Teaching Position

Networking Your Way Into a Full-Time Teaching Position

Although not always correct, the adage, "it's who you know," can ring true when searching for a teaching position. Networking simply means to make professional contacts with those in your field. To begin create a business card to help the people you come in contact with remember you. Include your name, contact information, job title, and areas of certification. A business card is also helpful for substitute teachers. If you are a college student, make the most of every classroom observation period you have. Stay in contact with the teachers who supervise your classroom experiences. Also, reach out and have conversations with other teachers in the school. Make sure everyone knows what a great educator you are and that you desire a teaching position. Furthermore, try to make contact with the administrators at each school where you complete classroom hours. Thank them for the opportunity to complete classroomexperiences at their school. Don't forget your college professors. As educators, your college professors likely have close relationships with teachers from the k-12 realm also. Let them know the status of your job search.

Also, search out additional opportunities to expand your network. A conference, workshop, or reading volunteer position offers the opportunity to connect with and impress educators. If you need employment before you obtain a teaching position, seek a position within a school setting. Summer school teachers and extracurricular positions are great ways to build your network and establish more teaching skills.

Everyone is a potential contact in your teaching network not just professional educators. While some people find job success through social media outlets like LinkedIn, make sure the information people can publicly access about you is professional. There are professional forums that can even help you create a larger network of teaching professionals. Although you have recently been laid off from the college teaching job you have held for years, online adjunct teaching positions may provide you with an opportunity. Many students are taking classes online while they work part-time at a minimum wage job. Knowing the economic scene, they are happy to get college learning online. This presents the chance for you, as an unemployed teacher, to teach this group of new students. As a teacher with several degrees, you can consider teaching in several fields. If you are a highly skilled accountant, you should look at the on line accounting degree schools. Some of the advantages of teaching online are: car expenses are greatly reduced, purchases of gasoline drop dramatically and repairs will be less frequent. You will have more time to pursue multiple online adjunct jobs. Since you have English and history degrees in addition to accounting, you are in a position to teach in online college degree programs. You may be able to teach several online classes at the same time on your own schedule.

Once you have established yourself in the online teaching world, you may begin to consider teaching in an online graduate degree program. Your world is expanding. Online adjunct teaching positions are allowing you to work from your home in a quiet, non-distracting environment.

Are you getting ready to interview for a teaching position at a college or university (or at a K-12 institution that is wise enough to ask for a teaching demonstration?  1. You are better to convey one or two ideas REALLY well than 8 or 9 ideas poorly.  What do I want people to KNOW as a result of my teaching?

What do I want people to FEEL as a result of my teaching?

What do I want people do DO result of my teaching?

3. Engage your learners. Avoid the lecture - because you know you would not teach by using only lecture format with students. Positive thinking is certainly preferable to negative thinking!  I think you should be in this frame of mind when you head into your teaching demonstration.