History Teacher
(Female, Age 46) from Petersburg, NY
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 46 who works as a History Teacher in Petersburg, NY. 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 | History Teacher |
|---|---|
| Salary | $43,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 40 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Petersburg, NY |
| 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.
Work for a small city district with approximately 3500 students. Students are considered ‘at-risk.’ Community is tight-knit and takes great pride in the successes of the students.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
Teaching history to 9th graders. Making sure I keep up with current educational strategies, utilizing new and/or improved practices. Use technology in the classroom to generate further interest with the students. Hands-on activities, class debate and partner projects, class to class competitions, field trips are also a large part of the curriculum. Calling and/or visiting parents to make sure they are up to date with their students’ progress.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
sick leave (10 days) and personal leave (2 days); 401K; health insurance
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.
Yes, I work with a team of history teachers on a daily basis. We are continuously comparing notes (what worked today, what didn’t) and collaborating together for the overall success of our students. This is a wonderful part of the job, as my co-workers and I think of ourselves as a ‘family’ of educators.
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.
Classroom with limited outside visuals. I don’t like the fact that I am cooped up everyday in such a building. I prefer a campus-style facility.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 1
Benefits: 3
Hours: 3
Co-Workers: 2
Supervisors: 2
Job Title: 3
Level of Responsibility: 3
The Actual Work: 2
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, pick up mail, do last-minute photocopying for class, sign up students for computer lab. Go to class and get students started on our day. |
| 8am to 9am | First period – teach my students the various standards of learning for history using VENN diagrams, graphic organizers and teaching methods for multiple personalities. Today we are using the Cornell Notes to assist with notetaking strategies. |
| 9am to 10am | First period/Second period – Today we are focusing on Cornell Notes and highlighting of the standards, after which we will do a quick review and a white board activity (each student has a white board to write his/her answers down). |
| 10am to 11am | Second period/Third period – Computer lab to go on various websites (Rockingham is the best) to utilize the students knowledge by their completing on-line games and quizzes. |
| 11am to 12pm | Third period/Lunch – Continuing at the computer lab and then going back to the classroom for a quick written quiz (10 questions) and an ‘exit card’ – (what did you learn today?) |
| 12pm to 1pm | Third period/Fourth period – The method is the same as for First and Second Periods. |
| 1pm to 2pm | Fourth period/students go home – |
| 2pm to 3pm | Meetings (staff development) on Marzano Strategies and test-taking skills; planning with team (pacing chart, where we plan to be by Christmas so that we may have enough time to teach all the material before the standardized tests). |
| 3pm to 4pm | Meetings and planning continue until 4:30. |
| 4pm to 5pm | Meetings and planning continue until 4:30. |
| 5pm to 6pm | Home |
| 6pm to 7pm | Home |
| 7pm to 8pm | Home and phone calls to parents. |
| 8pm to 9pm | Home and phone calls to parents. |
| 9pm to 10pm | Home |
| 10pm to 11pm | Home |
| 11pm to 12am | Home |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
Referral
What was the application process?
Resume, on-line application, phone call, interview
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes. Basically, the interviewers asked questions about how I deal with at-risk students and typical scenarios in a classroom environment – how I would deal with such a situation.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
What are my strengths and my weaknesses.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Not really, I prepared myself.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
No.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes. I have worked with at-risk youth for my entire teaching career, so I was prepared.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
My student teaching did prepare me for the basics of a classroom environment, but not the everyday drama that goes along with it.
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Do substitute teaching first to see if working with at-risk youth is the thing for you.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Lots of patience, understanding and love for the students. A positive attitude is probably the best thing to have in this teaching environment.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes, a teaching credential with a goal of a Master’s.
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Check out the district you’d like to apply to first. Know about the location, the people and the community.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
No, I wish to move up in my career, not sideways.
What are your current career goals?
I wish to teach in a university setting, teaching prospective teachers the reality of education and what REALLY happens in the classroom and not just theory that is taught now. I wish to ultimately earn my Ph.D.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
It is fulfilling and has been a great spiritual journey.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Teacher | 2 years | 43000 | Teaching history to 9th grade students. Keeping up with on-line gradebook, planning meaningful, interesting lessons to keep the interest of my highly at-risk students. |
| Prior Job 2 | Teacher | 1 year | 41000 | Teaching history to 8th grade students. Keeping up with on-line gradebook, planning meaningful, interesting lessons to keep the interest of my highly at-risk students. |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3.6
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.4 | California State University | Bachelors/Credential |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
4 | GCU | Masters |
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