Well, here I am, now a fully registered teacher, and to top it off I now have a permanent contract to teach at my school. Two years of teaching under my belt, finished my beginning teacher professional development programme, and ready to continue on my journey.
It's been a little while (again) since my last note. What's been happening? We've had a successful senior school production, year six camp - and the biggie - some students I have been working with are the New Zealand winners of a Panasonic video competition called KWN: Kid Witness News. This coming week myself and two students are off to Malaysia for an Asia/Pacific regional award ceremony. If they are judged the best there, then it's off to the United States for the global awards.
You can view the video (Ecology Detective: Case of the missing Kereru) on my YouTube page youtube.com/mrrobashcroft
Happy Christmas!
Showing posts with label job application. Show all posts
Showing posts with label job application. Show all posts
30 November 2008
19 November 2006
Got It!
Next year I am officially a teacher at Kauri Park School. I start in February and will be teaching a year 5/6 class.
I am so stoked. This is the job I really wanted. There was one other job I had applied for, and had been offered a position, but after some serious consideration I turned down the offer last week. Possibly a bit of a risk, but the right decision at the time I thought - and it turns out so.
Interestingly (and against statistical trends) the syndicate of four teachers that I will be working with will be made up of three male teachers and one female. Quite rare at primary schooling.
Now the job uncertainty is over – the real thing is on its way. Arrrrgh – I’m both excited and nervous at the same time. It’s going to be great!
I am so stoked. This is the job I really wanted. There was one other job I had applied for, and had been offered a position, but after some serious consideration I turned down the offer last week. Possibly a bit of a risk, but the right decision at the time I thought - and it turns out so.
Interestingly (and against statistical trends) the syndicate of four teachers that I will be working with will be made up of three male teachers and one female. Quite rare at primary schooling.
Now the job uncertainty is over – the real thing is on its way. Arrrrgh – I’m both excited and nervous at the same time. It’s going to be great!
14 November 2006
This is the one I want
Got the call this morning. I've been short listed and have an interview on Saturday morning. I'm pretty stoked about it - and hope that it's not too long before I find out if I have the job. It'd make a wonderful birthday present!
I'm still to hear back from my first interview with another school. Most likely that will come tomorrow. I'm fairly sure I don't want to work there, but you never know. If they're willing for me to hold off on making a decision so that I can do a school visit and observe some teaching going on (and hang out in the staffroom at morning tea - a great place to get the 'feel' of a school environment), then that'd be nice.
But really, the job I want is at the school where I have an interview on Saturday. More details to come about that when I find out.
I'm still to hear back from my first interview with another school. Most likely that will come tomorrow. I'm fairly sure I don't want to work there, but you never know. If they're willing for me to hold off on making a decision so that I can do a school visit and observe some teaching going on (and hang out in the staffroom at morning tea - a great place to get the 'feel' of a school environment), then that'd be nice.
But really, the job I want is at the school where I have an interview on Saturday. More details to come about that when I find out.
08 November 2006
Phew - No Brain Freeze!
I did it, I got through my first interview without any complete mind blanks!
One important approach that I think got me through was going in with the attitude of just being myself, being real, and speaking from the heart. What's the point in trying to be someone I'm not? If who I am is not what they want, then getting the job would be no good for either party. This line of thinking actually helped me relax and hence made the interview go all the better.
Secondly, I took along with me a folder of a few things that revealed a bit more of me as a teacher than the initial CV did. I put in a range of things from a variety of curriculum areas. Planning, worksheets, exemplars, etc. The true benefit of this was not so much giving it to the interviewees to browse through at their own leisure, but to actually hold it myself and talk from it as a springboard into sharing more about my approaches and philosophy of teaching. In this way I had my own prompts to ensure I covered key aspects that I felt were important. It also added strength to what I was talking about. As they say, 'a picture is worth a thousand words'. Additionally, I could pick it up again if any of their questions related to content that I had.
These two factors alone I would recommend to anyone going for an interview.
One important approach that I think got me through was going in with the attitude of just being myself, being real, and speaking from the heart. What's the point in trying to be someone I'm not? If who I am is not what they want, then getting the job would be no good for either party. This line of thinking actually helped me relax and hence made the interview go all the better.
Secondly, I took along with me a folder of a few things that revealed a bit more of me as a teacher than the initial CV did. I put in a range of things from a variety of curriculum areas. Planning, worksheets, exemplars, etc. The true benefit of this was not so much giving it to the interviewees to browse through at their own leisure, but to actually hold it myself and talk from it as a springboard into sharing more about my approaches and philosophy of teaching. In this way I had my own prompts to ensure I covered key aspects that I felt were important. It also added strength to what I was talking about. As they say, 'a picture is worth a thousand words'. Additionally, I could pick it up again if any of their questions related to content that I had.
These two factors alone I would recommend to anyone going for an interview.
03 November 2006
First Interview
Well, seems like this could be an on-going pattern. Firsts that is, not interviews (hopefully). Just had another phone call from the same principal mentioned in my last entry, and have booked in an interview for next Wednesday.
So we'll see how it goes - might need to practice answering some possible questions that may come up.
I do have one other application in at the moment. Both were due to close on 10 November, but the school that just contacted me has decided to start their interviews early.
So we'll see how it goes - might need to practice answering some possible questions that may come up.
I do have one other application in at the moment. Both were due to close on 10 November, but the school that just contacted me has decided to start their interviews early.
20 October 2006
First applications sent out
I've completed my curriculum vitae (Resumé) and sent out two applications. One to a school that I really would like to get a job at, the other to a school that looks good but I don't know too much about.I'm taking the approach that it's important for me to start working at a place that I will really want to be at. Kind of like applying for any other job really - why would you work somewhere you don't think you'd enjoy?
Some fellow graduates are taking the 'send-out-as-many-applications-as-you-can' approach. I'm not too sure about that? Although my situation (Male, ICT savey, good grades, 'mature') puts me in a position where I could be in more demand as a primary teacher - but still... why would you want a job at a school that didn't match your own philosophy of teaching?
Anyway. Two applications out and one principal has already phoned me back before the application close off date. That's a good sign that my curriculum vitae helped me through stage one! We'll see how things progress. I would prefer the other school though - is that too fussy?
Have a look at a copy of my CV if you want.
03 September 2006
Putting Myself Out There
Well, here we go... time to put together my curriculum vitae to promote myself to prospective schools.
This is the time of year (September/October) that many teaching positions are advertised for the start of next year. One good place to go if you're interested in keeping up to date with any new advertised positions for teaching in New Zealand schools is edgazette.govt.nz. You can set up an email alert that will keep you posted with positions advertised in the last 24hours.
Anyway, time to get back to producing my own CV.
This is the time of year (September/October) that many teaching positions are advertised for the start of next year. One good place to go if you're interested in keeping up to date with any new advertised positions for teaching in New Zealand schools is edgazette.govt.nz. You can set up an email alert that will keep you posted with positions advertised in the last 24hours.
Anyway, time to get back to producing my own CV.
- Something that is professional yet creative and eye-catching
- Not too big - principals don't have all day to read my life story!
- Personal details
- Curriculum related and personal strengths
- Personal Teaching philosophy
- Referees
- Associate Teacher feedback quotes from my various practicum
- Academic history
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