Personal Statement

Last spring, when I first began searching for teaching jobs on Long Island, the application for my dream job district asked for a "written statement indicating why you are the best candidate for the position" in addition to references, resumes, transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc. I poured over it for two weeks. At it's longest it was 5 pages, single spaced. My father, a recently retired teacher, helped me hack away at it. This edited version is less emotional than the original, and I don't like how much I was trying to sell myself as a candidate. I guess that's why there's a difference between job application prompts and personal essays. But I look at it as a starting point. It was the first time I really had to verbalize why I wanted to get back into teaching. I wouldn't resubmit it anywhere. Even in these past few months the way I view things has shifted a little bit. My personal values and philosophies about education have evolved. But still, it was a starting point...

My career in education has been short, compared to some, but I have had many diverse experiences that have given me a uniquely well rounded perspective on teaching and learning. I have worked in urban, suburban, and rural settings. I have taught in traditional classrooms, tutored one-on-one, and lead team building sessions at an Outdoor Education facility. I have worked with students from Elementary, Middle, High School, College, Special Ed and Alternative Ed programs. I acknowledge that the chronology of my resume is unorthodox. I had my most advanced positions right after graduate school and my job titles have seemed to steadily regress since. I assure you, however, that this is due entirely to my own choices. After giving my notice, every employer that I have had over the past three years has tried to entice me to stay on or even promote me. I attribute this to a combination of strong work ethic, willingness to learn, excellent communication skills, and a good balance of enthusiasm and experience.

I am a hard worker. I believe very strongly in working until the job is done. This means that I often take on tasks like filling in for another teacher during my prep period, coming in an hour early to grade papers, and blocking off hours of time after school to call parents. I am also a team player; if there’s a dance Friday night that needs a chaperon, photocopies that need to be made for faculty meetings, or a club in need of an advisor, I’ll happily step up when needed to fill those roles.

My development as an educator continues to progress rapidly, even after finishing graduate school. I am always willing to learn. I’ve spent the majority of this past school year substitute teaching. While it pays roughly one-third of what I was making when I was a salaried teacher, it has been a worthwhile experience. I’ve been able to move in and out of different classrooms and watch teachers across all disciplines. I have gained many new tools for classroom management and lesson planning just by watching and learning from what other teachers have done. As an example, I spent a day in the Student Support Center at Hillsboro Deering Middle School. I had a discussion with the assistant principal about how their disciple program- primarily based on respectful language and probing questions- works in its ideal form. I was able to sit in on a few of his meetings with students. I brought this approach back to the classroom and was able to successfully manage student behavior. It was empowering to know that simple things like tone and vocabulary have a profound effect on student success.

My job success has also been fueled by my strong communication skills. I have an upbeat and cordial demeanor. I balance affability with professionalism. With students, I always aim to be a consistent role model. I set clear expectations and am firm when addressing a group. However, I also make the time to form personal, one-on-one connections with as many students as possible throughout the class period. I am a big advocate for communicating frequently and directly with parents. My most useful tool my first year teaching was our student directory. I would call home not only when behavior issues arose, but also when I was positively impressed with a student’s actions. I find that building a strong alliance with parents early on is one of the best ways to effectively support students throughout the rest school year. I am also always eager to share ideas with colleagues. I take note when I observe another teacher delivering an effective lesson plan.

This is an ideal moment in my teaching career. I am young and enthusiastic; enough to eagerly seek a variety of experiences to build my teaching practice, yet experienced enough to have a solid idea of what works and what doesn’t in a classroom. I’ve held many positions since finishing graduate school, but I have not strayed far from the classroom. I stay in education because I love it. I believe that it is a calling more than a job. At this point in my life I want to start to build a career and put down roots in a new community.