Did You Just Graduate... Are You Looking for Teaching Opportunities?
You want to find employment as a teacher, and you want to know where the best jobs are. In 2019 the average salary for teachers in elementary school was $56,900 annually and for High school, it was slightly higher at $59.179. Teaching requires a bachelor's degree at minimum, and some school districts pay higher salaries if the teacher has a master's. There are several ways to find employment as a teacher of grades K through 12, with no shortage of teaching positions and even if you are searching for non-traditional teaching jobs out there for you to explore.
Tips on Finding Opportunities
Portfolio: Get your Portfolio or Electronic portfolio together with pictures, transcripts, Praxis Results, Statement of Philosophy, lesson plans and anything else you may need to share your qualifications.
Network: Stay connected to teacher organizations to identify the latest job opportunities and policy updates. There are usually conference announcements, network opportunities, and information that can be helpful.
Fair: Teacher Job Fairs are worth going to explore. Many times connections are made during job fairs. Arrive early bring multiple copies of your resume and make an impression.
Friends: Seek out opportunities to meet new people and be proactive. Share that you are looking for an opportunity to teach, you never know what connections others have. Also, consider volunteer opportunities at the school ask the front desk and talk to the gatekeepers.
Substitute: Substitute to get your foot in the door. Many times schools are looking for teachers and subbing gives you a foot in the door to aggressively network during lunch.
Apply Everywhere: Many times you can get better opportunities in different states and communities. There is a teacher shortage nation-wide so take advantage of those opportunities.
Practice: Work very hard and practice your interview. Many times interviews involve role-play and/or classroom scenarios be prepared to pretend, perform, and teach a lesson.
When to Look For Teaching Positions
You want to begin your search for a teaching job but, when is the best time to start your search? Anytime! Due to the teacher shortage, there is always room for help in the classroom.
January
Districts may have some openings coming up due to midyear retirements or teachers leaving the field during the Christmas break.
February/March
Job openings will be posted only when the need to replace a teacher is urgent.
April/May/June
This is when most school districts publicly post job openings for the upcoming school year, usually after spring break. Summer break is an excellent time to conduct interviews and get new hires signed on. Administrators and teachers are not tied down to school year duties and are free to conduct interviews. June is the best month to work on the hiring of new teachers and then the month of July is open for summer vacations.
July/August/September
The end of summer break may be some opportunities. This is when districts are searching for employees if they did not meet their hiring quota earlier. Most school districts want to have full staff when school starts for the fall semester. Administrators want to act fast to fill all positions before school starts. Don't be surprised if you get the call a couple of weeks after school starts.
October
Please don't throw in the towel yet, October is when schools turn in their official headcount on the number of students attending school. An increase in numbers may create a need for additional teachers.
November/December
Not a good time to get hired as a teacher quotas are usually full, and teachers who are retiring may wait until the semester's end.
Finally
Looking for work as a teacher is not any more complicated than any other job search. Have your credentials up to date, be willing to relocate if need be, and use the networks mentioned above. Contact teachers you know tell them you are job hunting and post on your intentions on your social network.
Sources
By The Room 241 Team. Who's Hiring? The Best Places To Find Teaching Jobs. A blog By Concordia University-Portland. January 9, 2013. Updated, November 8, 2017.
By The Room 241 Team. What are the Best Teacher Job Networks? A blog By Concordia University-Portland. November 6, 2012.
Mulvahill, Elizabeth. When Is The Best Time To Find A Teaching Job? A Month-By-Month Guide. January 31, 2019.
National Teacher Association, Six steps to landing a job. http://www.nea.org/home/38317.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics. Average teacher salary 2019: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/high-school-teachers.htm