Characteristics of a Sought-After Teacher – What Schools Look For
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When a school searches for a new teacher for an open teaching position, they already have an image of the teacher they want. Every school has certain qualities they feel a teacher must have to be successful. Those qualities can be many things depending on the needs and location of the school. While the qualities that each school considers important may vary, there are usually shared qualities that all schools would consider important to the job.
The experience or background of a teacher is the most important quality a school looks for so your resume should highlight the qualities they are looking for. If they are looking for an ESL TEFL TESOL teacher for kindergarten students, it may be best to highlight lessons that contain activities that you have initiated and prepared at your previous schools with regards to language acquisition. In addition, if you are looking at a position for a content subject such as science or math, highlight your knowledge and education (i.e. degree) in that area. This is especially important if you are a new teacher with little or no experience. Regardless, you should also have all academic qualifications available for the school to preview before you go for an interview. Most schools want to review the qualifications prior to hiring or considering applicants for a teaching position and will sometimes pass on teachers who don’t submit these items for review when applying. This is especially true of TESL TEFL TESOL training which is a requirement for obtaining a visa and work permit in most countries, regardless of the subject taught. Each school is unique so the best thing would be to have a cover letter that speaks to that school and the teaching job they are looking to fill. Don’t just have a blanket letter and teacher resume that you mass mail to any potential school looking for a teacher in the hopes of gaining employment. It may be beneficial to have a list of professional highlights that you can copy and paste into a cover letter based on the requirements of the position.
Another important consideration for schools is the personal qualities of a teacher. Most schools are looking for a long term commitment from a teacher so they want to make sure that teacher will fit within their school. The obvious qualities that come to mind are personable, positive and flexible/patient because these qualities will carry over into the classroom and interaction with your future students. In addition, the school will look at a teacher’s qualities with regards to their professionalism because there is much that is required outside of the classroom such as preparing lessons, creating worksheets and tests and the always popular grading of assignments. In other words, they will want a teacher that is organized and committed. If they feel that the teacher can’t be depended on, they may not consider them a viable candidate. One of the things that may highlight a teacher’s lack of commitment is a resume that shows numerous teaching positions over a short period of time. Remember that you will not be judged strictly by your qualifications but on the sum of who you are as an individual.
The factors that go into a school’s decision to accept a teacher are varied and many so it is impossible to cover them all. Regardless, cover the basics looked for in any teacher for any teaching job and then identify the unique characteristics or qualifications of particular teaching jobs. Remember that looking for a teaching job, like many other employment searches, is about selling yourself and the best way to do this is by identifying what the employer (i.e the school) wants.
The following is an abbreviated list of characteristics posted by a teacher in response to a UNICEF request to “What makes a Good Teacher?”:
Positive – Thinks positively and enthusiastically about people and what they are capable of becoming. Sees the good in any situation and can move forward to make the most of difficult situations when confronted with obstacles. Encourages others to also be positive.
Dependable – Honest and authentic in working with others. Consistently lives up to commitments to students and others. Works with them in an open, honest, and forthright manner.
Organized – Makes efficient use of time and moves in a planned and systematic direction. Knows where he or she is heading and is able to help students in their own organization and planning. Can think in terms of how organization can be beneficial to those served.
Committed – Demonstrates commitment to students and the profession and is self-confident, poised and personally in control of situations. Has a healthy self-image. Encourages students to look at themselves in a positive manner, careful to honor the self-respect of the students, while encouraging them to develop a positive self-concept.
Motivational – Enthusiastic with standards and expectations for students and self. Understands the intrinsic motivations of individuals, and knows what it is that motivates students. Takes action in constructive ways.
Compassionate – Caring, empathetic and able to respond to people at a feeling level. Open with personal thoughts and feelings, encouraging others to do likewise. Knows and understands the feelings of students.
Flexible – Willing to alter plans and directions in a manner which assists people in moving toward their goals. Seeks to reason out situations with students and staff in a manner that allows all people to move forward in a positive direction.
Knowledgeable – Is in a constant quest for knowledge. Keeps up in his or her specialty areas, and has the insight to integrate new knowledge. Takes knowledge and translates it to students in a way which is comprehensible to them, yet retains its originality.
Creative – Versatile, innovative, and open to new ideas. Strives to incorporate techniques and activities that enable students to have unique and meaningful new growth experiences.
Patient – Is deliberate in coming to conclusions. Strives to look at all aspects of the situation and remains highly fair and objective under most difficult circumstances. Believes that problems can be resolved if enough input and attention is given by people who are affected.
You can also practice answers to typical teacher interview questions like the ones on the following sites:
Virginia Polytechnic Institute: career.vt.edu/JOBSEARC/interview/TEACHER.htm
Resumes for Teachers: resumes-for-teachers.com/interview-questions.htm
Michael G. Hines is founder of Icon Group Thailand: http://www.TotalESL.com – ESL TEFL TESOL Jobs + http://ESLarticle.com – ESL TEFL TESOL Information + ESLcontentfeed.com – ESL TEFL TESOL RSS Feeds
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Hines
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/83097
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Sights and Sounds: Istanbul, Turkey
Image via Wikipedia
Teaching English as a Second Language gives you the opportunity to live and work in a multitude of different cultures and cities. The country and city you live in play as important a role in your teaching experience as the school you work for. The sights and sounds series aims to give an insight into life in these possible TEFL destinations usually from local residents and film makers.
Istanbul has long been a favorite of tourists due to its historic sites and rich culture. Now as Turkeys economy grows it is also becoming a popular destination for ESL Teachers.
A city that bridges two continents, Istanbul is truly a city where east meets west. This is reflected in the architecture and the city’s culture. Istanbul was the European city of Culture in 2010 were it had opportunity to show is growing arts scene, historic buildings and vibrant night life.
Istanbul is a truly modern and exciting city and a great place to teach and visit.
Canon Marketing Film – Istanbul, shot on the new 60D from Georgina Lloyd Parry on Vimeo.
Salaries for ESL teachers can range from $1500- $2000 per month and will usually include a partial flight reimbursement. In some cases accommodation and health insurance is also included in the package.
Read our article ESL Teaching Jobs – 10 Important Things to Consider When Deciding on an ESL Job to help you decide on your ESL destiantion
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Sights and Sounds: Bratislava, Slovakia
Bratislava Skyline by xlibber http://www.flickr.com/photos/xlibber/
Teaching English as a Second Language gives you the opportunity to live and work in a multitude of different cultures and cities. The country and city you live in play as important a role in your teaching experience as the school you work for. The sights and sounds series aims to give an insight into life in these possible TEFL destinations usually from local residents and film makers.
Eastern Europe is a growing market for ESL teachers. With opportunities, pay and work conditions improving many teachers are choosing to live and work in some of the most beautiful and historic cities in Europe.
One such city is Bratislava. Bratislava is the capital city of Slovakia located on the banks of the Danube it is one of the oldest cities in Europe. With a rich and dramatic history the city is a mix of ancient and modern with many medieval building as well as many modern architectural wonders.
Bratislava is ideal for those interested in travel. It is located close to the border with Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic making travel to these nations fairly quick and easy (Vienna, Austria 65km – Budapest, Hungary 200km – Brno, Czech Republic 130km).
Below is a selection of videos aimed at expats living in Bratislava. It is part of a series that covers topics which include housing, transportation, shopping, Kids activities and international schools.
Living in Bratislava: An Overview from MoveOneRelo on Vimeo.
Housing
Living in Bratislava: Housing from MoveOneRelo on Vimeo.
To view a further selection of these videos visit Vimeo at the following link
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Ways to Improve Adult ESL Learners’ Pronunciation Skills
By Dorit Sasson
One of the most difficult and trickiest areas for language educators to teach and ESL (English as a second language) learners to acquire is that of pronunciation. ESL students new to the States, know the importance of speaking communication yet often their accents get in the way of correct pronunciation and as a result, have an even more difficult time being understood.
Today’s current focus on communicative approaches to ESL instruction and the increasing emphasis on oral communication skills and teamwork are renewing interest in the role that pronunciation plays in adults’ overall communicative competence.
Incorporating Pronunciation in Instruction
Celce-Murcia, Brinton, & Goodwin (1996) introduced a curriculum that supports a communicative and cognitive approach to teaching pronunciation. It takes into account features of North American pronunciation and the sound system and builds effective pronunciation lessons and activities.
Teachers who teach pronunciation need to build their lessons on targeted instructional pronunciation goals which include the following:
- Teach the pronunciation feature which help raises learner awareness
- Listeners practice and listen for recognizing the targeted feature
- Provide guided practice and feedback based on structured communication exercises
- Provide communicative practice and feedback on specific pronunciation instruction
A lesson on word stress, based on these instructional goals, could include the following information:
1. The teacher presents a list of targeted vocabulary items from the current lesson, employing both correct and incorrect word stress. In order for English learners living outside English speaking countries to listen to a native speaker’s speech, teachers can run Panopreter text to speech software ( http://www.panopreter.com ) on their Windows 7 or Vista desktops or laptops, then Microsoft Anna will read out any English text clearly at various speed This is a good opportunity to introduce the concept of word stress and model it again and again. modeled.
2. Microsoft Anna can help learners listen for and identify stressed syllables, using sequences of nonsense syllables of varying lengths (e.g., da-DA,da-da-DA-da).
3. Learners go back to the list of vocabulary items from step one and, together, they show the right stress pattern by tapping out the stressed syllabus with a pen or on their laps. They can also clap the stress patterns. Teachers can also add new words to sustain continued practice, if relevant.
4. Pair work – Learners take turns reading a scripted dialogue where most of the words are understood in terms of meaning. As one learner speaks, the other indicates the stress arrangement on a printed copy. This is a good opportunity to provide feedback on the discrimination of sounds.
Teaching pronunciation is probably one of the areas that language teachers least enjoy addressing in the language classroom. But with up to date software for teaching pronunciation and guided interactive practice, learners can acquire pronunciation in a more user-friendly and communicative way.
Works Cited
Celce-Murcia. M., Brinton, D., & Goodwin, J. (1996). Teaching pronunciation: Reference for teachers of English to speakers of other languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Teaching ESL teachers the basics of accuracy and fluency in ESL instruction is only part of a presentation regularly offered by Dorit Sasson as part of her in-service training programs for teachers of English language learners. For more information about speaking engagements and in-service, contact Dorit Sasson at sassondorit@gmail.com or visit the Teachers’ Diversity Coach, at http://www.DoritSasson.com and click on the “speaking” page.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dorit_Sasson
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Sights and Sounds: Tokyo
Tokyo by Kevin Dooley http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/
Teaching English as a Second Language gives you the opportunity to live and work in a multitude of different cultures and cities. The country and city you live in play as important a role in your teaching experience as the school you work for. The sights and sounds series aims to give an insight into life in these possible TEFL destinations usually from local residents and film makers.
Tokyo is the capital of Japan and is known across the world for its vibrancy and futuristic look. A metropolis of over 13 million people Tokyo is a wonderful mix of of the ancient and modern. Tokyo has 112 public and private universities as well as numerous colleges and vocational schools creating a large number of TEFL positions. Added to this there are a large number of private English teaching institutions offering positions.
Japan is one of the most popular destinations for ESL Teachers. One of its main advantages is the abundance of entry level positions where new teachers can learn their craft. The benefits package also offered is very competitive against other popular teaching destinations.
This video show some of what you will see living in Japan including some of the vivid neon and busting city streets.
My Tokyo from Romain A on Vimeo.
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