Career Day 2014
Career day is something that the 9th and 10th graders do every year at High Tech High North County. In 11th and 12th grades, it is replace by internships. During career day, students go out and shadow people in their desired professions for a day. At the time, I want to go into a profession involving writing, or possibly teaching, so I contacted all of my local newspapers. Unfortunately, none of them responded in time, so I went to my old 4th grade teacher. I got to spend the day helping her out, and watching her teach. During career day, we had to take lots of pictures, and do an interview. Here are those two things:
Here is an inexact copy of my interview with the teacher.
Q = Question, A = Answer
Q = Question, A = Answer
Q: What kind of a college education did you need to get for your job?
A: A four-year degree, plus one year of student teaching.
Q: What kinds of daily activities do you do for your job DURING school?
A: There's lot's of work, never a dull moment. If you're not in a whole class discussion, you're in small groups. Subjects she teaches are: grammar, reading, writing, math, social studies, and science.
Q: What kinds of daily activities do you do for your job AFTER school?
A: Clean up classroom, grade, meetings, contact parents, putting grades in grade book, etc. As a teacher, you are paid for 7 1/2 hours of work, but work a 12 hour day.
Q: You, along with your students, have summers off. What preparation do you do for the coming year during summer?
A: Most preparation in done during the last few weeks of school, because there is no pay for working during the summer. The last few weeks of school are always hectic, because you are cramming all unfinished schoolwork into them as well as preparing for the next school year.
Q: What skills are most important to you for your job?
A: Patience, organization, flexibility, being a team player, communication with students and parents, time management, and you need to have a love/passion for it.
Q: If you were to advance one level in your job, where would you be? After that?
A: Not really "advancing" so to speak, as much as just changing jobs. Pay is the same, just daily activities change. Some examples are: TOSA (teacher on special assignment), EEI (Helping new teachers), Intervention specialist (helping students who need additional assistance), BETSA (helping new teachers), or curriculum writing.
Q: How do your fellow teachers help you?
A: They can be good friends or a more professional relationship. Wednesdays have meetings. Lot's of teachers have "partners" (not in the same classroom) who they bounce ideas off of.
Q: Any last thoughts?
A: Common core brought lots of change. A good teacher is always looking for new ways of doing things/new ideas. Always on your feet, never a dull moment.
A: A four-year degree, plus one year of student teaching.
Q: What kinds of daily activities do you do for your job DURING school?
A: There's lot's of work, never a dull moment. If you're not in a whole class discussion, you're in small groups. Subjects she teaches are: grammar, reading, writing, math, social studies, and science.
Q: What kinds of daily activities do you do for your job AFTER school?
A: Clean up classroom, grade, meetings, contact parents, putting grades in grade book, etc. As a teacher, you are paid for 7 1/2 hours of work, but work a 12 hour day.
Q: You, along with your students, have summers off. What preparation do you do for the coming year during summer?
A: Most preparation in done during the last few weeks of school, because there is no pay for working during the summer. The last few weeks of school are always hectic, because you are cramming all unfinished schoolwork into them as well as preparing for the next school year.
Q: What skills are most important to you for your job?
A: Patience, organization, flexibility, being a team player, communication with students and parents, time management, and you need to have a love/passion for it.
Q: If you were to advance one level in your job, where would you be? After that?
A: Not really "advancing" so to speak, as much as just changing jobs. Pay is the same, just daily activities change. Some examples are: TOSA (teacher on special assignment), EEI (Helping new teachers), Intervention specialist (helping students who need additional assistance), BETSA (helping new teachers), or curriculum writing.
Q: How do your fellow teachers help you?
A: They can be good friends or a more professional relationship. Wednesdays have meetings. Lot's of teachers have "partners" (not in the same classroom) who they bounce ideas off of.
Q: Any last thoughts?
A: Common core brought lots of change. A good teacher is always looking for new ways of doing things/new ideas. Always on your feet, never a dull moment.
Pictures: