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September:

Orient yourself to your student teaching positions. Be prepared to fully invest in the work; there is no second chance to give a good first impression. You are creating your professional reputation in addition to developing and refining your teaching and management skills. Keep in mind that your cooperating teacher will be an important reference as you begin to look for full-time jobs, so do not hesitate to demonstrate extra effort in serving your students, your staff team, and the school.

Set teaching goals for yourself and strategies on how to meet them. Reflect on a regular basis on progress made and how your experience has shaped your thoughts on teaching.  Begin to develop and document your philosophy of teaching. Your philosophy will likely evolve over the course of your student teaching but it’s best to start thinking about this early.

Join the email distribution list for teachers. The list is an excellent resource for learning about job opportunities as well as upcoming Career Services programs!

Start familiarizing yourself with the Internet resources for teachers that are available on the Career Services website.

October:

Prepare a resume if you are interested in independent school positions. Resume models can be found in the GSE section of the Career Services website.

Independent School placement agencies will begin searching for candidates at this time and may choose to recruit on campus.

Start documenting and setting aside concrete examples of your accomplishments from your student teaching. These will be key to developing a hiring portfolio for your job search.

November:

Think through and plan your job search process and meet a counselor (898-4381) to strengthen your resume writing and job search techniques.

Learn about the Interfolio credential filing system and approach your cooperating teacher about providing a letter of reference for you.

December:

Class-work, student teaching, exams and taking the PRAXIS will keep you extremely busy next semester. Begin making decisions and brainstorming as to where you would like to work and what is needed to make it happen. Research your options and prioritize your preferences based on educational philosophy/mission, school type (public, private, charter), environment (urban, rural, suburban) and region.

Make the most of your winter break. Assess your accomplishments during your fall student teaching and revisit your goals, making any necessary adjustments for your spring student teaching.  Update your resume and draft a cover letter for teaching positions that can be critiqued by a Career Services counselor when you return to campus.

January:

If you have not done so, contact a career counselor. Continue to research school systems and application procedures.

If you participated in fall recruiting for independent schools, you may be contacted for interviews.

Take the PRAXIS exams for your particular areas of focus.

February:

Complete resume preparation for public school applications. School systems will begin accepting applications for fall teaching positions.

March:

Spring break may be a good time to travel to your target destinations. You may wish to arrange meetings with administrators and teachers after mailing your resume if you are doing a long-distance job search. Writing to, speaking or meeting with recruiters, administrators and teachers in a district that interests you, won't hurt. Some districts will have job fairs in the spring; gather information about areas of interest to you.

PA has a central application that is accepted by all PA school systems. An online application service includes many local school systems. Gain access at www.pareap.net. For New Jersey try www.NJhire.com.

Opportunities to meet school system representatives will be available to you in our local area and even on our campus. Watch for information on the email list.

April and May

Watch for school district open houses. Follow up regarding the status of your applications to school districts of your choice.

June - August

Be on the lookout for schools which are still seeking teachers.

If at any point in the job search process you wish to consult with a counselor, call Career Services at 215-898-4381.