You have officially earned all of your college hours, finished student teaching, and finally graduated with degree in hand, and now the job hunt begins. Applying for teaching jobs is exhausting, frustrating, and sometimes feels never ending.  It can feel like there are thousands of applicants applying for the same position and you may feel like you are stuck. The key to landing that “first” teaching job requires a few different things.

Research of School Districts or Organizations

Knowing what you as the teacher want in a school district and school is very important to applying for jobs. I have worked in 4 separate school districts and have been apart of many schools. Each district and school offers a wide variety of experience, and demographic to work with. It is important to know what you want going into your application process. Some of you might be knew to the area and some might not be familiar with the schools in your specific area or may want to work in an area according to what they offer.

Top 10 Best School Districts in Texas

Here is a Top 10 list of best school districts to work for in Texas to help you navigate where you might want to apply.

1. Carroll ISD, Southlake, TX
2. Eanes ISD, Austin, TX
3. Lovejoy ISD, Fairview, TX
4. Highland Park ISD (University Park, TX) Dallas, TX
5. Coppell ISD, Coppell, TX
6. Lake Travis ISD. Austin, TX
7. Allen ISD, Allen, TX
8. Friendswood ISD, Houston, TX
9. Plano ISD, Plano, TX
10. Round Rock ISD, Roundrock, TX

“The Texas Education Agency 2018 Accountability Manual describes the methodology used by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to award district and campus accountability ratings and how the four metrics used in this study to rank the academic performance of DFW school districts were derived.

The first of these metrics, the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) score is the scaled score of all STAAR assessments administered to district students during the 2017-2018 school year. The Advance Placement / International Baccalaureate (AP/IB) and the SAT and ACT college admission tests metrics are the number of students meeting college-ready criteria specified in the Texas Success Initiative (TSI), a state-legislated program to improve student success in college.”

Teacher Job Fairs

Each one of these school districts and thousands more will usually hold Job Fairs for hopeful employees. Utilize these Job fairs, the more contacts you have the better when starting the application process. Most job fairs will be beginning at the end of April, early May to the beginning of June. When attending make sure you dress professional, and bring a lot of copies of your resume to handout to the personnel of the different school districts. It makes a huge difference when someone can place a face to the resume.

Arlington, Texas Job Fair

Multiple City List of Job Fairs for Teachers

Student Teaching

The relationships and contacts you make during student teaching are very important. Don’t be afraid to rely on those connections during your job hunt. If the schools you did  your student teaching at, does not have any job openings in your specific teaching area, they will for sure have a contact of their own that they can recommend you to.

The Application process

The Resume

The first thing you want to do is to make sure you have a good resume. Those that are newly graduates may not have a lot to add to a resume that would be appealing to school districts. Having your student teaching information on your resume along with great references will greatly increase your chances of an administrator not by passing your resume all together. Also use your college mentors as help when writing your first professional resume. They know the school districts and can help you add  content to your resume that will help you stand out.

Application – Applying to Become a Teacher

Now that you have an idea of where you want to apply, your resume and references, you can start applying. Most school districts have their application online. You can usually find them by going to the school district website and clicking the employment tab. The nice thing about the applications being online in Texas is that most school districts use the same application system. This means you can upload one application and apply to thousands of jobs by just the click of a button.

Interview Process

There is nothing more nerve racking then walking into your first couple of job interviews. Practicing with someone such as your student teaching mentor or an old teacher will greatly help you to be able topinpoint interview weaknesses and turn those weaknesses into strengths. The more you practice speaking in front of people and answering questions on the fly the better prepared you will be.

Make sure you research the school’s website before you go into your interview, know what their goal is and know the kind of campus they are. This can help give you a better sense of the type of answers they may be looking for in your interview. Research key words that administrators like when talking about teaching and don’t be afraid to use those in your interview, such as: cultivate an engagingclassroom, create rigorouslesson plans to increase student engagement.

Dress to impress. There is nothing worse than showing up anywhere and being underdressed. It is always better to dress to impress. I always recommend a blazer jacket for both ladies and gentlemen. Ladies, a conservative dress or pant suit with a blouse. Gentlemen, suit, jacket, button-up shirt, and a tie. Some inexpensive clothing stores that are great to shop at for business clothes are, H&M, Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic Factory Store, and Nordstrom Rack. You can find some really great pieces that are super affordable.  I walked into my very first job interview wearing a women’s suit. It was hotter than anything outside but I was dressing to impress not for my own comfort. First impressions are very important and can make a difference in getting a call back.

Accepting a Teaching Position

You have made it through the hardest part of the job process, research, applications, job fairs, interviews, and you finally got a job offer. Some of you may get multiple offers and some may only get a single offer. When accepting a position, you need to make sure that you are on board with what you are being asked to teach, how many sections, and the pay. There are some jobs that require an additional certification, and you may not have that yet. Some districts will hire you with the understanding that you will get that certification during the first year of teaching.

Know what you want before you accept any position and don’t be afraid to say no thank you. Those that only received on offer. Don’t worry. That will not be the only offer you ever receive. Use that job opportunity as a stepping stone to learn, grow, and become a better teacher. You very first job may not be the job you want forever, but it can sure provide some of the best learning opportunities you can get.

Each year you teach, you learn a lot about yourself, about teaching and about how the process works. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, be uncomfortable, try something new, you never know by doing that you may find yourself with more opportunities than you know what to do with. Grow, get better, ask for help, and never stop learning.

Resources for Teachers Looking for Teaching Jobs

https://www.hdavidballinger.com/best-school-districts-texas.php

https://www.weareteachers.com/most-common-teacher-interview-questions/

Looking for Salary information for Texas Teachers?

https://www1.salary.com/TX/Public-School-Teacher-salary.html

Looking to become a teacher in Texas? We can help!

We specialize in online teacher certification. Our goal is to help you not only become a certified teacher, but to help you succeed once you are hired.

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“What is it that you love to do?” This question was asked of me recently by a good friend and I told him, “I love to create new things.” He then continued to tell me a story about a golden retriever and how when a golden retriever is living with a family it is a good dog. It is loyal and obedient and follows the rules. It is loving and special, but, when you see that same golden retriever in a field chasing butterflies or playing with other dogs, that is when it seems the most fully alive. “What a great visual!” I exclaimed.

This simple story reminded me of the three places I feel most alive – in the kitchen when I’m cooking, when I’m playing racquetball and when I’m dancing. So as I’m thinking about all of this and I’m reminded of an NPR article I was reading and it was talking about grits. Grits are one of those foods that I never liked until I had them cooked with cheese and garlic. But now they have become quite popular because chefs have taken something simple and plain – and often overlooked – and elevated it into something great.

When I was reading the NPR article, titled “Saving The Story Of Grits: A Dish Born of Poverty Now On Fine Dining Menus”, there was a quote that stuck out to me:

“Talking to people about grits started to open up all these conversations about bigger things,” says Murray. “I had just recently moved to the South, and it seemed like the people who were reviving grits as a food didn’t really match its origins. I was realizing that there was more to this than just following the dish through history.”

Now what did that phrase have to do with anything? For some reason this line sparked the idea that grits are often like students and teachers are often like chefs. In the NPR article as the author talks about the different cultures and backgrounds of different types of grits, I couldn’t help but think of how students come from different backgrounds. However, with the right teacher a student can be transformed into something spectacular.

The Best Thing I’ve Ever Eaten

I remember the first time I had shrimp and grits, I was on a trip to Savannah, Georgia with my best friend Joe. He and I wanted to eat at Paula Dean’s restaurant but it was booked for the night. (Insert angry and sad emojis here.)  We did a quick Yelp search and found that The Pirate’s House was a historic building and the reviews on the food were fantastic. We quickly made our way to the Pirate House and it was one of the best diversions of my life. We started our meal with hot homemade biscuits and orange marmalade with a big plate of shrimp and grits. Creamy grits filled with cheese and green onions were layered with shrimp and a white wine cream sauce with red and green peppers and andouille sausage. As I took my first bite my eyes rolled back in my head with pleasure. So much complexity of of flavors and textures, it was a dream. To this day it is still one of the best plates of food I’ve ever eaten.

When I was growing up my only interaction with grits was the runny kind that they serve at Cracker Barrel. They have no real discernible flavor and the texture, at least for me, was/is unappetizing. So what made the difference? Was this the same grit that was used in making the fancy grits? I did my research, not only to learn more about grits, but also to learn how to recreate the dish that I was served at The Pirate House. The answer was yes, the grits were the same, you can just use Quaker Quick Grits, add a lot of butter, garlic, onions , heavy cream and cheese and you have something that is delicious.

Creamy Grits with Shrimp, Bacon Cheddar Cheese – Recipe Below

Teachers, Grits, and Golden Retrievers

So how does all of this tie together with the golden retriever, teaching and grits? Well, when a teacher is doing what they love to do they are “in their element” they shine the way the golden retriever does in the field. When a teacher shines they have the ability to transform students, who start out complex – even when those complexities often appear very subtle. All students come from different backgrounds and sometimes varying cultures, but the best chefs, ahem, the best teachers, can cook up something that other people might otherwise overlook.

Become a Certified Teacher

That is where iteach comes in. We take extranordinary and talented individuals and equip them to become the best teachers they can be. We want to educate you through our online teacher certification program to be in your element, doing what you love, and transforming lives. If you are ready to teach, click here to apply.

And since we got you hungry with the Shrimp and Grits story, here is my own recipe that I perfected over time to taste as close to the Shrimp and Grits that I had at The Pirate House.

Delicious Shrimp and Grits Recipe

For the Grits:

• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2  cup milk
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup instant grits
• 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
• 2 Cloves fresh Garlic Minced
• 1/2 cup green onions

To prepare the grits, combine the chicken stock, milk, heavy cream and garlic powder and minced garlic in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Bring the liquids to a boil and then stir in the grits. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring frequently, until the grits are tender and have absorbed the liquid, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the cheese and green onions and season the grits with salt and pepper. Reserve warm.

For the Shrimp:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 pound of bacon cooked and drained and diced
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 Cup White Wine (Pinot Grigio works great)
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons of flour
• 2 teaspoons Tony Sachere’s seasoning

While the grits are cooking, in a separate pan cook the 1/2 pound of bacon, drain and set aside. Place a second large skillet over medium heat with the butter. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shrimp, and juice of the lemon to the pan and simmer until the shrimp are cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the zest of the lemon and season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Remove from the pan. Once the shrimp and onions mixture has been set aside, keep it someplace warm with the grits. Then dice up about 8 oz of andouille sausage and cook it in the pan. When the sausage has been cooked nicely deglaze the pan by stirring in the white wine. Sprinkle in the flour and stir quickly. I use a fork to make sure I get out the clumps. Add in the heavy cream keeping the pan on a medium to low heat. You can always turn up the heat if necessary. Add in the Tony’s Sachere’s seasoning to taste – you don’t need to use all of it, or you can always use more, just don’t over season it or you will be sad because this is such a great dish. As the sauce thickens add in the shrimp mixture and the bacon.

To serve, spoon the shrimp and pan sauce over the grits. Garnish with green onions and bacon if there is any left over.

Got a great recommendation for a restaurant that serves great shrimp and grits? Leave it in the comment section below!

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When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I often do is check my message, then my social media. I may take a few minutes to listen to a podcast or music while I put together my French Press coffee. I normally don’t eat at home and if I do eat breakfast it is normally fast food. My life seems to run at breakneck speed juggling projects with relationships and I can find myself dropping into my bed with a list of tasks still marked “Incomplete”. Working out, eating healthy, meditation – those are all low on my list of priorities because I know me, I’ll cut myself some slack, I won’t yell at me if those things don’t get done. The other tasks on my list are often requirements – especially if I want to pay my bills or have people in my life – at least that is what I tell myself. But is my life so hectic that I don’t have time for 15 minutes of meditation?

From headspace.com – “Science has proven that the benefits of meditation are too good to ignore. And while we don’t need to meditate daily to experience its positive effect on your health and happiness, studies have shown that we can unlock even more benefits when we meditate for consecutive days. In fact, completing just one 15-minute session of meditation using the Headspace app resulted in 22% reduction in mind wandering. And four weeks of using Headspace daily resulted in 14% increase in focus.”

Not convinced? When researching meditation I found one site with over 141 ways that meditation helps your mind, body, emotional and spiritual well being. But who has time for 141 benefits? Instead I will give you seven that I found from a Forbes article that were exactly what I was looking for, especially number six – reducing anxiety. I don’t know about you, but I get anxious about deadlines and I stress out about making new commitments and keeping ones already made. I have FOMO (fear of missing out) and I say “Yes” in order to please people instead of taking a few moments for self care.

Here are Seven benefits of Meditation:

1. Meditation Helps Preserve the Aging Brain
2. Meditation Reduces Activity in the Brain’s “Me Center”
3. Its Effects Rival Antidepressants for Depression, Anxiety
4. Meditation May Lead to Volume Changes in Key Areas of the Brain
5. Just a Few Days of Training Improves Concentration and Attention
6. Meditation Reduces Anxiety — and Social Anxiety – A lot of people start meditating for its benefits in stress reduction, and there’s lots of good evidence to support this rationale. There’s a whole newer sub-genre of meditation, mentioned earlier, called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts’ Center for Mindfulness (now available all over the country), that aims to reduce a person’s stress level, physically and mentally. Studies have shown its benefits in reducing anxiety, even years after the initial 8-week course.
7. Meditation Can Help with Addiction

Meditation in the Classroom

Based on the above seven reasons alone, it is clear that meditation could be incredibly valuable for a teacher.  Teachers often wear many hats in a students’ life and deal with a variety of situations involving students, parents and faculty members. Instead of grabbing an extra cup of coffee or a snack, it can be more beneficial to take that time to meditate. Teachers can use meditation not only for themselves, but also for their students. According to a recent Edutopia article, “…meditation can help students strengthen their self-regulation and their focus on coursework. It also boosts their overall health, reduces negative feelings, and fosters compassion.” Who doesn’t want more of this in their classroom! The article encourages meditation in the classroom, but it also states that teachers should develop their own practice of meditation before teaching it to their students. Furthermore, including administration and other faculty in your meditation practice can also be beneficial.

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“If we want people to fully show up, to bring their whole selves including their unarmored, whole hearts—so that we can innovate, solve problems, and serve people—we have to be vigilant about creating a culture in which people feel safe, seen, heard, and respected.” ― Brené Brown, Dare to Lead

I recently started watching The Umbrella Academy. It’s a new take on an old theme – super heroes have problems too. What has drawn me in about this show is not the strength of the characters – but their weakness. I believe that all of us wish to be great, but even those with great powers still struggle with contentment and happiness. With every strength, there is an equal weakness.

I think that we forget sometimes that it is vulnerability and weaknesses that actually connect us much more than our strength. While we all long for excellence in our physical appearance, jobs, families, friendships, it is our beauty, our excellence, our greatness that often intimidates others and drives us apart. This is true in The Umbrella Academy. You see a family of children created by an extraordinary circumstance but they are driven apart by their differences.  As I was watching, I couldn’t help but see how Sir Reginald Hargreeves, the billionaire “father” who adopted 7 children who were born on the same day, was a demanding teacher. He schooled his children in severe ways with the purpose of determining the extent of their abilities, but he did it without the greatest tool for teaching success – love.

Great Teachers Focus on the Students, Not Themselves…

When I was in school it wasn’t the teachers that were the most skilled who taught me the most. It was those teachers that showed me attention, affection, and affirmation. It was also those same teachers that brought fun to learning. Their focus was not on themselves, but on the students. Their desire was not to make themselves great, but instead to make great students. My best teachers did not desire the spotlight, they desired to illuminate the world around them. My best teachers were humble, kind and hard-working. By showing me that I mattered they ended up achieving their desired result sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly. When I knew that my teacher(s) cared about me, I worked harder for them. Instead of trying to motivate me to learn, great teachers motivated me to succeed and be the best version of myself. They made me feel like I was capable of something great, and I believed them. 

I remember my senior year at Liberty Christian school I had the best Geometry teacher. Her name was Mrs. Gray. Mrs. Gray was young, probably in her mid-twenties with dishwater blond hair that curled and fell just past her shoulders. I hardly remember her face, but I remember she was pretty. She piled us up with Geometry homework and demanded excellence, but what she really taught us was that we were people and that we mattered. She engaged in our lives and asked us about our families. While we learned geometry, she learned about us. I remember during spirit week, it was “Sixties Day”, she handed out our tests back to us sporting bell bottom jeans, a fringe leather vest and a colorful bandana. In a word, she was “groovy”. When she handed me my paper she said, “You got an A, jump back and kiss yourself.” I thought it was the coolest phrase ever. Mrs. Gray new how to have fun.

There was also a girl in our class named Victoria that sang all the time. She was beautiful and had a beautiful voice to match. Mrs. Gray often had to encourage her to stop singing during class, but she was always kind about it. I remember Victoria telling Mrs. Gray, “Thank you for the vitamin recommendations for my mom, they have helped her so much.” That is the kind of teacher that Mrs. Gray was, she recommended vitamins for our moms, she listened to our problems, she cared not just about our grades, she cared about us.

Fast forward 15 years and I’m working for Texas Instruments. My boss Sam Blunk called me into his office and asked me what my personal goals were. I told him that I wanted to go back to school and get a Master’s in Anthropology. He didn’t encourage me to become a better Help Desk Analyst or to move up in management in Texas Instruments, instead he wrote me a letter of recommendation for my application to the University of Texas at Dallas. He wanted me to become the best version of myself. I worked so hard for Sam and he lives near me. He works in law enforcement and when I see him I always bristle with delight because he “saw” me and it feels good to be seen.

I never became an Anthropologist, I actually ended up going to Dallas Theological Seminary and getting my Masters in Theology. Then I continued to work as a web and graphic designer who also happens to write and create content for my clients. Over the last 2 years I have spent a great amount of time consuming books by Brené Brown, Dave Ramsey,  Rachel Hollis, The Harmon Brothers, Dan Partidge and many more. The recurring theme from all self-help books, business books, and every marketing thing that I’ve read is that if you care about people you will be a success. 

YOU HAVE THE POWER TO IMPACT LIVES

As a teacher, you have the power to impact lives. Let me say that again, YOU HAVE THE POWER TO IMPACT LIVES. That is a gift. Teachers can redirect a child’s life and help him or her become something great with nothing more than kindness, attention, affirmation, and affection. You don’t have to go to college for that and while you do have to to be certified to teach, you do not have to be certified to love others well.

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