Teacher Portfolios Can Help You Focus On Your Teaching Goals

What do you need in your Teacher Portfolio? How do you use your Teacher Portfolio?

If you haven’t started your portfolio, you should.  While it’s not a requirement to have one, at least not yet, teacher portfolios are a wonderful resource for you. Not only at an interview, but it will help you in your teaching career.  Saving and organizing documents from each year of teaching will help you to reflect on your student’s (and your) accomplishments.  And a portfolio will help you to stay on track to achieve your goals.

Remember, Teacher Portfolios are NOT JUST FOR INTERVIEWS!  They should be a part of your teaching career.  You should take a little time each year, (or more often would be even better) to update your portfolio.  Your portfolio will become a document you can be proud of.  And it will help should you decide to go for another teacher interview.

Substitute Teaching Can Help You Develop You Classroom Style Until You Get A Full Time Job

There are many websites that list teaching jobs. Each state varies in how they distribute that information. Do a quick search for your area and you should have no problem finding the current listings.

Sometimes it can be very easy to get the sub job. But more and more the schools are cutting their budgets and, as more people in other fields are being laid off, you find more competition for the few remaining spots. So, as with any job you’re trying to get, you need to stand out as someone the school must have on their call list.

When you interview for a teaching job, or a substitute teaching job, be professional in your manor and your appearance. Take the interview seriously, even if the position doesn’t pay very much.

Most importantly, make sure the school has the correct contact information for you, and that you follow up after the interview or demo lesson. Send a thank you note/email as soon as you get home. And, if you don’t get the job, be sure to ask why. You need that feedback to improve your performance for the next interview.