Advice


 * Advice for you from local Principals, AP’s and DP’s **


 * //The following advice is from local teachers and principals ...your future employers. Gary Tenbeth (Principal at College Street School) has also shared his words of wisdom//**

Don't write philosophies and ideals - state what you do do: In other words write what you do with children

This is a challenge for students when they have not been in their own classroom but I think bullet points that focus on class climate, literacy and maths and consideration to current issues go a long way.

Use of thinking tools can be a effective e.g. a Y chart re what a literacy or maths session looks like, sounds like, feels like for the applicant.

Do - tell your story! Make the reader feel they know you Do - tell them why they NEED you - share you passions in your CV

Don't - make it long and hard to read!

The best piece that of advise that I got was that the covering letter is really important and quite often the content of this is what makes you stand out from the rest. It's your opportunity to stress why you are right for the job.

From my own experience of looking through CVs, it was the well presented CVs that made you take that first/extra look. By well presented I don't mean gaudy (and difficult to photocopy) but the ones that showed creativity, high standards, and that personal touch that reflected the applicant in some way.

Photos are worth a thousand words.

I was also told not to spiral bind, instead I used a nice folder with a clear cover and a built in side 'clip' so that they could photocopy my CV with ease.

On my referees page, as well as their contact details, I included a little piece of information as to why this person was acting as my referee.

Covering letter vital

Ensure your referees know you have put them down as a referee

Ensure you spell and have the correct name for both the Principal and the School

A picture paints a thousand words... a few pictures showing the teacher children they are actually teaching/ - ie whole class, small group, activity, 1:1. These should back up other statements.

Selective use of colour.

Clear layout -Personally I like bullet points rather than lots of narrative

MUST be correct. Get someone to proof read for spelling and grammar... don't rely on spell check to see if its write!!!

NB If quoting people - be prepared for these folk to be contacted. NZ is a small country

For interview-- the balance between confidence ... and humility!!

Don't... I do not want to have sprinkles falling on the floor when we open the envelope... messy and annoying!

Don't use pictures of other teachers' classes/lessons... I have had this and actually knew that this was a session taken by a specialist teacher!!

For us the covering letter is more important than the CV. Expect that document to be specific to the job and to ooze passion for teaching. We want to "see" the person.

CV - acknowledging that the writer in this instance has minimal experience to fall back on, I, again, would be looking for passion for teaching / love of children / wanting the best for kids - this would normally come through sentences of philosophy, recounting experiences where children have 'moved' or be impacted positively by the teacher's input ....


 * DON’T ** fill the CV with your ‘philosophies’ of learning in many curriculum areas– the reality is that you never really develop these until you have been teaching for a few years!

Eg: Maths I plan for a variety of groups I use modelling scrapbooks Students use equipment to reinforce concepts We would much rather see those sorts of things than their ‘beliefs/philosophies’ about teaching.
 * DO ** let us know what you do in the classroom that shows you understand effective teaching practice


 * DO ** make sure you are putting your CV together to meet the demands of the job you are applying for. There is nothing worse than getting a CV that shares all the things that this person has done in eg PE and Science when our job specifically indicates/requires strengths in other areas.

Keep your CV to the point – we want to see what you have to offer without wading through a book. However there is a ‘middle’ ground – we did have a number of BT CVs last year that didn’t tell us enough and it was almost as if they had been given the challenge of trying to keep it to 2 or 4 sides of paper!!

Make sure it is easy to read and well spaced out. Make sure your referees have been asked and briefed about the positions you are applying for.

NO 1 DON"T. When cutting and pasting always double/triple check that you have the correct school name with each application.

DO NOT LIE!!!!! NOT AT ALL! DO NOT EVEN EXAGGERATE!!!

Sell yourself honestly - don't be afraid to state your strengths.... if you are not sure what they are ask someone!! The school will be looking for specific things to meet their needs so anything extra you have - include! Use I statements!! I am flexible, I am creativel, I believe in..... etc etc..

include something to remember you by... photos of work you have done at school or a picture of you doing something you love (that is appropriate!!!) Or a montage of your art work from postings etc etc....

Try and do something a 'little' different. Try doing something different to make your CV stand out ie: someone made a brochure of their strengths and including photos etc. Someone also did something creative and included a wee flip book with their CV which had pics and strengths on each page starting with the cover 'Why Employ Jo Bloggs....' There was also someone else who had designed a map...

Also great photos of you in action. Some quotes from your references at the foot of each page can stand out too.

Read the application pack carefully. We always asked for our CVs to be submitted electronically as ICT was a big factor in the school and this was a good indication of the person's ability. A lot of applicants still posted in a paper copy which didn't go down well. Sometimes though, if you want to deliver your CV by hand so that you can be seen by the principal as you do so, you can always submit using a disc if it has been asked for specifically to be digital. One of the jobs I applied for and won asked for this and I put together a website on a disc which included a video introduction, examples of student work, and copies of all testimonials and certificates. So sometimes a CV doesn't just have to be a paper based booklet, but could be a multimedia presentation. You could always include the multimedia disc in a jacket pocket at the end of your CV, it will definitely be something to set you apart from the rest and showcase your skills.

Always, always address the letter to the Principal's name - never Dear Sir/Madam or Dear Principal - it is a definite no for me if you can't even be bothered to look at our website and learn my name!

 Use colour and stand out. Try to personalise it as much as you can. I want to know why you have 'chosen' our school not to feel like it is just the same bog standard application mailed out to 20 schools. Hope this helps.

Always make your CV represent you, it should reflect who you are as a person, not just your achievements. If you are into IT, create it in a way that showcases that (multimedia as Jane said etc), if you are arty, then showcase your own art or like of art in your CV etc. Employers want to see what sort of person you are, not just how much you know!

1. make it look professional - but do it yourself (not a company) ie you can get it professionally bound, but content needs to be yours 2. personalise it to the job 3. do your homework/research - don't address to Mr when its a Mrs, or to the secretary - should be principal or board chair Don'ts - spelling mistakes, crossouts, cv's that have been paid for! And too much waffle

EDIT, EDIT, EDIT any spelling, grammatical errors indicate the candidate could compromise the school’s reputation /professionalism and /or will need considerable support at report writing time.

stand out. Most management teams are limited in time. Visual models, bullet points __directly__ related to the advertised position are very useful.

Don’t – Write/condense too much. Make it easy for the employer. Have supplementary pages with further information if required. As above, keep to the targeted strengths required in the add.

Let your personality come through!! I want to know if you will fit in the staffroom as well as the classroom

Do something a bit different - BT cv's tend to all look the same. I don't want to know your philosophy etc as anyone can write anything in these .... I want to know what you have done and what this shows in the way of skills and beliefs

We always ask "what makes you interesting to children?" .... throws everyone .... but often the answer to this sorts the winners from the losers for positions