In every university in the country, there are ambitious and starry eyed graduates who are preparing for a career in teaching. A lot will be looking for relief teaching positions as this becomes the more accepted way to start your teaching career.
If you want to fast track your teaching career as a relief teacher, you need an advantage so you stand out.
1. Offer to volunteer to work in school. You can work as an aide in schools. By taking on the working world of teaching even before you have your degree, you will be able to present yourself to employers post graduation as someone who has real world experience in the classroom. Most schools look for relief teachers they know.
You will also learn the ropes which is tremendously valuable to a school administrator with a spot to fill because it reduces the concern that a new graduate who has never faced a classroom full of restless children.
2. Another way to get a jump start on the market before graduates flood the schools for jobs is to start your search early in your last semester of uni.
Schools know by October if they will have jobs to fill for the next academic year. Because of generous leave provisions, relief teaching positions become available first. So if you begin your search early, you can often land an interview before many of your contemporaries.
3. Spend some time narrowing down exactly what kind of teaching position you want and at what level you feel your personality and teaching style will benefit students the most.
By knowing well in advance where you want to teach, you can target those kinds of relief teaching positions in your job search and improve your chances of finding that teaching job.
You should make the phrase "leave no stone unturned" your motto for hunting up the teaching jobs that in your community.
4. Check the HR or employment offices at the schools you would like to be a part of and keep an eye on their employment bullion boards. Use the internet wisely, watch the newspaper and even get in touch with placement agencies that are known for placing new and relief teachers.
5. Network, network, network. Use every contact you have and forge new relationships to get the inside scoop on jobs before they even become public.
Networking is the best way to find relief teaching vacancies. Most teachers know who is leaving in their school - sometimes before Admin.
And if there is a vacancy, there is sure to be a relief teaching position.
2 comments:
If you are a male casual relief teacher, your biggest hurdle when trying to get established work at a school will the the Admin woman. This is especially so in primary schools where the admin women seems very protective of the kids and no matter how well mannered, how experienced, how flexible you are, they are reluctant to let you into the school. If they are screaming out for males in the primary school, then this attitude needs to change. Since its the Admin who will wield the power as she is the one with the list of casuals to call, cross your fingers. If its a busy day and the school needs a casual, you may get a call. If its just a one off sick day for one teacher you will be lucky to be right down the list.
A very interesting perspective Anon. I have never come across that attitude but I would imagine it would be very frustrating. Honestly the male/female debate, as far as I am aware has not come into relief appointments. The first person to call for relief, in bigger schools anyway, is usually the Admin Officer and they don't usually are seldom protective of kids. But I am going to check this situation. You have made me think. MMMmmmm!
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