How would the interview process afford you the opportunity to determine the pulse of the faculty? In my small part of the world, faculty members do not take part in new teacher interviews.

Would you treat your employment search like a senior seeking out the ‘right’ college? Would you ask for time to observe, meet with, the faculty of each potential school?

You’re spot-on in wanting to work w/ a group of educators who carry around mirrors rather than a group of teacher who shine spotlights in any direction except at themselves, but gleaning this type of faculty mind-set seems like a weighty, tricky task for a would-be employee.

But if anyone can find out…

Dan, your exuberance and refreshing naivetee always amaze me. I, too, would love to have most of what you desire, except for the paper, of course, since I do 90 percent of my stuff on the Internet. The salsa bar sounds especially interesting. Sadly, most districts will tell you they’ll provide most of your wishes, only to disappoint you when you sign on the dotted line.

You see, my 15 years in four districts tells me that most school administrators are self-serving. Case in point: I recently received a Smart Board, only to have administration tell me that they can’t install it now, because we failed a school levy and it would send a bad message to the community. Scratching your head? I too puzzled over this one.

I have done more for technological advancement in my school the past two years than most schools in my state (Ohio) have ever done, yet administration turns up its collective noses, because it didn’t sanction my work from the start and, presumably, doesn’t want parents to view the administration as not being “in the know.” A local TV station was even denied a story about my Paperless Classroom, because administrators might get upset, because they didn’t initiate the story.

So, my URL, http://www.barnesclass.com, is blocked (I have my students access it through a backdoor link, which I had approved a long time ago, before my class site existed).

Anyway, back to your interviews. I only wish you and your willingness to be a great teacher the best. I know I sound cynical, but I think I’m being realistic when I say you can only find a district that offers all of the technology and in-house support you desire and throw out the rest. Do all you can to influence the faculty around you with your own vigor; I’ve had some success with this approach.

Oh, and as for the salsa bar, I suggest you bring a jar of your own and keep it in the faculty lounge fridge.

I’d say, Keep your chin up, but I know you will!

I have to agree with Shelley that the administration should be high up on your list. I think principals can make or break a school.

I love the thought about veterans taking on loads to help out new teachers. I’ve seen veterans go both ways on this and been either extremely impressed or really ticked off. I would guess that’s tough to see before you really get into a school though.

I’m surprised the digital projector isn’t higher up on your list.

Finally, I’d love to see more thinking about fractions. As an elementary school teacher it is something I struggle with teaching because the concept is so tough for my kids (who are gifted and talented fifth graders, so I’ve got it pretty easy). It would make my day to have discussions with middle school and high school math teachers about how to better teach kids this.

In that list, what items are negotiable and what items are deal breakers? (Already assuming, of course, #16 and #17 are negotiable…)

Hello, Dan,

Arrive early for your interview — not conspicuously early, but early enough so that you need to wait in a public place for 15-20 minutes. Be a fly on the wall and watch the interactions that occur in that space. Who talks to you? Who doesn’t? You can get a pretty good sense of the tenor of a school by observing interactions.

Talk with support personnel — they are the folks who keep the school running, and can tell you more than most folks, as they interact with a broad swath of stakeholders.

Google the administrators, and the school, and the district. See what you can find.

In your interview, ask when you will be talking with students of the school. In all likelihood, you won’t be, but you can get a sense of their attitude toward kids by how they react to the question.

Oh, yeah, and add # 18: I want a pony :)

Good luck with the search — wherever you end up, I look forward to hearing of your continued adventures.

Cheers,

Bill

Good luck, Dan.

As has been noted above, whether there are teaching faculty in on the interviews or not you can tell a whole lot about the culture by the administrator(s) with whom you speak as well as the questions.

Colorado is a beautiful place, my friend! I hired three new math teachers in the last year – two under 30, one mid-30s. There’s always room for more!

You might also want to give some thought to the program being used in middle school where you are looking.

Kids coming from a fuzzy program will bring different skills to the plate than those coming from more traditional programs. Not a deal breaker certainly, but something to throw into the mix.

I teach in a fuzzy program and my preference for a high school (which I’m looking at as we speak) will be one that is not being fed fuzzy kids.

I haven’t resigned yet, but I’m on the hunt, too. I’m taking the same approach as you – interviewing the districts as much as they’re going to interview me.

Best of luck as you hit the interview trail. I haven’t had to do this for nearly a decade, so I’ll be a bit rusty, but if you want to share war stories and commiserate in

just a couple things…I like the idea of interviewing kids and talking to teachers. insist on it. they’re not worthy of you if they refuse.

re: veteran teachers and scheduling – I’d talk to whoever makes the ultimate scheduling decisions (at my school, math department IS) about their philosophy. one thing I like about the way we do business is that every math teacher is expected to teach one, and no more, lower level (slower paced, whatever jargon you prefer) course, seniority be damned. most of us have one honors course to boot. new teachers don’t have to ride bitch and don’t (usually) bail after a few years from the strain of it all. it makes for a less stressful work environment all around.

having some colleagues of your own demographic/generation is nice. it makes work more fun when you see your friends there. it alleviates stress when you can vent about kids, parents, and administrators at a bar or each other’s houses once in a while.

I too am glad there is a “next school”. I’d add a math department that has a clearly defined goal/plan/vision. That can be clearly communicated.

The deep paper budget is one we’re struggling with right now. It was suggested we put assessments up on the overhead/projector and have the students copy down the problems in order to save paper. *sigh*

@Christian – I know exactly how you feel. During my first (and only) public school stint – at the high school i graduated from, no less! – I always said I would never work at a private school. I’m selling out, the public school kids are the ones that need me, blah, blah, blah. But then I moved overseas and eventually started working at independent, private, international schools. I first rationalized this by saying there was no other choice: I couldn’t work for a public school in Japan, Tanzania, Vietnam… But then I realized, these are schools that give me support, freedom, diversity…

@dan – I would move #5 (a central office) higher up the list. This is integral in planning, sharing of best-practice, and just general collegiality. If you have this, then I feel you can scratch off #14. #13 (digital projector) and #15 (your own room) are pretty damned important as well.

Maybe this is included in your first criterion, but I would add “members of the department who are like-minded, either in philosophy, practice, or both.”

I think I’m simply too enamored with this free and appropriate public education system of ours to leave

Thank god. It’s always nice to meet a teacher who is both a) not brainwashed into the cult of bleeding heart public schoolteacher martyrdom and b) strongly reluctant to abandon public schools.

As inspiring and undeniably effective as independent schools can be (truly), public schools remain where the motivated rank and file teacher can do the most good, in my opinion. Of course, I am blessed with a prodigious capacity for emotional compartmentalization that makes the many trying aspects of public service immeasurably easier.

I think I’m simply too enamored of California, a state which frankly hates its residents, to leave.

Trust that instinct (both of them). I strongly regret leaving, although it certainly engendered an appreciation for what I had given up. But I shall return. Sooner or later.

I was out in Portland last week and fell in love with Oregon… so hey, you never know.

Beautiful city. But there’s no place like home.

Just got in from our 8th grade class trip to Washington, so I’m a little late joining this conversation…. but I’d like to hear more about two items:

#3 (block scheduling) — I think that I’ve known that you teach on a block schedule, but what sort of block are you all on? Our middle school has been on an A/B block for years, such that I will see a given section of students for 90 minutes on Monday, and then I’ll see them again on Wednesday, etc. Next year we’re abandoning the block to go back to 50 minute traditional periods, and I’m actually glad. If I’d had my 8th grade Pre-Algebra class this past Thursday (of course instead I was feeling vertigo at the top of the Washington Monument, but I mean on a regular Thursday), I wouldn’t see them again until this coming Monday — four days later. That’s pretty rough on the continuity and we’ve felt that it makes for big gaps. And then when we have a three-day weekend, the gap jumps to five days.

Second item, related to your #10 (differentiated algebra). I wholeheartedly agree that we need to differentiate better, although I’m at a small school where that’s even tougher. But my question is really about how to best assess a student’s readiness, since I guess that I’m one of those middle school teachers who must pass along our impression of a student’s readiness. I definitely agree that I sometimes miss the target, but we do use the Orleans-Hanna test, which I believe is very widely used. I’ve seen some students who scored 50% on that test but who excel in Algebra, and students who scored in the mid-80’s who don’t. Can you or anyone else help familiarize me with some other good assessments for Algebra readiness?

I like most all of your other items, but these two particularly caught my eye.

Hey Dan,

If you are going to be in the bay area still, we have openings at DCP. I can’t remember what your opinion of charter schools is – but if you’re interested in visiting, let me know.

You do realize that I’m pretty far from your beloved west coast, right? We have our own west coast here in Florida but the surf there is pretty nonexistent. As for high schools that we feed, there are three major public high schools that our students go to (and a variety of other public and private ones) — since we’re independent we don’t really fall within a single high school attendance zone. And as for hospitals for a nursing position, I live about four blocks from our largest hospital complex, where one of my best friends happens to be a vice president (for development, but heck, a v.p. is a v.p.).

And I’d actually prefer a grits bar in our cafeteria, but I don’t see that coming anytime soon. Before your readers who live in the real Deep South complain, Orlando (and most all of peninsular Florida) definitely doesn’t qualify as the Deep South so the grits thing is really more of my personal preference. Now if you get up into the Panhandle of our fair state, that’s another region altogether.

But now that I think more about it, a grits bar would be awesome; something like a baked potato bar but without the foil wrappers.

Just an update: My district is implementing #14 this year. We’re excited about it, with weekly collaboration meetings, in addition to several times a week that grade levels have common preps. That’s something is impossible in high schools, but is really important at the elementary level.