Ready to Work

One thing I learned:

I have certainly learned the importance of persistence this past month. I have once again joined the throng of teachers applying for the few positions available, but in an effort to be prepared I stumbled across an excellent website with advice for the whole process from assessment to deciding which offer to accept. The best piece of advice I received is to be persistent, in courtesy, in follow up, in face to face interactions. It has served me well, and I am grateful to the teacher who advised me to follow up in person. Thank you for your sound advice!

Resource:

I found a web app called ClassDojo for behavior management a couple years ago, and until this year was not able to use it in the classroom, being a substitute teacher and all. This year I actually found a teacher who uses it in her every day class. I end up using the paper version when I come, but I've noticed that the students respond well when I announce that I want to give points for a certain area.

The website has a central dashboard for the teacher, and each student can have an account with a little monster avatar of their choice. Teachers can choose the areas in which to add or subtract points, like participation, helping others, and interrupting. It can be integrated into the use of presentation technology so that students can see their "monster" getting points. The site allows parental access and generates reports, as well. As an added bonus, the site can keep track of attendance as well.

One Success

I am happy to report that I have received the opportunity to interview with a district in the coming week. I feel that it will be good practice for presenting my skills and strengths in relation to the districts needs. I feel much more prepared to answer questions than I ever have before because of the time I invested in the job searching self-study I've done.