Looking for your first teaching job? With soaring nationwide, you鈥檝e likely got a great chance of landing one. Statistically speaking, you鈥檙e also likely not to stay long.
Nearly 50 percent of all new teachers leave within the first five years of entering the profession, according to . Almost half of those who exit early cite job dissatisfaction as the primary reason. Some of that dissatisfaction could be avoided if teaching-job candidates practice more due diligence and watch carefully for red flags before accepting a job offer, say experienced educators.
鈥淓ven though I learned a lot at my first teaching job, had I known then what I know now, I definitely wouldn鈥檛 have taken the job,鈥� said Deidra Fogarty, who taught at seven schools before founding Black Girls Teach, an advocacy and professional-development group for Black women in education.
Fogarty says the excitement and drive to land that first teaching job can cause early job seekers to overlook signs that a school might not be a good fit during the interview process.
She and other experienced educators offer strategies on how early-career teaching candidates can effectively evaluate prospective employers before accepting a job.
Do research on the school and the district
It鈥檚 relatively easy to engage in preliminary research of a school or district online. A district website is the logical first stop. Here, you鈥檒l find a variety of basic but revealing information, such as the district鈥檚 number of students and employees, racial/ethnic demographic data, annual budget, graduation rate, and more.
Individual school websites also provide important insights, explains Jason B. Allen, a former school administrator and current special education teacher at 7 Pillars Career Academy in Forest Park, Ga.
鈥淎sk yourself questions like: Do they have student engagement? If they only have two clubs, that鈥檚 not a lot of opportunity,鈥� Allen said.
Online research shouldn鈥檛 stop at school and district websites. Employment websites sometimes post workplace reviews by current and former employees. And, increasingly, educators and school administrators are taking to Twitter, Instagram, and other social media channels to share a range of information of interest to job seekers, such as school initiatives and upcoming events, educational philosophies, and highlights of student achievement.
Request an in-person, all-access visit to the school
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way schools operate; in many districts, virtual job interviews are a residual effect. While Zoom interviews are convenient鈥攁llowing job candidates from anywhere to connect with hiring personnel鈥攙irtual interviews don鈥檛 tell nearly the whole story of a school or district. Seasoned educators urge early-career teaching candidates to visit the school where they鈥檙e interviewing whenever possible.
Once at a school, take advantage of the opportunity to observe important details, starting with your stop at the front office, advises Fogarty.
鈥淎sk yourself: Is the main office staff friendly? Do they greet you? Is it organized, or chaotic?鈥� she said. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 chaotic, that鈥檚 a sign that the school itself probably is too.鈥�
Also important, Fogarty says, is to observe staff and students鈥攑referably, in uncontrolled settings.
鈥淎sk if you can walk around the building,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a red flag when they have only very specific classrooms they want you to visit.鈥�
Fogarty suggests asking yourself the following questions while observing classes: What are the students doing? Are they working independently, or doing work sheets? Is the teacher just sitting back, or is he or she engaged with the students? Are the students and teachers treating each other with respect? What is the tone of the teacher鈥檚 voice?
Go into it like you are interviewing them."
Learn about the broader community
Having a sense of students鈥� home environments can provide important insights that, in turn, better enable teachers to prepare for meeting students where they are, says Allen, the Georgia teacher.
For example, 鈥淚f the majority of families are grandparents raising kids, there are going to likely be issues around technology and access at home,鈥� he said.
More broadly, the political and cultural climates within a given community can influence everything from how a school operates to what its policies are and what its students learn.
Increasingly, polarized climates in some communities are raising tensions and, in some cases, causing upheaval. Last June, for instance, police declared a Loudoun County, Va., school board meeting unlawful when residents argued over the district鈥檚 proposed policies on transgender students.
Parents aren鈥檛 just getting more vocal; in many communities, they鈥檙e exerting greater influence on districtwide decisions, from curriculum choices to discipline policies. Allen describes applying for a job in a district that touted restorative discipline practices as a way to address student misbehavior. But after he took the job, he learned that parents opposed this philosophy.
鈥淚 did not research the influence that parents had,鈥� Allen said.
Learning about student demographics, community members鈥� mindsets, and their sphere of influence can take some digging, but the revelations may better prepare candidates for a given job.
Prepare to ask questions in the interview
When preparing for an interview, job candidates tend to spend ample time anticipating the questions an interviewer may ask them and less time on the questions they鈥檇 like answered. Experts suggest re-thinking that strategy.
鈥淭hink about the things that matter most to you, even though it鈥檚 your first job, and ask questions directly aligned to them,鈥� said Fogarty. Whether it鈥檚 work-life balance, career development, or something else that鈥檚 important to you, she says, go into the interview with your questions prepared.
Other experienced educators agree. Joanne George, a middle school teacher at New Jersey鈥檚 Learning Community Charter School, advises job candidates not to shy away from the tough questions.
鈥淒on鈥檛 be afraid to ask: Why is there an opening?鈥� George said. 鈥淐an you tell me about the teacher turnover at the school?鈥�
George, who acknowledges that she鈥檚 worked in schools where discipline is a serious issue, emphasizes the importance of hearing where school leaders stand on supporting teachers when parents question or challenge them on matters from academics to behavior.
Several factors can inhibit job candidates from asking questions during an interview.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e trying to manage your emotions, trying to memorize talking points, trying to be engaged and present,鈥� Allen said.
It鈥檚 easy to get overwhelmed during the interview, forgetting to ask specific questions or second-guessing whether it鈥檚 the appropriate time. To this, Allen advises: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 ever a time that鈥檚 too early [to ask a question].鈥�
Adjusting your mindset before you go into the interview can help you keep the questions you want to ask at the forefront.
Says Fogarty: 鈥淕o into it like you are interviewing them.鈥�
