One of my most viewed articles at I’m a New Teacher is, ‘Things that require no training at all.’ If you are trying to get noticed in a school, whether to get more casual days, a teaching block or even to get a permanent position, there are a number of things that you an do today to help you dramatically increase your worth in your school.
A friend of mine, an owner of a highly successful investment company, once told me that he would hire people that had great character before those that had qualifications. The teaching profession is different in that there are mandatory qualifications; and is a great deal of accountability through processes such police checks and accreditation. However, the thought has interesting implications when it comes to increasing your worth as an employee. Even if you do not have years of teaching experience, there are some universal character traits that can make you more employable.
Initiative –Initiative means not waiting to be asked to do something. Whenever I have a meeting, or ask a question from my supervisor I always think of the ‘next question’ that they will ask me. For example, if I ask my supervisor,
‘What I should do about a child that has not returned her excursion note?’ I would anticipate that my supervisor’s next question would be,
‘Have you called their parents?’
This simple habit of anticipating the next question can help you problem solve and take the action required without having to go backwards and forwards to your supervisor with every problem. You not only save time, but you also show that you are able to solve problems independently.
Integrity – Integrity simply means doing what you said you will do. If you tell your colleagues that you will have your programming done by the beginning of Week 2, then get it done by that deadline. People are constantly making judgements and decisions about your integrity. As a new teacher, be determined that what you say matches up with what you do.
Ownership – To me ownership means taking responsibility and having pride in something. Taking ownership of your classroom could mean, taking responsibility for the state you leave a classroom in (whether it be your own or another teacher’s) at the end of the day, it could mean taking the time to create a creative and inspiring space in your own classroom, it could mean setting time to organise your marking, programming and other responsibilities effectively. Ownership means that instead of looking around for others to blame when things are not working, you look at your own actions or inaction and think about what you can do to make a difference.
Diligence – A diligent teacher is someone who consistently approaches their work with a high standard of professionalism. To me diligence looks like arriving at work on time (and earlier), approaching your job with enthusiasm, and continuous professional and personal development. Diligence is a rare, but extremely valuable character trait. It takes time and effort to develop a reputation for diligence because there are no short cuts to doing the right thing.
If you were employing a recent graduate, what character traits would you be looking for?