1. Employment Profile: What exactly does a High School English Teacher do? |
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 What field is your job in?
Education
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What is your job title?
High School English Teacher
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Please provide a brief description of the firm or organization that you currently work for
(size and general description of what type of organization it is)
I work for the Chicago Public Schools, the third largest public school district in the United States that serves over 430,000 students and employs over 44,000 people.
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How long have you been employed in this position?
Two years.
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How many hours do you work a week on average?
38 hours
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Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
I introduce new reading and writing concepts to students, handle student behavior and classroom management, and provide feedback to students on the ways to explore texts in a classroom environment.
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What was your gross income last year? Please include any bonuses or incentives received.
$47,000
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What is your expected gross income for this year? Please include any bonuses or incentives you expect to receive.
50000
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Please
list any benefits you have (Please include number of weeks vacation,
sick leave and type of health insurance, retirement plan 401k)
CPS teachers work a total of 193 days per year. CPS offers 9 weeks paid vacation during the summer, two weeks in December, and one week in Spring. We get 10 sick days a year, a PPO and HMO option for health insurance, a 7% pension plan, and a 403B option.
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Do you feel you are under/well/over compensated at your current position?
Well compensated.
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2. Work environment! |
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Does
your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this
something you like/dislike about your job? Explain
I work directly with students on a daily basis. On an average day, I work with 120 students. I also work with a group of 10-15 teachers regularly.
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Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
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Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
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Describe
your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what
you like/dislike about working in it
My supervisors include the head of the English department, the assistant principals, and the principal. I see some of these people more than others during observation days and teacher meetings (held about once a month). I work with the teachers on my floor to resolve student issues, address concerns we have about students, and plan school functions geared toward students and parents.
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Please rank in order of importance from 1-8 (1- most important 8- least important) Assign each number once.
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2 Income
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4 Work Environment - co-workers
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5 Work Environment - supervisors
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6 Benefits
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3 Hours
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7 Level of responsibility
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1 The actual "work" you do at your job
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8 Job Title
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3. How should someone new to the workforce get a J-O-B like yours? |
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If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
First it is required that a person complete a bachelor's degree. It is also required that part of that program prepare one for certification in a certain area of focus (one must choose between early childhood, elementary, or high school). They must observe in schools according to their Bachelor's degree requirements, and must pass a series of tests that gauge a teacher's readiness for the classroom. Finally, a period of 8 to 16 weeks must be spent working unpaid under a full-time teacher (called student teaching) so that they learn how to organize and run a classroom.
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What
skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a
position like yours? Please be specific and explain why (e.g., social
skills, organization skills, technical skills)
A teacher must be organized enough to maintain the flow of student work in a timely manner, and must be able to grade assignments using constructive feedback. A teacher must be very patient with students, as some schools have challenging student populations with behavior problems. A teacher must know how to recognize when a student is struggling and must be creative enough to know how to respond effectively. Teachers must be confident in themselves so that they will not get discouraged by a lack of resources or support. The job is often difficult since there are so many student personalities to manage. A teacher must know how to plan ahead and create meaningful learning opportunities for students that teach new and important skills. Teachers must truly care about their students in order to make a real difference. A great deal of the job is not about teaching, it is about listening and motivating.
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Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
At least a Bachelor's degree.
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What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
In order to find a teaching job, a person must be well-organized, have a teaching certificate, create a portfolio of teaching and learning activity examples, and contact each school they are interested in before the beginning of the school year. It requires one to be persistent. Before you begin teaching, make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. Teachers are not angels, and the job is most often nothing like the teaching positions we see in Hollywood. There are small achievements that happen everyday, but the work is stressful and you must be ready to work hard and set clear boundaries for your students.
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