Getting a Job

Principle and Athletic Director

Getting a job and Interview Process

•  What do you know about educator effectiveness model?
• No Child Left Behind was Bush's model, which was replaced by Obama's Race to the Top
• Every school in the country and all students must be proficient or advanced in math, reading, etc.
• Bar gets raised every year and fewer and fewer schools pass
• States can opt out of the 100% advanced and proficient (No Child Left Behind) and put together a model of assessing students and teachers which is federally approved to get funding, this is known as the Educator Effectiveness Model
• 50% of teacher evaluation is based on SLO's (student learning outcomes) and showing evidence that students are progressing in your classroom
• 50% of evaluation is based off of higher up's
• Teachscape based off of Charlotte Danielson's Four Domains
• Teachscape: electronic portfolio
• As a teacher, one is based off of 2, and 3, which is instruction and teaching
• 1 and 4 are assessed differently
• STUDY DOMAINS AND DANIELSON
• Danielson framework books
• UNDERSTAND AND PRACTICE WRITING SMART GOALS
• Have you written an SLO or a smart goal in your life?
• SLO can be collaborative with any subject
• Can pretest students and create an SLO for certain needs as well
• Need at least two
• Listen to building administrator
• Do you know what a PPG is?
• Professional learning goal of what you are going to do to make yourself a better educator
• A lot of the time can be based off of SLO's and smart goals
• Do you know what a PLC is?
• Learn the new set of vocabulary
• World of accountability in education
• Common core standards
• All teachers must be responsible
• Must be prepared to talk about that vocabulary and understand it
• Next year is the first year of full implementation of SLO's and PPG
• Understand how to use and collect data for progress
• Know how to analyze data

Process

• Get license as soon as possible
• Begin substitute teaching: shows a lot of different students in a lot of different settings
• Teachers aide positions as well
• Where to start looking?
• Jobs posted (WI) dpi job posting/state site
• sorted by discipline
• Can check school websites as well
• MN go to school websites, look into further
• Job postings:
• Cover letter
• Most important thing you do
• First thing people see
• Tells if you can write
• All will be reading and writing teachers in some way
• States objectives
• Where you heard about the job
• Please consider me a candidate for k-12 art position
• I am certain my skills and abilities...
• Transition into things you have done to show you are a competent teacher
• Paragraph form
• Make sure school and person on cover letter is correct 
• Make sure spelling is correct
• Resume
• Don't need to be dazzled, no fancy paper, or crazy font, or set up
• Want easy to read, easy to see, easy to understand
• In art may show a little creativity, but not much
• 1st thing to see on top: degree is in and what license is
• 2nd thing: is education
• 3rd: student teaching
• Look classy and professional
• Portfolio can be seen later
• Resume no longer than two pages
• How you relate to kids
• Transcript
• Make a copy of transcript unless it says official transcript
• Generally okay to send a copy, can call or send email asking if they need official copy
• If gone to multiple schools, make sure to get all transcripts
• Letters of Recommendation
• 3 letters generally
• Only send the amount the ask for
• Good letter from cooperating teacher
• Letter from manager of other careers
• Need a couple that are education based
• Can ask principal or assistant principal to observe or meet with them to get a letter from
• Principal/administrator letter
• One letter of recommendation from a professor/cooperating professor
• Cooperating teacher from practicum would be okay and better than something that is not for education
• District application can be filled out and placed at the end (Cover letter, resume, transcript, letters of recommendation, district application form
• Coaching can be last thing on resume, also can be on district application
• Put in nice manilla envelope with correct postage
• No stains, no wrinkles, no printer problems
• Make sure looks good
• Portfolio to have and talk about it in an interview shown ready and on top of things can be good, but otherwise is mostly important in 2nd interview, not first
• Don't want dead silence while loading things
• May want to see a little bit of work or pieces of student work, but probably not
• Waiting Game:
• Wait until week in advance of deadline
• BE PATIENT
• Do not call in
• They will call you
• Unless you have very specific question about process that secretary can probably answer of email
• Email asking if you want to submit electronic resume
• Phone Call:
• Get your phone call from secretary
• Slots set up for times to come in for interview
• Be completely flexible for interview
• Take late interviews
• Interview:
• 45 minute interview in a coherent way to show knowledge
• Must be prepared
• Apply to every position possible
• Never turn down an interview
• Write down every question they ask you after the interview
• Very similar and common questions asked
• 10 questions in every interview
• Write out answers how you want to answer
• Talk out every question like you're being asked
• Memorize words and short phrases for each question
• Go over before interview
• PREPARE FOR INTERVIEW
• Know how to communicate answers and vernacular
• Understand that you are nervous
• Okay to say "Can I think about this for a second" (momentary pause is okay)
• If you do not know the answer, still have some sort of answer: Maybe, "I don't know of this concept, but I would like to learn more about this."
• Do not B.S. interviewer
• Play the game: Dress the part, be conservative
• Dress professionally
• Phone off
• Be respectful to secretary
• Show up 15 minutes before interview: Not 30 or 45 minutes
• Have questions ready for interview team
• about district, community, school, etc.
• Know how the school runs and where their standards are at or what nationality students are, focus on art and which courses they use, "What software do you you use for graphic design department?"
• "Which classes are offered for your department?"
• Know the district and look things up
• Do not ask about salary or benefits in first interview
• 2nd Interview:
• Teaching in front of a class
• Call back very soon generally within 24 hours
• Will be sent a lesson to prepare for within the next week
• 2nd interview and more specific questions about the position
• Will begin to learn about more expectations
• Finalists generally meet with the superintendent who talks about salary and benefits (generally wait for this subject to come up
• Thank people and do not burn bridges 
• Phone call that you got the job
•  Give 24 hours to tell people you want the job
• Make sure you understand compensation, benefits and what not
• Be smart, be frugal with money
• TSA 403 B plan
• HRA Health Retirement Account

Presentations

Professional Learning Community (PLC)

• Great way to work collaboratively with other educators to improve student performance
• Focus is on learning, not teaching
•  Different ways PLC's work in each district: Can collaborate through grade levels, subject, or entire school
• Identify which students need additional help early on
• Provide students with help and no longer use summer school, retention, or remedial courses
• Tutor centers available to help mentor and assist students with homework
• Teachers collaborate and reflect to improve classroom practices
• Continuous learning throughout the teaching experience and reflecting on how teaching goes and what can be changed
• Establish goals in achievement and work together to find success in goals
• Work continuously to identify level of student achievement
• Provide evidence of progress
• PLC must have evidence that progress is proven
• Creates accountability within district
• Curriculum

Response to Intervention (RTI)

• Approach to early identification of understanding students
• Pyramid system with percentages: Universal interventions>
• Universal screening, progress monitoring, multi-level prevention system, data-based decision making, grounding
• Use good instruction on going assessment, tiered instruction, and parental involvement
• Art could be a strength to these students
• Use RTI as differentiated instruction
• Students may be pulled out of the art classroom
• Helps students who are in gray areas and middle teir
• Helps students to pass and stay in the same grade as their peers
• Gives students the help that they need
• Helps students find success
• Teachers then know more about their students
• Learn and work from other teachers

   

 Understanding by Design

For Art Education

Stages of Backward Design

1. Identify desired results

1. Consists of four components
2. Content standards
3. Understandings
4. Essential questions
5. Knowledge and skills
6. Key:  Focus on Big Ideas!

2. Determine acceptable evidence

1. What are key complex performance tasks indicative of understanding?
2. What other evidence will be collected to build the case for understanding, knowledge, and skill.
3. How will students self-assess?

3. Plan learning experiences & instruction

1. A focus on engaging and effective learning, “designed in”
2. What learning experiences and instruction will promote the desired understanding, knowledge and skill?
3. How will you best promote the deepening of insight and interest?
4. How will you prepare students for the performance(s)?

Responsive Classroom (RC)

• Teaching strategy
• Produces engaged students
• Educators create safe, challenging, and joyful elementary school
• Daily Morning Meeting: Gives positive approach to the discipline, teaches social and academic skills, allows students to reset, restart and become ready to learn
• Safe calm environment 
• Helps students make their own goals
• Giving students choices in learning: allows students to be more positive and engaging
• Teachers: sets the tone for the day, engages students, develops a communal classroom
• Students: Individualism and community, learn to be inclusive and kind, engaged and purposeful

Reflection for Elementary Art 3/13/14

Elementary Art Teaching

·      K-12 art and masters in education

·      For student teaching: Struggle with being a student to being a professional

·      Going out with cooperating teacher and being role model can be difficult in high school and middle situations, compared with elementary.

·      Understand management

o   Teacher of Children

§  Organizational Skills

§  Cultural Awareness

§  Art

§  Cross Disciplines

§  Creativity and Problem Solving

·      Management:

o   Responsive Classroom

§  Individual classroom routines and organization

·      How you set up supplies and teach things

·      Not all about teaching art, however it comes with this

·      Don’t assume anything

·      Allow students to get the understanding of each tool

·      Guided discovery: how to use tools

·      Setting up routine and setting up expectations

·      Be organized: Set out what is necessary

·      Clear bins with labels for you and children, use all organizational boxes, etc. possible

·      Show that everything has its place

·      Routines established in personal classroom

·      Gradual process: First six weeks

·      Daily classroom practices with greeting, sit down, read message, see examples, vocabulary,

§  Based on child development and social skills

o   Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports (PBIS)

§  School wide implementation with classroom support

·      Rules: Different safe, responsible, and respectful behaviors brought to each student verbally and visually

§  Data Driven

§  Whole school follows established rules

·      Curriculum Map

o   Use benchmarks and standards

§  I can statements

o   Essential questions

o   Content standards

o   Common Assessments

·      Lesson Plans

o   Specific experiences and concepts

o   Ideas come from websites, colleagues, art shows

o   Make sure to use the correct words and spelling. Have nice handwriting

o   Student Learner Outcomes

§  SLO’s: By the end of the first trimester, 70% of the students at River Heights Elementary can identify and demonstrate the use of directional and curvy lines in their artwork

§  Know how to assess curvy/straight/drawn lines

§  How to teach concepts better, go back and use vocab terms more and use those terms more

§  Visual ideas transferred to writing projects

§  Encourage to think deeper and past the first idea: process a little bit more and develop idea

§  Don’t grade on writing: Formative assessment allows them to brainstorm

§  Get good at inventive spelling and interpreting what they have

o   Great place to get students hands dirty

§  Students love painting and clay and hands on things

§  Students love getting away from technology

·      Administrative Duties

o   Scheduling

o   Professional Learning Communities (PLC)

§  Now a way of life

o   Reporting

§  Report cards

§  Student management

§  4-3-2-1 system

o   Budgeting

§  If you can prove it and can give you amount they buy it for you, however, they already have an amount they are prepared to give to you

§  A lot of students need to bring a pencil and a pack of markers or glue sticks depending on budget or cliental

§  Legally can’t ask parents to bring more supplies, however they are more suggestive, not a requirement

§  Look at inventory and order off of what you will be teaching or standby supplies

o   Student Art Displays

o   Professional Organizations

o   Teacher Evaluations

§  Just beginning to do online goals and evaluations

§  All tied to raises: need to earn certain number of points, having student teachers, after school club, etc.

§  We will have to do this to keep your job

Interview Question 7

What is your response on one of these trends in education?

1. Professional Learning Community
2. Response to Intervention
3. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
4. Understanding by Design
5. Common Core
6. Student Learning Outcomes (SLO's)
7. Partnership for 21st c. skills

Through a couple of my education classes I learned a lot about the importance of Response to Intervention (RTI) which uses the study of behavior to create interventions on this behavior to slowly work on solving a problem. My experience of this trend is that it can be incredibly useful, however one needs to give plenty of time for the individual who is going through the intervention to actually take time into getting better.

3/7/14

Class today went well and was a fun last wrap up day to my experiences teaching this semester. Although I was not teaching any specific lesson I was able to help aide Ms. K. in her teaching and help students through their work and brainstorm processes. I really learned to be patient and understanding with my students because all of them learn very differently. Ms. K. brought to my attention some of the students that learned differently than the rest and really exhibited patience through out their questions and interruptions during class. This is one area I never know where to draw the line as to where I am wasting time in my class to where I am being helpful and kind listening to students questions and stories. Ms. K. really knows her students well which really allows her to give each student personalized help and understand what they are going through on a daily basis. She also understands that each day is different for each student and some students, specifically those on behavioral plans, have both good days and bad days and she needs to be understanding of the polarity of the child's situation.

Reflection on 3/6/14 Class

I found this talk incredibly interesting and I was really happy that they came to visit our class. I have always been interested in working with at risk students since my father works at an alternative learning center and I have been hearing of that experience my entire life. I found the information that they shared was incredibly important and very helpful suggestions for when I get into teaching more. I can always use more help with classroom management and learning how to make modifications and how to understand my students. Below are some bullet points that I found to be incredibly helpful and wise. I hope to keep these in mind for my future experiences student teaching. Having this on my blog will allow me to easily look back and find some helpful hints when I am struggling to understand a student or how to teach a class.

Shanna

·      Score Program

·      Oversees RTI program

·      Oversees Online courses

·      Works with at risk students

o   Usually environmental issues

o   Potential to achieve as college bound and AP students, but other factors make it difficult

o   Thinking about other things going on rather than academics

o   #1 goal is academic success through counseling, etc.

o   a lot in art courses

o   5-12 grades

o   One or more years behind in credits

o   Absences

o   Two or more years behind in basic skill levels

o   Student is a parent

o   An adjudicated delinquent

o   Many factors for at-risk students

·      Students are not victims: life sucks, move forwards in spite of everything trying to hold you back

·      Majority of at risk students have at risk parents

o   Most of these parents also hate being in their high schools

o   Helps parents work through problems as well

·      Come as you are: I dare you to judge me.

o   Can be a respected professional

·      Treat any and every student as an individual

·      Helps with credit recovery, problems in class, work time, upset students, comfortable environment

·      Gives teachers a place to send students

·      Teachers need to raise students and make them good people in the community

·      Teach how the subject relates to their future

·      Disengaged student: help with what they’re confused about

·      Understand students anger at you is not personal: do not take it home with you

·      Clean slate theory: Move on everyday or every minute

·      Do not make problem about you

·      Stick to policies

·      Stand your ground

·      If a student doesn’t like you, it’s probably because they think you don’t like them

·      Help students move forward

·      Negative consequences don’t help

·      Clear set of rules about consequences

·      Students care about good grades, not bad grades

·      All students want to be successful

Becky  

·                        Special Education

·                        Aspire program

·                        Works with a wide variety of disabilities

·                        Works with STUDENTS

o            These are people who have a disorder or use a wheel chair

§       (a student with autism not an autistic student)

·      Be as educated about the disability as possible when having a student in your class

·      Understand the viewpoints of students and parents

·      Understand that each student is an individual, even if students have the same disability

·      Listen to special education teachers and learn on your own that disabilities may be visible or not. Do not patronize, but understand the differences.

·      Be empathetic towards parents DO NOT pity. Listen to suggestions from parents

·      IEP – individualized education plan

o   Work well for everybody

o   Runs the student’s education

o   Accomodations and modifications

§  Giving students an equal playing field

§  Accommodation helps students do the same work

·      Size (amount of work or number of assignments)

·      Time (amount of time to work on assignment)

·      Input or Teaching strategies (visual, audio, take a video, etc.)

·      Level of Support (peer buddy, mentor, para)

·      Skill Level (e.g. reading material might have to be read to students)

·      Assessment (output, maybe verbal instead of written)

§  Modification helps students do similar work

·      Alternative goals (different project with similar materials depending on student)

·      Substitute curriculum

·      Write what is going on on the whiteboard in front of the classroom and follow each step (checklist)

o   Show one at a time if it is a long list of steps

o   Check frequently that students are following directions

o   Take photographs of process while making the demo piece

·      When asking questions, wait for students to have time to process and find an answer (at least 10 seconds)

·      Teach students how to pay attention

o   Head forward shoulders forward

o   Anything not needed on their work area, put somewhere else

o   Think about setting up the classroom: clutter? Structure? Pay attention to too much stimulation. Make sure pieces are appropriate.

o   Remember each student may pay attention in a different way

o   Timers can work: Pay attention, do this for 5 minutes (kitchen timer)

o   Have students with distractibility issues run errands

·      Grading

o   Follow IEP

o   Go to IEP meetings to understand

o   Work on self-esteem