Graduation, Certification, and Career AdvisingBachelor of Education

Undergraduate Programs in EducationJanuary 2020

Werklund School of Education

Welcome

Graduation, Certification and Career Workshop – Part 2

Topics to be covered:— Review of Graduation/Certification— Resume and Cover Letters— Interviews

Applying to Graduate

STEP 1 – Applying to GraduateYou will be able to submit your application through your MyUofC Student Services Centre. Click on the ‘Program and Advising Information” tab on the menu on the left-hand side of the page.

Review

Teacher Certification Teacher Qualifications Service (TQS) Dean’s Recommendation Letter

Applying to Teach

What you will need? Create and on-line account Upload

Cover Letter and Resume Proof of Certification (or proof that you are

working on getting this) ATA TQS (or proof that you are working on

getting this) Narrative Assessments – Partner Teacher and

Field Instructors University Transcripts – can be unofficial Reference Letters (normally 3)

Resume

Resume! Clear and Professional presentation

— Is the resume visually appealing? 1 – 2 pages; with clearly defined sections Be concise: Maximize ‘sweet spot’ Do not ramble on, use bullets or short sentences.

— Does it guide readers through the content and highlight important information?

Keep font size between 10-12 – Use Sans Serif fonts.

— Arial, Calibri, Garamond, Helvetica Spacing, font size, formatting

— Is it consistent?

Resume Sections Talk Resume!

Contact Information

Teaching Philosophy – Not Objective!

Education

Student Teaching/Practicum Experience

Work/Volunteer Experience

Certifications, Awards and/or professional development

Interests/hobbies

Resume

1. Name and Contact InformationExample –

Sam LanguageCalgary, Alberta • 403-555-1234 • sam@ucalgary.ca

________________________________________________________________OR

Jackie Language587-444-1234jackielanguage@gmail.comjackielinkedinprofile@linkedin.com or your ePortfolio link_______________________________________________________________

Things to think about— Professional and working email address— Appropriate and clear voicemail

Resume

Resume

2. Teaching Philosophy“Learning oriented teacher, committed to ensuring hands on, interactive, memorable learning experiences….”“Ensure success of each student by adapting assessment, instruction and encouragement based on the individual learner, foster language development and competence.”Things to think about:• Make this portion as unique as possible• Highlight key themes and pedagogies• Avoid use of personal pronouns

3. EducationBachelor of Education – Secondary Biology June 2020Werklund School of EducationUniversity of Calgary

4. Experience— This section is evidence of your qualifications –

Showing the employer you got what it takes. — Use accomplishment statements –write about

your accomplishments and not duties.

Resume

Resume

Practicum Student February 2016 – April 2016Crooksville Justice Community Corrections

Handled between 300-400 individuals weekly through telephone calls or office reporting to maintain up-to-date information on clients

Recorded case notes on each individual on mandated stipulations court ordered towards their pending charges

Facilitated workshops to groups of 10 – 12 inmates to assist them in their transition into society

Grade One Field Experience Pre-Service Teacher November 2015 – December 2015 Matrix School, Calgary, Alberta

Planned and implemented a range of inquiry based lessons that explored number concepts using sport and exercise as a medium

Engaged students with learning difficulties or English as a second language by involving them in hands on activities in small guided reading groups, and one on one teaching

Developed a critical understanding of the nature of assessment by creating a variety of tools to use which resulted in a well-rounded depiction of the students’ abilities

Involved in the school culture and developed working relationships by attending extra-curricular activities, parent-teacher conferences, professional development seminars and workshops

Resume

5. Volunteer work, certifications, awards or other Professional Development opportunities you want to mention!

— First Aid Certificate— Alberta Teachers Conference — WestCAST Conference— ASIST Certificate— Service Learning

6. Interests and Hobbies Three to four maximum!

Resume

Use the correct tense — Use present tense for current positions and past tense for positions held in the past. — Examples?

Make sure the content is in reverse chronological order (in each section) – most recent first.

Spell numbers less than 10.

Include name and page 2 as header for second page

References are typically updated separately – Do not need to mention them on the resume.

DO NOT:— Do not use exact dates!— Do not include a photo or personal information — Do not use personal pronouns — Do not use acronyms — Do not provide salary information — Include information over ten years, unless it is relevant to the position

EDIT, EDIT and PROOF, PROOF

Preferably PDF format

Resume

Cover Letters

Opportunity to highlight, elaborate, and draw attention to the relevant skills and accomplishments you have to offer.

Introduce yourself to the employer and explain things such as your passion or interest for the organization that you do not fit within your resume.

Keep your letter short, succinct, and targeted, following the same format as your resume.

Things to think about:— Use the same font as your resume— If the address is not provided, find the employer’s address online— If you do not have a contact name, you can address the letter to Human resources

or hiring manager— Should be a maximum of one page in length

Cover Letter

May 29, 2020

Dr. Miranda BaileyUrgent Care Hospital1234 Health Street NWCalgary, Alberta T2M 4H1

Dear Recruitment Officer,

Re: Substitute Teaching, Job Posting #123334

Opening… Start with any word other than “I”

Your posting for a Substitute Teaching position . . .

Name who referred you Ms. Wright made me aware of this position and I am very

interested in pursuing a teaching position with your Board.

Mention where you learned of the job Please accept my application for the Teaching position

posted on your website.

Your current situation/status I am currently completing my Bachelor of Education degree

in at the University of Calgary.

Cover Letter

Middle Paragraph Be impactful!

— Provide specific examples to support the skills mentioned on your resume targeting the job.

— Two possible formats Paragraph

o Through this experience, I have the proven ability to lead change, to grow and foster board members and volunteers, and to strategically cultivate and implement a vision for a successful Campus Women’s Centre. I understand first hand the effort, energy and skill that is essential for building a Women’s Centre from the ground up, and the struggles, challenges and joy that such work brings.

Bulleto As a student leader at the University of Calgary, I coordinated and managed a volunteer

after hours walk home program called SAFE WALK for two years. My demonstrated ability to lead a student organization of 200 volunteers resulted in a 55% increase in business.

o When I held the position of Head Volunteer at the Calgary Youth Shelter I observed youth and strategized with them on developing employability skills and addressing their unique needs. I am excited about creating work environments where young people are given opportunities to develop employability and sustainability strategies.

Cover Letter

End Summarize your message and express your enthusiasm

— My Campus Women’s Centre experience, feminist principles, non-profit management education, and leadership skills would be an asset to the University of Calgary Campus Women’s Centre. Most importantly I am excited about the potential and possibilities for the center and the positive impact that it will have on the Community.

Thank the employer for considering your application not for his/her time— Thank you for considering my application.

Invite the employer to contact you anytime to discuss the opportunity further

— I look forward to hearing from you and can be contacted at any time….

Include your phone number and email address

Cover Letter

Cover Letter

References

Reference Letters Three Written Reference Letters

— Partner Teachers – Field II and III— Administration/Teachers from your Field II and III — Field Instructors— Service Learning/TAB— Professors— One work-related (supervisors, customers/clients,

coworkers) — One character reference from the community or

personal reference, such as a volunteer supervisor, friends or parents of friends, but usually not family

Include:— On school letterhead if from Partner Teacher— Name and job title (e.g. teacher, principal, vice or assistant

principal, field instructor, etc.)— Telephone number and email address – check with

your reference first!

References

Help Your References Provide them with a copy of your

résumé and job posting (or summarize key skills)

Ensure references are available and contact information is current

Follow up — telephone or send a note to thank them for their assistance

Interview Preparation

Do your research— Look at the mission and vision statements of boards/schools— Talk to professionals in the field

Know your skills and challenges— Know how to effectively articulate what you have to offer— Make sure to cover personal, transferable, and knowledge skills— Intelligently discuss 1-2 areas of weakness and how you are

addressing them/working on them Know your accomplishments and accomplishment

statements— Use the SAR or SPARC formulas to summarize several relevant

accomplishments Be ready to answer different types of questions

— Non-direct: keep answers succinct and relevant— Direct: Be specific

Interview Preparation

Rehearse and get feedback— Speak slowly, enunciate your words and project your voice— Aim for responses between 1-2 minutes— Watch for nervous bodily habits

Have questions prepared for your interviewer(s) Make a great first impression

— Body Language— Arrive reasonably early

Follow-up and reflect— Optional, but helps you to stand out and be courteous— Should be done the same day

Your Interview

What are the School Boards looking for:— To find out about YOU, they will have read all the documents

you have provided— Looking for outgoing, positive outlooks, see what’s right and not

focus on what’s wrong— Ability to adapt and be flexible— Willingness to build relationships with staff, students and

parents— Evidence of growth— What sets you apart from others, how will your classroom be

set up or the environment in your class be different from others— BE CAREFUL of using BUZZ WORDS, be yourself!!!!!

Types of Questions

Non-Direct Questions— General and do not ask specific information— Anticipate what the employer is looking for and make your

answers relevant to position— Keep answers succinct and where appropriate, provide

examples

Examples— Tell me about yourself— Why should we hire you?— What do you consider an area of weakness?— What do you expect to be doing in five years?

Types of Questions

Behavior Descriptive Questions— Involve what you did in a particular situation— Based on past performance, in order to predict future performance— Use SAR or SPARC formulas model

Examples — Describe a time when you had to take on something new and had little or no

guidance or support. How did you handle it?— Describe an important goal you have set and tell me how you reached it— Describe a situation or project where you made a mistake— Describe a time when your teaching plan for the day was interrupted by unforeseen

circumstance and how you handled it— Describe how you have allowed for different learning styles— Describe a situation where a lesson clearly didn’t work well. What did you do?— Describe a time you had to deal with angry complaints from a teacher about your

teaching methods

Types of Questions

Scenario or Hypothetical Questions— Assess your ability to handle situations you may encounter on the job— Focused on what you would do rather than what you’ve done— Designed to show your problem-solving abilities and ethics

Examples— A student comes into your classroom visibly upset, what do you do?— A student in you class isolates himself from other students, both in class and

during recess. How do you handle this students when it comes time for cooperative learning?

— A student with a different ethnic or religious background from the rest of your students joins your class. How do you make that student feel welcome? How do you prepare the rest of your class for this student’s arrival?

— How would you deal with a student that is constantly disruptive?— How would you handle a student in your class that is far below grade level?

Interviews

Have questions prepared for your interviewer(s) Make a great first impression

— Body Language— Arrive reasonably early— Dress professionally, but comfortably— Be aware of nervous habits

Career Services – Online Resources

https://www.ucalgary.ca/careers/students/online-resources

Career Services - Videos

Education Career Seminars

Small group seminars following Career Workshops with UPE and Career Services

How to Register— Log on to CareerLink— Go to Career Services Events Calendar— Click on the event to register

Summary

Apply to Graduate Apply to ABEd & ATA TQS Apply to School Boards Prepare Resume & Cover Letter Edit, proof, send to family/friends Prepare for Interviews Book resume/cover letter review or mock

interview practice with Career Services Some appointments available with UPE

Career Advisors – book in https://success.ucalgary.ca

Questions to upefield@ucalgary.ca

Thank you

Werklund School of Education - Career Advisorsupefield@ucalgary.ca