New Teacher Support
- Interview Tips for Teachers
- New Teachers Are In The News
- Motivating Yourself to Teach
- Educational Freelance Writing
- Applying for Teaching Jobs
- End of the School Year Lessons
- Teacher Appreciation Day
- Teacher Collaboration
- Teachers Network and Share
- Pennslyvania Teacher Certification
Posted by
Dorit Sasson
Dorit Sasson
How well do you prepare for the teacher interview process? I think asking the right questions and saying the right things is key to acing the teacher interviews.
Now when many school districts are hiring teachers for next year, I'm reading many requests from teachers on how they can prepare for those teacher inteviews.
i actually think that the best thing is to ask the right kinds of questions that show you understand what is expected of you as a teacher and especialy those which help you appear both thoughtful and reflective.
Also, focus on communicating how important it is for you to make a difference in children, because that is what you will be doing for the next upcoming school year!
Good luck to all !
i actually think that the best thing is to ask the right kinds of questions that show you understand what is expected of you as a teacher and especialy those which help you appear both thoughtful and reflective.
- Do you have a school wide discipline policy? Do you have a mentor program?
- What options are there for assessing struggling readers?
- How do you deal with students of special needs?
- Do you have a specific textbook series or curriculum for this class?
- What duties outside of teaching are part of the job description?
- How are students assessed on report cards?
- Go to this site to catch up on the demographics, test scores, student-teacher ratio, school districts and any other particular piece of information that you think would be useful for first hand knowledge.
Also, focus on communicating how important it is for you to make a difference in children, because that is what you will be doing for the next upcoming school year!
Good luck to all !
Posted by
Dorit Sasson
Dorit Sasson
The New York City Department of Education speaks out in favor of new teachers. Perhaps, this is the answer for some of the problems facing New York City teachers.
Lately, I have been doing some catching up on reading news about new teachers and their impact on education policy. I believe I read something like the burnout rate for new teachers was 50% of new teachers leaving only after teaching five years because schools failed to provide a nurturing environment including the support of a long-term mentor.
I was doing a bit of reading on the New York City Department of Education website and came across an interesting news link applicable for teachers applying for teaching positions in the tri-state New York City area.
Mayor Bloomberg has recently developed a new school initiative with smaller classes and personalized learning environments.
If any of these teaching positions interest you, I suggest doing a complete research profile of the school. Learn of the mission and of the school's values regarding new teachers. For any teaching position which you are applying for, always find out if the principal has complete autonomy in the decision process of hiring and mentoring new teachers. A principal with too much autonomy is a sign leading to trouble.
I was doing a bit of reading on the New York City Department of Education website and came across an interesting news link applicable for teachers applying for teaching positions in the tri-state New York City area.
Mayor Bloomberg has recently developed a new school initiative with smaller classes and personalized learning environments.
If any of these teaching positions interest you, I suggest doing a complete research profile of the school. Learn of the mission and of the school's values regarding new teachers. For any teaching position which you are applying for, always find out if the principal has complete autonomy in the decision process of hiring and mentoring new teachers. A principal with too much autonomy is a sign leading to trouble.
Posted by
Dorit Sasson
Dorit Sasson
Motivating yourself to teach is not as hard as planning lessons. Here are a few tips from my own teaching experience.
When you think about it, teachers teach students through the material by taking out the time to getting to know them and how to actually motivate them. I call this setting up a “live curriculum.”
There are just so many things about writing a lesson plan that is dynamic that you can only learn this on your own. Reflective teaching is applying classroom theory and coming up with your own recipes for motivating students and building effective instruction.
In the early days of teaching, I chose to not absorb myself with the pressure of standarized testing, rather to observe students and how they interacted with the material. I loved to watch them in various classroom activities, interacting during pair and group work activities, listening to how they read and what they said to each other. I described these experiences in my teacher journal, which actually motivated me to plan the next few lessons.
It became much easier to be more spontaneous in the classroom.Years down the line, students won’t remember the grammar tense or the laboratory terms you just taught, but who you are and meant for them as a teacher.
There are just so many things about writing a lesson plan that is dynamic that you can only learn this on your own. Reflective teaching is applying classroom theory and coming up with your own recipes for motivating students and building effective instruction.
In the early days of teaching, I chose to not absorb myself with the pressure of standarized testing, rather to observe students and how they interacted with the material. I loved to watch them in various classroom activities, interacting during pair and group work activities, listening to how they read and what they said to each other. I described these experiences in my teacher journal, which actually motivated me to plan the next few lessons.
It became much easier to be more spontaneous in the classroom.Years down the line, students won’t remember the grammar tense or the laboratory terms you just taught, but who you are and meant for them as a teacher.
Posted by
Dorit Sasson
Dorit Sasson
Freelance writing for teachers is a good source of income and can open second career doors for you.
Many classroom teachers have to combine their teaching job with at least another source of income. Many do part time tutoring positions to supplement while others write about their teaching experiences.
Hopefully, you'll be able to take these experiences and write about them. What can you actually write about? Just about anything of course that is helpful for a new or seasoned teacher to read. In one of my earlier submissions I wrote about how a struggling ELL student overcame his language barrier and learned to love studying English. Today he is a very successful businessman at a high-tech software company in Israel. These experiences provide the slice-of-life lessons that educational companies like to receive.
If you’re still unsure how to transform your wonderful ideas and classroom experiences into marketable articles and blogs, try the following ways:
Hopefully, you'll be able to take these experiences and write about them. What can you actually write about? Just about anything of course that is helpful for a new or seasoned teacher to read. In one of my earlier submissions I wrote about how a struggling ELL student overcame his language barrier and learned to love studying English. Today he is a very successful businessman at a high-tech software company in Israel. These experiences provide the slice-of-life lessons that educational companies like to receive.
If you’re still unsure how to transform your wonderful ideas and classroom experiences into marketable articles and blogs, try the following ways:
- Keep an ongoing teacher’s journal - Journal writing is an excellent technique for reflecting on your lessons. You’ll be surprised at how many ideas you can write about from just one journal entry.
- Read about ongoing research trends in education. Subscribe to teachers’ blogs and articles and read about their classroom stories.
- If your thing is to write more scholarly, researched based journals, attend a few in-service meetings and conferences and catch up on the latest hot issues in literacy and education.
Posted by
Dorit Sasson
Dorit Sasson
I am learning the ropes of teacher certification in Pennslyvania. It's easy to understand - the waiting time is difficult.
Yes, you guessed it. I'm in the middle for applying for teacher certification and since I'm right at the very beginning, it's not as difficult as I thought.
Well, wait. Let me correct myself.
First, I called the Board of Education of Pennslyvania and asked them the procedure since my teaching credentials are from abroad. They said that I would need to apply for a teaching certificate and I would need to pay to have my credentials and education evaluated, which I already did.
Then, I still need to have a health certificate signed from a doctor. I'm still waiting for that to come in through.
The packet will then be evaluated and then sent back to me. I will need to take the appropriate Praxis test and the necessary ESL courses for applying for a ESL certification.
I'm not sure though which Praxis test I will need to take, but I think it would be the professional reading and writing one. I have to double check on that.
All these procedures take time. If you plan to apply for a teaching job, leave yourself enough planning and waiting time. Don't leave your job search for the last minute.
Well, wait. Let me correct myself.
First, I called the Board of Education of Pennslyvania and asked them the procedure since my teaching credentials are from abroad. They said that I would need to apply for a teaching certificate and I would need to pay to have my credentials and education evaluated, which I already did.
Then, I still need to have a health certificate signed from a doctor. I'm still waiting for that to come in through.
The packet will then be evaluated and then sent back to me. I will need to take the appropriate Praxis test and the necessary ESL courses for applying for a ESL certification.
I'm not sure though which Praxis test I will need to take, but I think it would be the professional reading and writing one. I have to double check on that.
All these procedures take time. If you plan to apply for a teaching job, leave yourself enough planning and waiting time. Don't leave your job search for the last minute.
End of the School Year Lessons
Posted by
Dorit Sasson
Dorit Sasson
Having difficulties keeping your class in control? Ready for some more end of the school year fun? Try using more themed lessons to motivate your students
Reading forums and discussions about whether to emphasize learning or fun at the end of the school year prompted me to write this post about when is end of the school year fun, really fun?
But to keep learning more on the light side, try experimenting with other ideas like themed lessons, which I like using a lot. The key though when using these end of the school year activities and fun games is to involve as many students as possible.
Even the most seasoned teacher knows that when grades are in, students are not the slightest bit motivated to study and yet, there is still a need to keep students in class and motivate them. I like the ideas on the Education World website. They are fun because they offer a different challenge to students and they can be easily adapted to other students' levels especially for those hot days when you perhaps have only a handful of students or a small group.
If your students for example are interested in traveling to other countries or are from another country, why not capitalize on diversity and teach them games used in other countries? Or how about a lesson on planning a trip ? Offer a competition (with prizes of course) to the best group who prepares the best trip under $1500 for x number of days for example? They can plan the trip using the Internet and show the class the daily and nightly intinerary. You might have brochures and they can prepare a poster using some of the information and pictures. The class can then vote on the best trip and voila, every body participates and contributes.
Good luck! Read End of the School Year Games for more ideas on winding down the school year.
But to keep learning more on the light side, try experimenting with other ideas like themed lessons, which I like using a lot. The key though when using these end of the school year activities and fun games is to involve as many students as possible.
Even the most seasoned teacher knows that when grades are in, students are not the slightest bit motivated to study and yet, there is still a need to keep students in class and motivate them. I like the ideas on the Education World website. They are fun because they offer a different challenge to students and they can be easily adapted to other students' levels especially for those hot days when you perhaps have only a handful of students or a small group.
If your students for example are interested in traveling to other countries or are from another country, why not capitalize on diversity and teach them games used in other countries? Or how about a lesson on planning a trip ? Offer a competition (with prizes of course) to the best group who prepares the best trip under $1500 for x number of days for example? They can plan the trip using the Internet and show the class the daily and nightly intinerary. You might have brochures and they can prepare a poster using some of the information and pictures. The class can then vote on the best trip and voila, every body participates and contributes.
Good luck! Read End of the School Year Games for more ideas on winding down the school year.
Posted by
Dorit Sasson
Dorit Sasson
Happy belated Teacher Appreciation Day! As you contemplate your summer plans, remember why you chose to teach. You won't regret it.
Starting last week I experienced a breakthrough of ideas for various articles I wrote including students' gifts, motivating small groups, and party planning which all were part of my own new teacher experience back in Israel. All three of these topics were interesting in terms of my contributions, but the one that particularly spoke to me was a gift I received from a student at the end of the year.
It was a sweet note about how I inspired him and how he had learned so much from the lesson. The lesson was on Elie Weisel's Night and he was so touched and moved from the father-son sequences and he wanted to thank me.
For me, every day was a challenge to acquire the status of an appreciated teacher, from the pay, to the parent-teacher conferences, the quibbles with students, the staff dilemmas and the occasional confrontations. It's easy for a new teacher to quickly feel under-appreciated and want to leave the profession with a feeling of never wanting to return to the classroom.
Yesterday, I looked in my drawer where I keep treasured items and I came across quite a bit of handwritten notes from other teachers, students, parents. The memories quickly came floating by. I was in heaven. Often it is hard for a new teacher to reap up the success in the first year. It took me twelve years to get to a point where I could walk away from the classroom and feel successful and confident about my teaching abilities and my students and what I have done.
So please new teachers, don't give up so quickly. In the education world, patience is a big big word!
Email me, if you need any support or have any questions as you slowly wrap up the school year.
It was a sweet note about how I inspired him and how he had learned so much from the lesson. The lesson was on Elie Weisel's Night and he was so touched and moved from the father-son sequences and he wanted to thank me.
For me, every day was a challenge to acquire the status of an appreciated teacher, from the pay, to the parent-teacher conferences, the quibbles with students, the staff dilemmas and the occasional confrontations. It's easy for a new teacher to quickly feel under-appreciated and want to leave the profession with a feeling of never wanting to return to the classroom.
Yesterday, I looked in my drawer where I keep treasured items and I came across quite a bit of handwritten notes from other teachers, students, parents. The memories quickly came floating by. I was in heaven. Often it is hard for a new teacher to reap up the success in the first year. It took me twelve years to get to a point where I could walk away from the classroom and feel successful and confident about my teaching abilities and my students and what I have done.
So please new teachers, don't give up so quickly. In the education world, patience is a big big word!
Email me, if you need any support or have any questions as you slowly wrap up the school year.
Posted by
Dorit Sasson
Dorit Sasson
What does collaborative teaching mean for you as a new teacher? How willing are you to invest in this important area of teaching relationships?
As I wrote in my article Teachers Network and Share, the process of teacher collaboration is almost always taken to be a given as a new teacher, but it is an important skill which both new and seasoned teachers need to learn and develop.
Collaborative relationships also take time to mature and grow. In the beginning, a new teacher might feel a need to bounce off ideas and share information about student x's grades and tests while another teacher provides modifications and recommendations. While working together is a necessary part of teacher survival, it means so much more than cooperation.
I wish I had read Sara Wilford's article "Collaboration: What Does it Mean for Your Program?" during my first few years of teaching. She defines collaboration to mean: (the six C's)
1. Conversation: the act of people talking together.
2. Confrontation: the act of expressing an alternative viewpoint, which is helpful in leading to bigger ideas. This should not be delivered in an angry way by the speaker or perceived as a threat by the listeners.
3. Communication: the understanding that occurs when people are making ocnnections with each other. This can happen through conversation, but also facial expression and gesture.
4. Cooperation: the willingness to work with others.
5. Collaboration: the building of communal knowledge.
6. Community: a group who has built a culture of mutual understanding through collaboration.
[Early Childhood Today, Scholastic, March 2006]
Notice that the word "collaboration" appears much later on, which implies that a great deal of talking and sharing is invested until you reach the actual nitty-gritty work of "collaboration" itself.
If you are still looking for some coaching support, read Teacher Mentor, Teacher Coach and Free Ways to Support New Teachers for more advice and teacher survival tips.
Collaborative relationships also take time to mature and grow. In the beginning, a new teacher might feel a need to bounce off ideas and share information about student x's grades and tests while another teacher provides modifications and recommendations. While working together is a necessary part of teacher survival, it means so much more than cooperation.
I wish I had read Sara Wilford's article "Collaboration: What Does it Mean for Your Program?" during my first few years of teaching. She defines collaboration to mean: (the six C's)
1. Conversation: the act of people talking together.
2. Confrontation: the act of expressing an alternative viewpoint, which is helpful in leading to bigger ideas. This should not be delivered in an angry way by the speaker or perceived as a threat by the listeners.
3. Communication: the understanding that occurs when people are making ocnnections with each other. This can happen through conversation, but also facial expression and gesture.
4. Cooperation: the willingness to work with others.
5. Collaboration: the building of communal knowledge.
6. Community: a group who has built a culture of mutual understanding through collaboration.
[Early Childhood Today, Scholastic, March 2006]
Notice that the word "collaboration" appears much later on, which implies that a great deal of talking and sharing is invested until you reach the actual nitty-gritty work of "collaboration" itself.
If you are still looking for some coaching support, read Teacher Mentor, Teacher Coach and Free Ways to Support New Teachers for more advice and teacher survival tips.
Posted by
Dorit Sasson
Dorit Sasson
My first year was most significant for collaborating with other teachers. But there was one very important thing I missed.
I wished somebody told me how important networking and collaborating was during my first year as a Junior High school teacher. Teaching at the elementary school level in Israel, I was all on my own and I rarely was presented with opportunities for sharing except during in-service teacher courses. The minute I made the decision to transfer to teach middle school, I was all alone, this time in the cold.
I had one particularly good teacher friend who acted informally as my mentor as we discussed my difficult groups of lower performing students and together, we came up with possible tactics for overcoming the challenge.
Unfortunately, teachers' meetings were another story.
During that year, I was constantly taken over with the need to survive and carefully observed the management and work styles of other teachers so much that I didn't find my own voice as a teacher. At the meetings, I was silent as a fish. It was only towards the end of my third year, where I began to feel more comfortable and share a bit more.
What I am trying to say is this: teaching involves also a lot of social learning. There will be times when you need to be silent and just observe and that is okay as well. But never underestimate your own light as a teacher. You've experienced things slightly different than others and that is just as important.
If you're a new teacher, perhaps you'll find the article on Teacher Mentor, Teacher Coach .
If you're just beginning your first formal year of teaching, you might want to check out Teachers Network and Share as you learn the basics of collaborating with other teachers. Good luck !
I had one particularly good teacher friend who acted informally as my mentor as we discussed my difficult groups of lower performing students and together, we came up with possible tactics for overcoming the challenge.
Unfortunately, teachers' meetings were another story.
During that year, I was constantly taken over with the need to survive and carefully observed the management and work styles of other teachers so much that I didn't find my own voice as a teacher. At the meetings, I was silent as a fish. It was only towards the end of my third year, where I began to feel more comfortable and share a bit more.
What I am trying to say is this: teaching involves also a lot of social learning. There will be times when you need to be silent and just observe and that is okay as well. But never underestimate your own light as a teacher. You've experienced things slightly different than others and that is just as important.
If you're a new teacher, perhaps you'll find the article on Teacher Mentor, Teacher Coach .
If you're just beginning your first formal year of teaching, you might want to check out Teachers Network and Share as you learn the basics of collaborating with other teachers. Good luck !
Pennslyvania Teacher Certification
Posted by
Dorit Sasson
Dorit Sasson
How confusing and complex is the Pennslyvania teacher certification process for teachers who are already qualified to teach?
I'm just at the very beginning of understanding this entire issue of teacher certification and frankly, it's much more complex than I imagined. I understand the requirements for meeting teacher certification vary form state to state, but I'm also learning that certificaton of teacher education programs offered at colleges and universities are not enough for me to be "qualified" to teach at a public school.
In Israel for example, where is a growing dearth of English teachers every year, the requirements for meeting English teaching have become virtually nonexistent. The standards for keeping English teachers are disappearing, and many teachers are still not certified!
I checked the website on ESL certification in Pennslyvania. It's still forever confusing to me. When reading about the requirements for ESL certification, the website wants teachers whose degrees come from an accredited institution of higher learning (like my own) to complete a TOEFL (Teaching of English as a Foreign Language) test. Now, why would I need to do that?? I've prepared students of English to take standardized tests for 12 years and I'm a native English speaker. Sounds strange! I've tried to ask this question more directly, but without much success.
So, if anybody has any experience about teacher certification and ESL certification in Pennslyvania, I'd love to hear it. You can either send me your insights in an email or, via the comments section of the teacher certification article above.
In Israel for example, where is a growing dearth of English teachers every year, the requirements for meeting English teaching have become virtually nonexistent. The standards for keeping English teachers are disappearing, and many teachers are still not certified!
I checked the website on ESL certification in Pennslyvania. It's still forever confusing to me. When reading about the requirements for ESL certification, the website wants teachers whose degrees come from an accredited institution of higher learning (like my own) to complete a TOEFL (Teaching of English as a Foreign Language) test. Now, why would I need to do that?? I've prepared students of English to take standardized tests for 12 years and I'm a native English speaker. Sounds strange! I've tried to ask this question more directly, but without much success.
So, if anybody has any experience about teacher certification and ESL certification in Pennslyvania, I'd love to hear it. You can either send me your insights in an email or, via the comments section of the teacher certification article above.
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