High School Teacher 

How did you get your current job?
I had a former teacher of mine come and talk to me about working for the school system.

What was the application process?
I had to attend a job fair, submit my resume online and in person, and then go through a series of interviews.

Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
The first interview that I had was at the job fair. It was with the various lead teachers at the different schools in the district. Once that interview was over, I received a telephone interview with the school system. After that interview, there was one more at the school with the Principal and the lead teacher again.

If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
Most of the questions were things like, “Why do you want to be a teacher” and “What do you have to offer this school.”

Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
I really do. They didn’t have to send me to a teacher preparation plan, but they did. It made me a better teacher, and a better employee.

Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
There was training for my current position. I chose to go an alternate route to teaching. I had a Bachelor’s Degree in English, but didn’t go through the Education program at my college. The school system saw my potential and sent me to their Transition to Teaching (T2T) program. In this program, we spent the summer before our first year of teaching learning the skills that go along with being a teacher in intensive small group sessions. We also took some basic classes in adolescent Psychology in order to make us ready for the first year. We did not do any student teaching, but instead went straight into our first year which, if successfully completed, counted as our student teaching.

Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
I don’t now that any education is going to prepare you for the classroom. The only experience that will prepare you for the classroom is actually being in the classroom. You never know what your students are going to do. You can anticipate their behaviors by working with them longer, but you’re still never going to be 100% prepared.

If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
N/A

If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Look into the local programs that the school systems have for new teachers. Ask them what kind of an education they would like for you to have. Some schools like it if your undergraduate degree is in your content area, and some school like it if your degree is in education. It all depends on where you would like to be working when you are done with your education. Also, keep an eye open for local job fairs. They usually have all of the schools in the district there so that you can interview with them in one central location.

What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
You need to be a good public speaker, because that is basically what you will be doing most of the day. You also need to be organized and able to handle the papers that students turn into you. You should also be able to use the computer because most schools require you to integrate technology such as powerpoints and smartboard presentations into your curriculum.

Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
You have to have good background information of your content area.

What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
You need to start with a thick skin. Your students will know if you are new. You have to be able to distance yourself from them and not let them get to you because that is exactly what they will try to do.