I'm a creative, hard-working teacher with exceptional content knowledge in both the language arts and social studies (history, civics, the social sciences, etc.). I love teaching. It's what I believe I was meant to do and I have a couple of hundred former students, and a few teachers and administrators, who would be willing to support that. I've been doing short and long-term subbing for three years now, but it just isn't enough.
So if you know of any open teaching positions, if you know a principle or a teacher or anyone who could help me find a classroom to call my own, please, write me at zjh9901@yahoo.com. And if you found me through stumble, even if you don't, please like this post. The more I get this message out, the greater my chances. Thank you, all, and if you're interested in seeing how I approach teaching, check out the stuff after the cut.
It’s a
difficult thing to sit down in front of a computer and explain what it is that
sets me apart from other applicants, just as it must be difficult for you to
sift through what amounts to hundreds of resumes, test scores and personal
statements. Rather than attempt to sell
myself, then, I will tell you what I believe makes a teacher successful. These are the ideals to which I strive as a
professional and around which my practice revolves.
First and
foremost, I believe teaching to be a calling.
Too often, especially today, it is seen as a fallback career, a kind of
“just in case” job. As a result, the
market is flooded with teachers who became so because it provided them summers
off (though we all know a good teacher rarely has any time off). That isn’t enough of a reason to step into
the classroom every day. Teaching is a
tough job, emotionally and intellectually.
As teachers, part of what makes us truly excel is also that which can,
and will, shatter us from time to time: we must live and die for these
kids. They must know we’re here because
we believe in the ability of every one of them to learn, even if they don’t see
it themselves.
During my internship, and all
through my certification program, I heard horror stories about unruly students
and teachers going home every night their first year in tears. I was baffled by this. I woke up every morning happy to be going in
to work and, even on my worst days, knew with utter certainty that I was on the
right path. My students commented on it,
saying that it was nice to see a teacher who really seemed to want to be
there. And it’s because I did.
Just as we
must be passionate about our students, we must also be passionate about our
subjects. While I realized early on that
it would be more practical to cross-certify in another subject, I would be
compromising my ability to teach effectively as my passion lies squarely, for
better or worse, in social studies and the language arts. I live and breathe every aspect of it from
literature to, God help me, grammar As
well, history and the social sciences fascinate me and provide an endless
source of excitement which I bring into the classroom and try to pass on to as
many students as I can. One of the
greatest personal measures of my success was when a student, one who, on my
first day whip-around, claimed proudly that he’d never finished a book, came to
me and asked what he should read next not a week after I gave him a copy of
Ender’s Game.
Passion for
the job and for our subjects is wonderful.
We must also remember, however, that it is our duty to pass this on as
effectively and efficiently as possible and we must, therefore, keep abreast of
the latest research and innovations in our field in order to best do so. To be good teachers, we must always remember
to remain students. It’s just that
simple.
Most
importantly, we have to remember that education is perhaps the most important
service industry in the nation. We are
responsible for seeing to it that every child receives the best education
possible. While the realist in me will
agree that not every child can be reached, the idealist in me, who holds a
great deal more sway, believes that that isn’t an excuse not to try. Too often I’ve seen teachers give up on
students, sometimes even before the child has set foot in the classroom,
because of grades or reputation. I
cannot possibly reiterate enough how important it is that this not occur. Every child is teachable, somehow, it’s just
a matter of being willing to figure out how.
I think
most educators will agree that the system we have is not working. Lining students up in tight rows of desks and
lecturing until we’re blue in the face is a thing of the past. Teachers now must engage each student, creating
an atmosphere that meets each one’s basic, diverse needs so that he or she can
focus upon the higher functions of learning.
Teaching, then, must be just as diverse, taking into account different
learning styles and environmental factors in order to best achieve the desired
outcome.
These are
the things that I believe make a good teacher: passion, a willingness to
continue to improve one’s pedagogy and the patience and understanding to reach
out to students in the way necessary, even when the returns are minimal. I strive to be those things. The best references I can give you, in
closing, are those from my students who, upon talking to me on graduation day,
greeted me with smiles, hugs and handshakes, some telling me that I was the
reason they looked forward to school and, in one special case, the only reason
she’d made it to graduation, because of a mutual promise between she and I
that, although my term was up in December, I would be there if she was. We both were.
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