Teacher 

(Female, Age 35) from Port Orange, FL

This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 35 who works as a Teacher in Port Orange, FL. 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 $34,500
Other Compensation None Set
Hours/Week 35
Company Size (not answered)
Location Port Orange, FL
Years Experience 2 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 am employed by the Volusia County School Board as a kindergarten teacher. I don’t really know the size of the “organization”. There are 40+ elementary schools in our district each employing 50 or more teachers plus support staff, custodians, etc.

Describe your job role and responsibilities.
teaching a class of 19 kindergarteners according to the district curriculum, writing lesson plans, giving assessments

Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
PPO health insurance, dental insurance, 12 weeks vacation, 10 sick/personal days per year, state pension plan

Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
well compensated – average

Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
I work with children all day long. I also work with other adults to a lesser degree. I enjoy working with others or else I certainly wouldn’t have gone into teaching. Sometimes I would like more adult interaction than I get.

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.
We often work together on lesson plans, projects, etc.

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: 4
Hours: 6
Co-Workers: 2
Supervisors: 5
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 7
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 Arrive at school at 7:30, sign in and check mailbox, prepare for students’ arrival – get morning work ready, turn on computers, open blinds, set out homework to put in folders, talk to the other teachers in my building. Pick up students at 7:55.
8am to 9am Have students unpack, turn on morning announcements, take attendance and lunch money, explain morning work, check folders while students work. Go over the calendar (days of the week, months, etc.), sing calendar songs, line up and go to special area.
9am to 10am Planning time from 9:00-9:40, talk to guidance counselor about a student who needs placement in an ESE class, pick up paycheck in registrar’s office, check mailbox, check email, sorted through a bag of clothes for a student who doesn’t have anything for cold weather, pick kids up from special area at 9:40, walk back to class, pass out math packets and start math lesson.
10am to 11am Teach math until 10:20, line up for lunch, walk kids to cafeteria, lunch until 10:55, pick kids up and walk back to classroom.
11am to 12pm Whole group reading lesson, read a story and talk about story elements, phonics lesson, literacy centers while I do guided reading groups, took a student to time-out in classroom next door, tested students individually on sight words.
12pm to 1pm Recess from 12:00 to 12:30, pass out snack, return to class and put homework in folders while students rest, watched a video about arctic animals.
1pm to 2pm Taught science lesson on hibernation, started a Christmas ornament project which kids worked on while I put their folders in their cubbies, got everyone packed up and lined up for dismissal, walked after-care kids to portable.
2pm to 3pm Cleaned up the classroom, checked email, got a student’s folder ready for transfer to a new school, spoke with school psychologist about a student, called a parent to confirm a meeting for Friday, got work ready for tomorrow, left at 3:00.
3pm to 4pm
4pm to 5pm
5pm to 6pm
6pm to 7pm
7pm to 8pm
8pm to 9pm
9pm to 10pm
10pm to 11pm
11pm to 12am

Table of Contents

How you got your job

How did you get your current job?
job fair

What was the application process?
submitted college transcripts and application to county, fingerprints and drug testing, submitted application for specific job openings

Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes, I interviewed for numerous positions at the district job fair. There was an individual interview with the principal, assistant principal, and academic coach. I then had to meet with the grade level teachers and had a follow-up interview with administration.

If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
What college coursework did you take? Where did you intern? Where did you substitute teach? Are you willing to commute across county? What is your teaching philosophy? Why do you want to teach? What are the 5 components of reading? What is your favorite subject to teach and why?

Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
My employer did not prepare me. All preparation came from college.

Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Yes, I trained by completing two internships and by substitute teaching.

Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
My education prepared me to teach content but didn’t really prepare me for classroom management and other administrative duties such as keeping records.

If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
Yes but not as much as substitute teaching.

If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Get a bachelors degree in education, add additional endorsements to their certificate (such as ESOL or reading), substitute teach while looking for a job.

What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
must like children, be patient, be self-directed and creative, flexible

Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes, a bachelors degree is required.

What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Spend some time volunteering in a school before you decide to pursue a career in education, be prepared to spend a lot of your own money on your classroom because the district never gives you enough to cover expenses.

Long-term career plans

Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
yes

What are your current career goals?
to continue teaching, hopefully in a higher grade

Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?

Prior work history

Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:

Title Length Salary Description
Prior Job 1 substitute teacher 1 year $12/hour
Prior Job 2 job counselor 9 months don’t remember Helping recent graduates of a mechanic school find employment.

Educational background

Please list your educational background:

High School GPA:3.1

GPA School Degree
College (Undergraduate)
or Technical/Vocational
3.3 University of Central Florida BA education & psychology
Graduate or Professional
(Masters or Doctorate)

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