Expert: Bonnie Shimmin - 7/30/2010

Question
Hi there,

I am a 22 year old male who is pursing a career in Elementary Education. I currently am in my second year at Keene State College in Keene, NH. Recently, I took the Praxis exam which is a requirement for those who wish to enter the teaching program. I passed 2 of the sections but missed the math part by a few points. I will retake it shortly. My question for you is what else should I be doing to perpare my resume? What are some pointers or things I should be seeking out to better my chances. Anything is helpful. Thank you. - James

Answer
Dear James,

Congratulations on choosing a very honorable career.  I enjoyed teaching thoroughly and hope you do too.  Actually, I'm on vacation right now, but I thought your question was such an important one I didn't want to wait until I got home.  Here are some things you should remember to help prepare for what's coming:

1.  Study for the math section of the Praxis.  Many teachers figure that it's not really important to take a lot of math if they are going to teach elementary school.  I found that the best math teachers (even when only teaching arithmetic) knew what was involved in higher math and could tailor their instruction accordingly.

2.  Have at least three other people read your resume to make sure there are NO grammar or spelling errors.  When a principal is looking at many applications, the one with errors gets eliminated first.

3.  Apply to substitute teach if that's possible in your area.  It's always very attractive to see candidates who have some real practice with real kids.

4.  Get good letters of recommendation.

If I think of more, I'll let you know.  But the maid is here to clean the hotel room, so I have to go.

Bonnie