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Teacher Career StrategiesYou are a professional, licensed educator. At the very least you have worked through a minimum of four years of college, internships, student teaching, praxis exams, preparing a portfolio, and applying and paying for your educator's license. Many of you have gone on to obtain a Masters degree. Whether you are a new teacher just starting out, or a seasoned teacher with many years of experience, have the confidence that you are well-trained to be a teacher. Of course there is always more to learn, and we must be open to always gaining new information and updating our skills, however it is important to understand that you are a professional. You have demonstrated the necessary competencies required for the field. Too often I hear teachers say, "I'm just a teacher." Yikes! Just a teacher! This is often said in the tone of "I'm just a stay-at-home mom or dad." If we are to get the respect we so desire it is our responsibility as professional educators to project an image of professionalism. There are several ways to project yourself as a professional. Here are a three quick career strategy tasks that you can do right now:
Teacher Career Strategy 1:Have a Business CardJust as someone in any other profession, get a card with your name, title -Licensed Professional Educator, any specialties you teach, your degrees, contact information, and perhaps a short personal statement on the back such as: "Giving my students opportunities to grow and learn each day."
Give these out to parents when you first meet them.
Give them out to colleagues when you attend workshops,
meetings, or courses. This immediately projects
an image that you value your position and the role
you play in education.
You can design the card on your computer and print it yourself. You can also just email a card design that you have done on your computer to a print center and they will print the cards in a short amount of time for low cost. Staples and Vista Print are fast, good quality and low-cost options.
Teacher Career Strategy 2:Make a Professional SignatureFor all your email, regular mail, parent letters, whatever correspondence you send out put a professional ending "signature." This takes just a few minutes to set up on your email but I guarantee this makes an impression on those you communicate with. Include the following:
Example:
Teacher Career Strategy 3:Create your "Bio"The purpose of creating a bio is to communicate to parents and others that you have education, experience, and a sound philosophy of teaching that puts students' safety, needs, and success above all else. I know I sometimes take it for granted that parents just know who I am and my background because I have taught at my school for awhile.A bio is a one-page sheet (your biographical information) with your picture in the upper corner that describes who you are, your general approach to teaching and philosophy of education, your educational experience, your work experience, and accomplishments. You could add a personal connection about family and hobbies. Keep the bio friendly and interesting. It is not a resume. I also have a "student friendly" version that I give when I first meet my new students. This is another easy way to project yourself as a professional right from your first contact. You can have a basic bio and then "tweak it" depending on the purpose. You will also want to update this periodically as you gain new knowledge, certifications, etc. I put this bio in a folder for new students to take home along with guidelines on how best to work with the teacher and school, ways we will communicate with parents, and the school handbook of policies and procedures. In addition to the above benefits, this is also a time and energy saver. When new students come in mid-year you have the information all ready to go. Remember - Ordinary tasks, done consistently well, produces extraordinary results. These are just a few teacher career strategies that are quick and easy to do to build your success.
Click here for some
career tips on professional development for teachers.
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