From student teacher to teacher: making the second cut Part II.

Part I of this two-part article, published in the March 204 issue, addressed five components of the employment process in order to "make the first cut" when seeking a teaching position. The purpose of this article (Part two) is to provide teacher candidates with the necessary skills to understand and navigate the application process and on up to the interview, and signing of the contract. The five components to be discussed in this article include the various stages of the employment process from: (1). The Position Search Process. (2). Application Process, (3). Preparing for the Interview, (4). Development of the Professional Portfolio, and (5). Employment Opportunities, and Resources.

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One of the least worries on a student teacher's mind during the student teaching experience is completing an application for a teaching position. Traditionally, during Student Teaching Seminar the focus of the "Employment Session," is on how to articulate one's educational philosophy, and on how to construct the cover letter and resume. At times a principals panel supports the session and if time allows a mock interview is also demonstrated. Less time or "no time" is spent in providing teacher candidates with examples of the various types of teaching applications or on the strategies needed to make the employment process more efficient and less frustrating. The following describes the various stages of the employment process: (1). The Position Search Process, (2). Application Process, (3). Preparing for the Interview, (4). Development of the Professional Portfolio, and (5). Employment Opportunities and Resources.

The Teaching Position Search Process

Career Services Office. One of the most effective ways in searching for teaching positions can be through the use of your local university's career services and placement office. They are the "Cent-Com" (Central Command) which gathers recent position vacancy notices from school districts throughout the United States. They also employ a professional staff who are ready to assist teacher candidates in their employment search prior to and after graduation. Depending on the management configuration they may be the depository for setting up the professional placement file as well. Some large institutions also have their own placement file services housed in their respective schools and colleges (School of Education, School of Nursing, etc.). For example, the credential analyst in some institutions sometimes house and manage the placement files for all credential candidates (teaching, counseling, educational administration, etc.). The career services office assists candidates in the employment search, constructing the cover letter and resume, providing opportunities for mock interviews, posting current notifications of employment positions and job fairs, sponsoring on campus career fairs and allowing school districts to conduct on-campus interviews, and career counseling. The career services office also acts as a referral agency that can further lead to other sources of assistance in the teaching employment process.

Professional Networking. A strategy that is very helpful in the search process is building and nurturing a network of professionals in the field of education. There is a saying "it's not what you know but who you know." That is, having strong qualifications is first priority, and being referred by particular individuals also helps. You want to begin networking at an early stage of the employment process. It can begin early during the student teaching phase, while taking credential methods courses and even during the field service or practicum experience. Many times classroom teachers are the first to know where and which teaching vacancies will become available. If possible, take the time to meet with the school Principal to discuss employment opportunities at the school or in the district. Many times school Principals recommend teacher candidates to one another in an effort to get the best teacher candidates first.

Remember the saying "be nice to all people because you never know when you might need them." Utilize your university professors with whom you have had a close relationship as a student in their course or faculty who are your academic advisors. Many times both school principals and district personnel will contact faculty when positions become vacant or in cases of emergency hiring. Utilize both professors and the administrative offices in the School of Education. Many times the School of Education will get telephone calls or e-mails regarding vacancies or employment postings regarding teaching vacancies.

Computer Internet Searches. One of the most efficient manners to search for a teaching position is through the internet. One can link up directly to a school district's web page and review employment opportunities as they are posted. Also, there are particular educational organizations who post teaching positions on a local, state, national, and world-wide basis (See Table 4). The advantage of using the internet as a search strategy is that you can do it from the comfort of your home or any other place where there is computer and internet service. Many school districts now have the capability of accepting applications on-line. Also, some states have Teacher Recruitment Centers. Their purpose is to be the referral agency by which they disseminate teaching employment opportunities and provide many services similar to the university career services offices. The centers have the capability of sending applications to multiple school districts and receive the latest postings regarding teaching vacancies.

Employment Career Fairs. If you do not have time to conduct internet searches or have easy access to a computer, the most efficient manner to physically meet school personnel on a large scale is to attend an employment career fair or a professional conference. The state, county offices of education, large school districts, and local universities sponsor career fairs throughout the year. Professional conferences always have educational exhibits where many school districts also set up their recruitment booths. If you attend a career fair be prepared to carry plenty of resumes and to possibly be interviewed "on the spot" and at times be offered a contract if you are in a shortage teaching area. Make sure you are dressed professionally when attending such events. This process is the most efficient in making yourself known and in being able to gather school district information all in one place. In a sense, it is also an opportunity for you to also interview the district personnel. Sometimes just by talking to the recruitment officers' you receive some indication if that is a district you would be really interested in applying or placing more effort in researching for more information regarding their strengths.

Classified Advertisements. Last, there is the "old-fashioned" way as you sip a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning by reviewing the newspaper classified advertisements. Some school districts still use that approach but many have opted out due to budget constraints. I also believe that this venue is utilized less by many individuals because of the easy access to other forms of technology.

The Application Process

Once you have organized and narrowed your school district search the next step is to request an employment application packet. You can request an application by telephone, by mail, by e-mail, downloading it off the internet or the old fashioned way, by picking it up in person from the school district office. In some cases you can complete the entire process through the internet by logging onto the district's web-site. Most likely the process to be followed is through the submission of the school district application and supporting documents by personally taking them to the school district office. The documents include the district application, the cover letter and resume, letters of reference or verification of request of the placement file from the university you attended, and at times the professional portfolio or a video taped lesson demonstration are required.

Completing the Teaching Application

Nowadays, searching for a teaching position and completing the employment application can be done in the comfort of one's home, the local library, a cyber cafe or any place where there is access to a computer and an inter-net connection. One can also complete it by picking up the application in person or by loading a hard copy off the internet. Factors to consider in completing the application are: First, the application should be neat and legible, particularly if the application is going to be printed by hand. Second, be aware of the mechanics such as grammar, spelling correctly and leaving blank spaces. An effective procedure is to make a copy of the original application and use that one as the draft copy. Any space that is left blank can be substituted by writing N/A-Not Applicable. Third, if you are to hand print the application use black ink, just in case the search committee needs to make copies for all of the members of the team. Fourth, before submitting the application it is wise to have someone else peer edit the draft to see if it is error free. Fifth, make a copy of each application submitted for your own records. It is much easier to transfer information from one application to the next since most are generic regarding the information being requested from the teaching candidates'. Hopefully, there will not be many applications that you will need to complete! If you do mail any application materials, keep records and certify your mail with a return receipt (Pelletier, 2000). Another strategy to consider is taking the application in person to the district office. If you are allowed to meet with someone from the office of the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, do so. Show an interest in the school district by having prepared questions regarding the district and its programs. A "face" is always much better than the "faceless application" by itself. Make sure that all of the required documents are accompanied with the application packet prior to submission. If possible make yourself a check-off list. If you have opened a placement file at your university check periodically to see if all reference letters requested have been submitted. You do not want to make the mistake of "trusting" the system or the process and only have a copy of your teaching credential and official transcripts forwarded to the school district. The reference letter is the major document that supports your qualifications. An effective strategy is to set-up a mechanism to confirm receipt of all teaching application documents, credentials, transcripts and letters of reference. It can either be accomplished through a telephone call, or by supplying a self-addressed envelope. You can also inquire about the status of the application process in case you have applied to multiple school districts and are in a position to be selective as to which district to interview with.

Application Review Process

The process of reviewing teacher candidate applications varies from school district to school district depending on its student enrollment size. For the most part it begins with a person or team that reviews the applications once the deadline for submission has passed. A first criteria that is reviewed is to see if the candidates meet the minimum qualifications for the position (holding appropriate teaching credential or attaining it by the time the position begins, etc.). Once the pool of applicants has been narrowed the team ranks the applicants' and decides who will be granted an interview. The criteria utilized in ranking the candidates include having a complete and well presented application packet, a strong cover letter and resume, and having excellent letters of reference that speak to the qualifications of the position and unique characteristics of the candidate.

Once that phase has been completed, usually a team of administrators' or a school principal review the applicant files and re-rank the list to then invite possible candidates for an interview. Someone from the district office will contact the candidates to be interviewed. In a large school district the response time might be lengthened because of the number of applicants as opposed to fewer applications in a small school district (Pelletier 2000). The interview team may be composed of a school principal, a parent, a teacher, a classified staff member and sometimes a student (more detailed information regarding the interview process is discussed in the Interview Process section). After all of the candidates have been interviewed the search committee team will then re-rank them or have deliberations as to which candidates will be the most appropriate and most qualified to meet the needs of the district or school where the candidate may be placed. Once the candidates' are selected. they are notified from the Human Resources office and a contract is then offered.

If you are one of the lucky ones to be selected and have applied to multiple school districts, do not necessarily accept the offer on "the spot." Thank the member who has contacted you, communicate to them that you are honored to have been selected and ask that you would like to meet with them in person so you may discuss the offer. In case you have multiple offers, you may negotiate to see who has the highest salary scale, health benefits, staff development incentives, etc. If you accept an offer, you will then sign a "binding" contract. The last step is receiving approval from the district's School Board of Trustees', they are the ones that approve all employment recommendations. A very important factor to consider once you have signed a contract is about asking to be released from your contract because another school district has also offered you a contract. The school district in which you have signed the first contract can legally keep you until you have fulfilled the responsibilities of the contract (in other words they have the option of not releasing you from the contract). As a consequence, it can affect you in a negative manner in the future. One, the district might hesitate to employ you in the future, and two if another school district finds out about it they too may be hesitant to employ you. Most school districts understand if the decision to break the contract is legitimate for unforeseen personal reasons, they will most likely release you from the contract.

The Professional Interview

For many student teachers having being selected to be interviewed for a teaching position is what makes the entire employment process worthwhile. The feeling of accomplishment and being recognized for the qualifications one has is exhilarating. The interview process can be categorized into three scenarios. Scenario I--the pre-interview. Scenario II includes the interview itself and, while Scenario III is the post-interview. In this section we will discuss the three scenarios and include possible questions that may be asked by the interview committee and questions for the candidate to consider asking the committee as well.

Scenario I-Pre-interview. Preparing for the interview itself is as important as the interview, if not more. Once you have been asked to participate in an interview, some areas to consider include knowing the district's mission statement, or if interviewing for a particular school, the focus of the schools instructional program, the schools accountability report card, the schools Improvement Plan and the student demographics. Now days, most of the information may be located in the school district's website and its school links. Also, research the characteristics of the community and the types of businesses and partnerships that may be created. If possible the day before the interview take a "drive through" the community and locate the facility where your interview will be held. You do not want to be late to the interview. If at all possible review interview questions, (See Table 1) and see if someone can assist you in conducting a mock interview (your Master Teacher, University Supervisor, another student teacher) or the Career Services Office. If you cannot find someone do a self-interview, practice in front of a mirror so you may feel more comfortable during the interview itself. Also, utilize your professional portfolio as a guide and visualize how you may use it to support a question during the interview. Review the copy of the application packet and supporting materials that you submitted and use it as support as well.

Scenario II--The interview. There is a sort of professional etiquette to consider while interviewing for any position. In a teaching interview, the way you dress, the way you conduct yourself, the manner that you articulate your thoughts, eye contact. and how you excuse yourself after the interview are all aspects that may be taken into consideration in the rankings. It is better to dress conservatively than to be too casual. For men, slacks, a shirt and tie accompanied with a sports coat or blazer if possible is most appropriate. For Ladies, a business suit is preferred, a skirt and blouse or slacks is also appropriate. Be aware of length of skirt, body piercing, tattoo etc.

Once you have arrived at the school district greet the receptionist or any personnel. Make sure you provide a handshake and address everyone in a professionall manner. Make sure you have brought everything to the interview. Carry a notebook with paper and pen or small brief case and have all materials well organized, including a few extra resumes and business cards, if you have any. Now you are ready to be interviewed! As you enter the room, introduce yourself and shake everyone's hand and smile while maintaining eye contact. Someone in the interview committee will be the lead person and will begin by introducing the members of the committee and explain the interview process. In order to place you at ease, most likely the first question to be asked will be a question to elicit information about yourself. In answering all of the questions take a few seconds to gather your thoughts before responding. Respond succinctly but provide examples when appropriate. Be confident but do not overcompensate by sounding as though you know everything and don't need further training and development as a professional. Articulate your thoughts clearly, do not include "habit words" within your interaction such as "you know", "ok", "whatever" etc. The main content of the questions will include your teaching experiences from student teaching, issues of classroom management, instruction, assessment, education philosophy, and parent involvement (See table 1 for further questions). Again, utilize your portfolio as a guide in answering questions when possible. Remember the interview will take from half an hour to an hour. Therefore, be selective as to what you might want to share or demonstrate. At the close of the interview the panel will ask if you have any questions of them. Some questions that you might consider include how the district supports first year teachers, are there development opportunities, and at what point will they make their decision regarding the hiring process. Do not ask questions regarding salary or health benefits. since these questions may be answered by the office of Human Resources. You might even ask what they are looking for in an effective teacher and close by responding that you believe you match those qualities they just described. Depart after you have been excused and once again thank everyone for their time, shake committee members' hands, smile and depart in a confident manner.

Scenario III-Post interview. After the interview you might consider sending a thank-you note to the lead person or to the entire committee. Let them know how much you appreciated their time and the learning that took place as a result of the interview. Allow for a little time to pass. If you are selected a personal telephone call will follow or an official school district letter will be mailed to you if the position is not offered. During the waiting period do not hesitate to interview with other districts if you have the flexibility. Most candidates do not have the luxury of been selective to only one district.

Professional Employment Portfolio

There are three possible ways that teacher candidates can communicate their professional teaching qualifications. The first is through the submission of the cover letter. resume, and district application, including letters of reference or placement file. The second is participation in the personal interview. The third is the demonstration of the Professional Employment Portfolio. In my ten years of teaching a Student Teaching Seminar, I have come across some excellent portfolios and some that I would be embarrassed to take to an interview. A well constructed and professionally presented portfolio, at times, can make a difference in attaining the teaching position when two candidates have equal or similar qualifications. Utilize the professional portfolio as a "marketing" tool to give you the edge over other candidates. Nowadays, many teacher candidates are also transferring portfolio data into an electronic portfolio format as well as constructing a web page with links to all of their artifacts within the employment portfolio. The advantage is that everything is compact. But because of the length of time during an interview it is difficult to utilize the portfolio as a tool to support you while being interviewed.

The purpose of the portfolio is to document your student teaching experience or other teaching experiences, and to document any expertise you might want to communicate. It will be helpful throughout your teaching career, from pre-service to professional development (Cooper, 1997). The contents of the employment portfolio will vary according to personal preferences. Table 2 provides a sample outline of a "Portfolio Table of Contents" to consider as you develop your professional portfolio. In thinking of the development process of the portfolio, ask your self what is my professional goal? How does my experience relate to the goal? What artifacts can I collect that support my goal? How can I best describe the items that best represent my goal? How will I determine my presentation of my portfolio? (Martin, 1999). There are also some generic items that should be included that support your teaching qualifications. Table 2 also provides a sample outline of artifacts to consider. Keep in mind that you want to communicate and illustrate your teaching competencies. It should not be a collection of materials that makes it look like a scrapbook rather than a professional portfolio.

Factors to consider in developing and constructing your portfolio include: (1). Organization--Place contents in a 3-ring binder. It should have plenty of room so the interview team may flip through the pages easily. Clear plastic binders with an insert jacket on the front are the most appropriate so you can place a title page. The use of plastic page covers also helps, but be careful not to overuse them since they can make the portfolio very bulky, (2). Table of contents--Include a table of contents and label the sections or place tabs so the readers may easily locate areas of interest, (3). Selection of Artifacts--Be very selective of the artifacts and include both some student work samples and your own developed materials. A key factor to consider is demonstrating growth throughout the process, (4). Professional use of the Portfolio--The professional portfolio may be used in various ways during the employment process. It is usually submitted or utilized once a candidate has been selected for a personal interview. At that point one can submit it in: (a). Advance of the interview. If so, leave it with the appropriate personnel at least two-three days prior to the interview so members of the interview team may review it at their convenience, (b). Bring portfolio to the interview. If for some reason you do not submit it earlier, bring it to the personal interview and use it as a tool to assist you in answering questions. Martin (1999) suggests that the portfolio can assist during the interview process. You can set up your portfolio to help respond to the various questions the interview committee may ask. For example, if the committee asks you a question regarding classroom management you can always direct them or show them the section of the portfolio that includes the artifact with your letter to parents describing your classroom management philosophy and sample discipline plan. If the question deals with curriculum you can guide them through a sample lesson plan or teaching unit you developed, etc. The team members can be reviewing the artifacts while you are answering the questions, (c). Leaving the portfolio. The portfolio can also be left with the interview committee or with the lead administrator so they may review it at their own convenience. Make arrangements to pick it up two or three days after the interview unless they need to keep it longer. If you have made an electronic portfolio you can leave copies of your CD or your website address if you have one.

Again, the most important factors to consider are that your employment portfolio should be well organized, visually appealing, and reflective and include only relevant teaching artifacts that support and demonstrate your teaching competencies and qualifications as a professional educator. Nowadays, many school principals review the portfolios because it gives them better insight as to the talents and qualifications of the teacher candidates (Jacobson, 1997). On many occasions, I have been approached by school principals," and they have confided that the quality and demonstration of the professional portfolio was what made the difference in the selection of a candidate, other things being equal. Goodwin and Hensley (1997) encourage candidates to note in their application and resume that you will bring your portfolio or that it is available for review. Therefore, use the portfolio to your advantage!

Resources

Some possible resources to consider as you begin your teaching employment search include many of the ones listed in Table 3. The hope is to give you a jump-start in researching your first teaching position. The list is not exhaustive, and there are many more resources that one can utilize in anyone employment search process. Take a few minutes to explore them and see which ones best meet your employment needs.

Summary

"Making the first cut" is a positive step in attaining your first teaching position. If you are granted an interview, even better! You have made it through the "second cut." The experience gained during the first interview will help in the next one. The purpose of this article was to give teacher candidates the skills, techniques, and strategies, and a better understanding of the employment application process when seeking a teaching position. The hope here is to provide you with the opportunity to submit an employment teaching application to the school district of your choice and be granted an interview in your first attempt. This article can also help teacher educators in elementary education programs share with their pre-service teachers this information during the early part of student teaching or in the student teaching seminar. Pre-service teachers who will take the time to read both Part I and Part I1 of the articles will be well versed in the mysteries of the teaching employment search. The hope from this author is that pre-service teachers' will position themselves as the "front-runners" in successfully attaining the elementary teaching position of their "first" choice.

Table 1

Possible interview questions from the Interview Committee

Tell me a little bit about yourself?
Tell us about your student teaching experiences?
What do you believe about teaching and learning?
Why are you interested in working for our school district?
What do you consider are the characteristics of an effective lesson?
How do you assess student learning?
How would you plan and implement a lesson in....?
How will you take individual differences into account in your
classroom?
What has been your experience working with diverse ethnic and
linguistic populations?
How do you plan to involve or integrate parents in your instructional
program?
How would you respond to ... if this were to occur in your classroom?
[scenario question]
What two areas do you need further development and improvement?
How do you engage students in learning?
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
What special strengths or talents could you offer our school?
Do you have any questions for the interview committee?

Source: (Larimer, 1998; Roe & Ross. 2002)

Table 2
Possible Portfolio Outline

Table of Contents

Section I.         Personal Information
                   Autobiographic summary
                   Employment Cover Letter
                   Resume
                   Letters of Reference
                   Transcripts

Section II.        Teaching Proficiency
                   -Philosophy of Education Statement or
                   Reflection of Teaching Standards
                   -Classroom Management Philosophy and
                   Sample Discipline Plan
                   -Video Lesson Demonstration Critique
                   -University and Cooperating Teacher
                   Lesson Observations
                   -Sample Unit/Lesson Plans
                   -Samples of Student Work
                   -Student Assessment

Section III.       Photographic Journal
Section IV.        Recognition/Awards
Section V.         Community Service

Table 3

List of Possible Employment Resources

2001 Job Search Handbook for Educators. American Association for
  employment Education.
Carreer Development Guide. CASS Recruitment Media.
  http://www.placementmanual.com
Dantes' Troops to Teachers. http://www.jobs2teach.doded.mil/
National Center for Careers in Education. http://usteach.com

References

Cooper, J. M. (1997, September 3).Tenure and teaching portfolios. Education Week on the Web. [On-line] Available at: http://www.edweek. org/ew/vol17/01cooper.h17

Goodwin, J. P., & Hensley, R. P. (1997). Ball State Career Services: Professional employment portfolios. [On-line] Available: http://www.edu/ careers/foliotip.html

Jacobson, L. (1997) Portfolios playing increasing role in teacher hiring, study finds. [Online] Education Week on the Web. Available: http://www.edweek.org/ew/vol-1632port.h16

Larimer, R. E. II. (1998). Commonley asked questions. [On-line] Available: http://oaks.cats. ohiou.edu/~r1228095/esp/interview/index.htm

Martin, B. D., (1999). The portfolio planner: Making professional portfolios work for you. Merrril Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle. NJ

Pelletier, M. C. (2000). Strategies for successful student teaching: A comprehensive guide. Allyn & Bacon. Needham Heights. MA

Roe, D. B. & Ross, P. E. (2002). Student teaching and field experiences handbook. (5th ed.) Merril-Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle River. NJ

Reyes Quezada, Associate Professor, University of San Diego, School of Education.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Reyes Quezada, Associate Professor, University of San Diego, School of Education, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110-2492; Email: [e-mail]