Aspiring teachers must choose the right school By Jennifer Acosta Scott
On the surface, teaching seems like a great job: summers off, lots of holidays and the opportunity to make a difference. But the reality may not be quite so rosy.
According to a 2007 study by the California State University Center for Teacher Quality, many teachers in California quit well before retirement for reasons including low morale, excessive paperwork and too little planning time.
The National Education Association estimates that 20 percent of all new teachers leave the profession within three years because they feel overwhelmed and don't get the guidance they need at the beginning of their career.
How can you make sure your prospective school won't leave you twisting in the wind? Just as it's important for job seekers to research a company's culture and mission to find the right fit for them, so too should new teachers do their homework to find a school environment that will allow them to flourish.
"It's important for [new teachers] to interview the people they're interviewing with to see if there's a good match," says Sally Zepeda, a former teacher and current professor of educational administration and policy at the University of Georgia.
So before you sign that contract, follow these steps to get the real scoop on your prospective workplace.
Find out about help for new teachers
If you're a beginning teacher, being in charge of a classroom can be overwhelming. During your interview, ask about mentoring programs or other systems for helping new teachers get acclimated to their jobs.
"Our school has a program where you're paired with a 'buddy teacher,'" says Zac Rantz, a high school teacher in Nixa, Mo., who has been teaching for six years. "They can help you understand paperwork and forms. In a lot of districts, you're on your own."
Determine your out-of-class duties
Many school systems require teachers to perform non-teaching tasks, like monitoring students during lunch or sponsoring an extracurricular club -- adding hours to your workday. Your principal should be able to tell you whether these kinds of duties are mandatory, though she may not be able to say what assignment you'll get.
As a first-year teacher, be prepared for a less-than-enjoyable job, like overseeing detention. "The big kahunas usually get first dibs, while the beginning-year teachers get the leftovers," Zepeda says.
Gauge the principal's work style
Teachers' jobs are much easier when they have a principal who supports them without being overly restrictive. But how do you determine this before taking the job? Pay attention to the way your interview is structured, says Danny Drew, a junior high teacher for the past four years in Heber City, Utah.
"If it's done right, you'll be interviewed by teachers and administrators," Drew says. "If only by administrators, that's a warning. You may have a dominant vice principal or principal who wants to micromanage everything. You need to know teachers are supporting the principal in the hiring decision they're making."
Read the school's report card
These documents can tell you a lot about a public school's academic performance, listing what percentage of students at the school passed standardized tests in reading, math, science and more.
When looking at these reports, keep an eye out for the phrase "adequate yearly progress," or AYP. This term is from the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and refers to the school's progress toward proficiency on state standardized tests. Schools that don't make AYP within a certain number of years are subject to corrective action -- which may include a complete reorganization of the school.
"It's like probation," says Drew. "You don't want to join a school on probation [because] you'll probably lose your job in a few years." You can find your prospective school's report card by going to your state's Department of Education Web site.
Get the scoop on parents
Parents who care about their child's education can provide an amazing amount of support for teachers, says Meri Delapa, an elementary school teacher in Linden, N.J., since 2000.
"The school I'm in has very good parent involvement," Delapa says. "I'm not responsible for buying cupcakes and juice out of my own pocket for class parties. And if I do a take-home project, the assignment always [gets completed]."
To help gauge parent involvement, ask if there's a parent-teacher association, and talk to other teachers in the school if possible. "They'll give you a better perspective as opposed to asking the school district," Rantz says.
Mingle with the community
It's important to know if your prospective school is seen as a respected institution or an ineffective mess. Talking to people away from campus can reveal a lot about the public's opinion of the school.
"Go have breakfast at a local restaurant and lunch at another restaurant," Zepeda says. "Talk to people. Hang around the grocery store. There are lots of ways you can find out about the public's perception." You may even want to talk to a local realtor -- they can identify the best (and worst) schools in town.
February 2018
6 years ago