. The waiting game is a tough period. I've only applied to pools. Positions haven't posted in any school district within 90 minutes of me, which is reassuring.

Still, the wait sucks.

Hey!

Teaching positions across my area haven't posted yet - this is unusual because positions would normally post around April/May, but with budget deficits, funding cuts, along with internal shuffling, this may be the new normal. With that being said, it's still very early. I've applied to teaching pools, but right now, it's really the only option.

I'll be going into my first-year of teaching. While I'm waiting, I'm wondering - at what point did you start to consider charter or independent schools? If you went that route, why?

Hello, all! (resume below)

I'm a hopeful 1st year teacher and I got some negative feedback on my resume. I've student taught and have been a para for a while.

Here is a redacted version of my resume. The second page also includes my education history and accomplishments - which honestly exists within the school, but not necessarily education specifically, such as BLT, Race and Equity team lead, admin designee, etc..

I only put a small bullet around my student teaching. I guess I just lack the confidence to explain what it is I actually did in contrast to the work I've done in classrooms prior.

This is my full list of experience I have down.

I saved it as a jpg so it may not seem like it, but my resume is a full 2 pages, and the font size is 10 (it's the only way to make it all fit).

How do I make my resume more attractive and stand out?

https://preview.redd.it/lwm719o83q6h1.jpg?width=1632&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2f675bb2362ebdc8926dff45218c60b6bef06534

https://preview.redd.it/42dky9o83q6h1.jpg?width=1632&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4af889253fcddd2396a27aff09c5e979798248fc

Hello!

I am currently applying for my first teaching job, and I am concerned that I may have tanked my application.

Back when I was an instructional assistant, I was terminated for a policy violation - not by my admin. Since then, I've completed my student teaching and received my official teaching certificate a couple of weeks ago.

When first applying to jobs a couple of months ago, I originally disclosed the termination. Shortly after, I spoke to someone in the field, and they suggested that I don't disclose the termination because I'm now going for a teaching job. I went back to the applications and removed the termination.

It's still early and I haven't seen any external teaching positions posted from local districts yet, but I'm concerned that the change will torpedo my applications. I was approved for my certification in which the termination was disclosed, and I've gone back and updated my application with the certificate. I was approved by the state just 2 weeks ago, so they don't think the termination was an issue.

Did I screw up by going back and removing the termination from my applications? If so, how do I fix things?

Hello,

I just completed my student teaching and I'm looking for an elementary school teaching position. I've also served as an IA for 6 years prior to joining my teaching program.

I don't particularly interview well because of my anxiety and I often fail to find the right words to say and get super nervous. Although I know academic language, I oftentimes struggle with how to incorporate it into my responses (it's a fear of saying the wrong thing or coming off the wrong way).

Can anyone share any questions I'll likely be asked and how I should respond?

Hoping someone has a heart and can understand how intimidating interviews can be and can help me out.