Teacher
(Female, Age 31) from Richmond, VA
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 31 who works as a Teacher in Richmond, VA. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Teacher |
|---|---|
| Salary | $40,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 50 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Richmond, VA |
| Years Experience | 10 years |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
I work for Henrico Co. Public Schools. This is a very large county in Virginia.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
My job is to teach my 3rd grade students through engaging lessons and activities.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
10 sick days a year, 2 personal days a year, heath and dental insurance, Virginia Retirement Systems
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
Under
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
I do work with other teachers and staff on a daily basis. I enjoy working with other teachers together. I work currently with both a special ed teacher and ESL teacher in my classroom on a daily basis. I also work very closely with my grade level team and the administration.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
Inside a school building. This is a very old school so it sometimes feels like we don’t get any sense of the outside while inside.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 3
Benefits: 7
Hours: 4
Co-Workers: 2
Supervisors: 6
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 5
The Actual Work: 1
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | This could be the busiest time of the day. I get to school around 7. I used the copier to get my daily supplies and sheets ready. I start up the classroom computers and put out the chairs at the desks. I will pass out eye opener worksheets on the student desks. I do attendance once the students come in at 7:45. I also collect lunch money, homework, and make sure students are copying homework from the board into their agenda. |
| 8am to 9am | Teaching begins. We begin with spelling groups. We get our spelling groups together and do spelling an sorting activities at this time. This lasts from 8:15-8:45. I monitor student progress and assignments during this time as well. |
| 9am to 10am | Math Block – During the math block I team teach a math lesson with the special eduction teacher since we are a collaborative classroom. After we do the lesson, we do a hands on practice activity. This is followed by a worksheet practice and math homework is explained and passed out to be put in folders. |
| 10am to 11am | Special Time – While my students are in art, pe, library, or music, I use my time to work on planning, copying, or making parent contacts. I also use this time to take a quick break. |
| 11am to 12pm | Science and Social Studies – During this time, we teach science and social studies lessons and prepare for lunch time. We pass out hand santizer and take students to the restrooms. |
| 12pm to 1pm | Lunch/Recess – For lunch I drop my students off at the cafeteria. I am able to eat in the teacher’s lounge. They get 25 minutes for lunch. When finished I pick up my students and take them outside to recess. I monitor recess and lead group games. |
| 1pm to 2pm | Literacy Centers – The special education teacher and I lead reading centers at this time. We take times pulling reading groups, monitoring the other stations, and put students for one on one practice. We share the responsibility with the class. |
| 2pm to 3pm | STudents get packed up to leave. I have bus duty in the afternoon. This means that I help to supervise the bus ramp outside to make sure students get on the bus and leave safely. Once students are gone I use this time to plan with my grade level. |
| 3pm to 4pm | This time is used for planning, copying, and preparation for upcoming events. I grade papers, shut down computers, clean up the room, and make parent contacts. |
| 4pm to 5pm | Sometimes I use this time for grading papers and preparation. |
| 5pm to 6pm | Several nights a week papers are graded at home during this time. |
| 6pm to 7pm | none |
| 7pm to 8pm | none |
| 8pm to 9pm | none |
| 9pm to 10pm | none |
| 10pm to 11pm | none |
| 11pm to 12am | none |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
I went to school in this county and had a referral from a friend for a specific school.
What was the application process?
Paper application (now electronic) and resume, teacher portfolio, interview with HR and then schools.
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
I was first interviewed with HR for the county. Then, I interviewed with several individual schools. Some had a panel of teachers and others had just the principal.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
A lot of questions were about working with specific students within a school. I was asked about differentiation within the classroom and how would you deal with special education and or English as a Second Language students. What is your ideal classroom or your typical day was also popular.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
My college prepared me for my job. I learned from my team when I first started.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
I had practicum and student teaching experiences in the elementary and middle schools.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes! We had a lot of in classroom experiences and great classes for content areas.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
The best way to see how it will be to be a teacher is do get that experience. Having student teaching was a great preparation for that.
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Teaching jobs are hard to get these days with the economic standing. However, if you are interested, you need to apply with your local school division and put yourself and portfolios out there.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
You need to be confident to teach, organized to create good lessons and an atmosphere that is positive for student learning, flexible, social to work with others, passionate about helping children.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
You need some experience within a school.
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Take one day at a time. Learn from your mistakes. Stay positive so that your students have a positive mindset.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes, I am on the track that I want to be on.
What are your current career goals?
I would like to continue to be the team leader. I would like to continue my education to possible increase my salary.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
It is very fulfilling. It is worth it to see how much students learn!
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Computer Lab Assistant | 2 years | $5.55/hr | I was in charge of running several of the computer labs around the campus. |
| Prior Job 2 | Toddler Teacher | 1 year | don’t remember | I was in charge of teaching a toddler class. |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3.4
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.8 | Longwood College | Liberal Studies/Elem. Ed. |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
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