The first of this week’s two speakers was Diana Sanchez. She is the California State University San Marcos’s career counselor for the education department. This was a very helpful presentation for all of the teacher candidates, and was well placed in the semester, because everyone is really beginning to worry about interviews and resumes. She was definitely there to alleviate much of our rising anxieties about potential employment. Proving this immediately by asking what we wanted to discuss and what our concerns were.
Personally, I have been in the professional world and been through this process before, but every different career path has a different way of interrogating perspective employees. Diana truly help me bridge my concerns about the differences from a business resume and interview to the education world. The emphasis on cover letters or letters of interest is just one of many differences that I am glad was addressed. In a professional business setting the personal touch of these letters weighed little into the consideration of the applicants, in my experience, but in education it makes sense that it would be a more substantial part of the process. After all, being a great teacher is as much who you are, as what you have done to get there. She also provided an extensive list of resources for us to utilize as we begin our journey into the job market.
In my opinion, the most beneficial of these resources was the ability to conduct a mock interview and receive feedback on it. Theoretical preparation is important, but to me, there is no substitute for applicable practice. Is that not the point of California State University San Marcos’s two semester clinical practice structure? On top of this resource opportunity, Diana handed out various resumes from previous students that could be used as a template for our own. This is invaluable, to actually see the proper way to do something is a skill that I am trying to use with my students. It eliminates much of the unnecessary doubt stemming in the unknown, modeling how do to something, which is a skill that I am trying to develop in my own classroom. This really resonated with me in my teaching, even though it was not her intention, she really proved a point for me. We, as learners, are reluctant and anxious about the unknown and that stifles our creativity, confidence, and production. Consumed by the worry of overwhelming feelings caused by not knowing where to start and not having a baseline of what expectations are, instead of actually focusing on your performance. That keeps me up at night, and it is such an easy fix. Why should my students waste so much time worrying, when they don’t have to, because all I have to do is clearly demonstrate what it is that I expect. This scenario is the problem some of my students may be facing with my new writing prompts and what I am experiencing with EDSS 531. I have no idea what is expected, how to do it, why to do it, and how it has benefited me not that it is ending. In conclusion, Diana Sanchez not only helped me prepare my resume, ability to interview, but made me a better educator as well.
Trent Suzuki is a Physical Education teacher at San Dieguito and a recent graduate of the Single Subject Credential Program here at California State University San Marcos. He was kind enough to come and discuss many of his experiences since leaving CSUSM. The two messages that he provide us with were being involved in the community and the merits of BTSA. Being involved was not simply an appearance thing to do while in the program, but when we get a job as well. I have witnessed this first hand. Two first year teachers were hired at my school site and the one who became a part of the community was kept and the other let go. The second message was about BTSA and how it does allow us to truly reflect as a beginning teacher. Though it seems to me as more endless work to weed out teachers who are only in it for summers off. Trent firmly believes that it had a very positive effect on him as an educator.
Personally, I have been in the professional world and been through this process before, but every different career path has a different way of interrogating perspective employees. Diana truly help me bridge my concerns about the differences from a business resume and interview to the education world. The emphasis on cover letters or letters of interest is just one of many differences that I am glad was addressed. In a professional business setting the personal touch of these letters weighed little into the consideration of the applicants, in my experience, but in education it makes sense that it would be a more substantial part of the process. After all, being a great teacher is as much who you are, as what you have done to get there. She also provided an extensive list of resources for us to utilize as we begin our journey into the job market.
In my opinion, the most beneficial of these resources was the ability to conduct a mock interview and receive feedback on it. Theoretical preparation is important, but to me, there is no substitute for applicable practice. Is that not the point of California State University San Marcos’s two semester clinical practice structure? On top of this resource opportunity, Diana handed out various resumes from previous students that could be used as a template for our own. This is invaluable, to actually see the proper way to do something is a skill that I am trying to use with my students. It eliminates much of the unnecessary doubt stemming in the unknown, modeling how do to something, which is a skill that I am trying to develop in my own classroom. This really resonated with me in my teaching, even though it was not her intention, she really proved a point for me. We, as learners, are reluctant and anxious about the unknown and that stifles our creativity, confidence, and production. Consumed by the worry of overwhelming feelings caused by not knowing where to start and not having a baseline of what expectations are, instead of actually focusing on your performance. That keeps me up at night, and it is such an easy fix. Why should my students waste so much time worrying, when they don’t have to, because all I have to do is clearly demonstrate what it is that I expect. This scenario is the problem some of my students may be facing with my new writing prompts and what I am experiencing with EDSS 531. I have no idea what is expected, how to do it, why to do it, and how it has benefited me not that it is ending. In conclusion, Diana Sanchez not only helped me prepare my resume, ability to interview, but made me a better educator as well.
Trent Suzuki is a Physical Education teacher at San Dieguito and a recent graduate of the Single Subject Credential Program here at California State University San Marcos. He was kind enough to come and discuss many of his experiences since leaving CSUSM. The two messages that he provide us with were being involved in the community and the merits of BTSA. Being involved was not simply an appearance thing to do while in the program, but when we get a job as well. I have witnessed this first hand. Two first year teachers were hired at my school site and the one who became a part of the community was kept and the other let go. The second message was about BTSA and how it does allow us to truly reflect as a beginning teacher. Though it seems to me as more endless work to weed out teachers who are only in it for summers off. Trent firmly believes that it had a very positive effect on him as an educator.