UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN

BRITISH COLUMBIA, 2014

Teaching inBritish Columbia’s Public Schools

BC public schools are as diverse as the communities they serve

BC Public Education Overview

• 60 school district employers• 73,000 employees• 33,000 unionized educators• Rural & urban opportunities• Teachers certified by TRB• Teachers belong to the BCTF

Source: http://www.workbc.ca/Job-Seekers/Industry-Profiles/5#section-employment

Labour Market Demand

Projected increase in labour demand

Employment Outlook for Teachers

(by job postings)

Primary Teachers

Secondary Teachers

Sources:http://www.workbc.ca/Navigator/occupations/4142http://www.workbc.ca/Navigator/occupations/4141

Some new positions created in districts with expanding enrollment, but most jobs will be from replacement

Growth Rate of Employment by British Columbia Region

Sources:http://www.workbc.ca/Navigator/occupations/4142 | http://www.workbc.ca/Navigator/occupations/4141

July

August

Septem

ber

October

November

Decem

ber

January

February

March

AprilMay

June

# Jo

b Po

sting

sHiring Trends

Expect the most job opportunities in May/June and August/September

Source: Makeafuture.ca, 2013.

Growth Opportunities

Superintendent Deputy Superintendent

Assistant Superintendent

Director of Instruction

District Principal

Principal/Vice Principal

Psychologist Counsellor Librarian

Salary and Benefits• $42,802 - $83,489 (depends on TQS category, and varies from one district to another)

• Extended health and dental• Life insurance, pension, long-term disability• Professional development• Professional mentoring• Generous vacation & sick leave• Rural & remote allowances

Applying for Jobs

What can I teach?• Generally, it depends on your qualifications,

and...– experience teaching that particular subject?– experience/training working with that age group?– 300/400 level undergraduate courses completed

or a BA in the subject area?– Fluency in languages?

Application Checklist Gather your documents:

Resume and cover letter Practicum evaluation reports Two letters of references & list of referees University transcripts TQS card and BC teaching certificate

Application Checklist Apply for a BC teaching certificate (TRB) Apply for a TQS card

Set-up an application on Makeafuture.ca Set-up Job alerts Follow @MakeaFuture & Like Make a Future

Search and apply for jobs on Makeafuture.ca

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE-NQAu_qRU&feature=player_embedded

Writing Resumes

Write Targeted Cover Letters

• Tailor cover letters to your audience• Personalize it with concrete examples • Explain “why you are the best candidate?”• Use action verbs to describe your work experience

and achievements (e.g. Collaborated; Assessed)• Do not write “To Whom It May Concern”• Spell Check and Proof Read!

Ask For A Good Reference• Get references from those

who’ve observed you teach• Ask for a reference letter • Give your references a

heads-up

Searching & Applying for Jobs on Makeafuture.ca

Discover the latest career opportunities

Search for jobs by

employer

Create job alerts

Learn more about your future employer

Compare salaries

Interviewing for the Job

Interviews gather information about a candidate’s skills and qualifications, and compares it to pre-determined selection criteria.

What is HR looking for?1. Subject Matter Knowledge2. Planning Skills3. Instructional Skills4. Assessment Strategies5. Classroom Management Skills6. Development as a Professional Educator

Interview QuestionsOpen-ended questions• Tell me about yourself• What is your teaching

philosophy?• Why do you want to work

for our district?• What books are you reading

right now?

Behavioral Questions• Describe a unit you recently completed with

your students and explain the process you used in its planning.

• Describe strategies you have used to evaluate your students’ academic progress.

• Describe specific management strategies you have used in your classroom.

• Tell stories & describe real-life scenarios

COMMON BEHAVIOURAL-BASED INTERVIEW QUESTIONSWhat questions to expect and how to answer them

Demonstrate that: You were thoughtful in preparing your units while considering a

variety of resources and your student composition

Describe how you plan your units Ask yourself:

What resources did you consult? Did you ask for help? Did you look at the composition of your class?

Tell us about your teaching style Tell a story and consider:

What strategies have you used for instruction How you presented the material How you engaged learners

What’s important is that: You demonstrated the use of diverse strategies to styles

and types of learners

What’s important is that: Describe a variety of assessments used Describe how you used the assessment results for student

learning

How do you assess & evaluate students? Tell a story and describe:

Examples of methods you used to evaluate and assess student outcomes

What did you do with the assessment results

It is important is that: You demonstrated and employed a variety tactics The effect on the classroom was a net positive

Describe a scenario when you encountered conflict in the classroom Describe:

A challenging scenario where there was conflict or a behavioural issue, and how you dealt with it

Describe how: You have demonstrated professional responsibility inside and

outside of the classroom You are a reflective practitioner

It is important is that: You are active in the educational community in building

relationships, sharing knowledge, and growing in the profession

How are you growing as a professional educator?

Interviewing Tips• Reflect on your best lessons,

and accomplishments• Use a portfolio to show off

your accomplishments • Frame answers with the

STAR technique• Practice, practice, practice

Job Search Resources• Resumes & Digital

Portfolios LinkedIn.com CVmkr.com VisualCV.com Pathbrite.com

• Interviews & Cover Letters Quintcareers.com

• Job Search Huntsy.com

• Pro D Teacher Mentorship BC Pita.ca

Now What?• Figure out where you want to work • Find out who is responsible for hiring

at the district• Sign-up for job alerts on

Makeafuture.ca• Like/Follow MAF on Facebook and

Twitter• Clean-up your social media footprint• Create an online portfolio

Stay in touch www.makeafuture.ca contactus@makeafuture.ca www.twitter.com/makeafuture www.facebook.com/makeafuture www.makeafuture.ca/subscribe