Some Info

Resource
Recently, Mrs. Hartman was at a conference and learned about the website, thinkfinity.com. It has several wonderful resources that may be used in your classroom.

Stimulas
Stiumlas money has arrived at many local districts. Please check TeachGeorgia.org for new job posts. Be sure to check individual district websites as well.

New Start
A new start for the Post Bac Program will begin in November 2009. Check out the Post Bac page at www.ngcsu.edu. The November Program will be approximately 75% online and 25% face to face on Thursday nights at the Holiday Inn Express in Cumming, Georgia.

Study Guides

If you have a GACE study guide that you no longer want, please let me know. There are several students looking for used ones.

New Program Start and New Program

New Start

Welcome to all of you starting in the August 2009 cohorts. We are excited that you have chosen teaching as your career path. Currently the job market for teachers is soft; however, the predictions are for that to change within the next five years. This is an exciting time for change and innovation in the field. Again welcome and congratulations on an upcoming year filled with challenges and rigor.

Certified Teachers
I recently received this as an email message. I don't know anything about the agency but wanted to put it out there for you.

Southern Teachers Agency currently has 82 vacancies listed by schools for the 2009-10 school year. We expect schools to post additional openings with STA for the remainder of the summer.

STA is the oldest educational recruitment service in America. We receive job listings from hundreds of PK-12 private schools around the South. Schools come to STA because they recognize the value of STA’s help in recruiting & screening talented candidates.

Certification is not required for most middle- and high-school teaching positions.

This week’s current openings include the following jobs:

Biology –– 3 jobs in GA, SC, VA
Chemistry –– 4 jobs in LA, MD, VA
Elementary –– 7 jobs in GA, LA, VA, WV
English –– 5 jobs in MD, NC, TX, VA
French –– 1 job in DC
School Counselor –– 3 jobs in FL, TX
History/Social Studies –– 4 jobs in FL, MD, NC, VA
Learning Specialist –– 1 job in TN
Math –– 14 jobs in AR, GA, LA, NC, SC, VA
Media Specialist/Librarian –– 3 jobs in MD, TX, VA
Music/Chorus/Band –– 1 job in FL
Physical Education –– 2 jobs in AR, DC
Science –– 10 jobs in DC, GA, KY, LA, MD, SC, VA
Spanish –– 3 jobs in SC, VA

In addition, we presently have 24 Administrative Opportunities listed around the South.

Requirements:

Elementary Education and Learning Specialist: teacher certification required
Art, Physical Education, and Music: teacher certification strongly preferred
Media Specialist/Library : MLS (or comparable degree) required
Guidance Counselor: master’s degree in counselor education
Administration: master’s degree in administration strongly preferred
For most other middle- and high-school teaching positions, a bachelor’s degree with a major in the teaching field (or at least a minor) is essential, but teacher certification is not.


Application process: Interested candidates should apply to Southern Teachers Agency. The process consists of completing an STA application (available online), sending a credentials file, and having a telephone interview.

Please visit our website or contact:
Southern Teachers Agency7 Elliewood Avenue, Suite 2ACharlottesville, VA 22903Tel (434) 295-9122
Teachers@SouthernTeachers.comwww.SouthernTeachers.com

Job Openings

Gwinnett County: http://www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/careers/careershr.nsf/618c71ec01d09d3a85257273006ee6b6?SearchView (When you follow the link type "Teachers" in the search box)

Hall County: https://ats3.searchsoft.net/ats/job_board_frame?refresh=Y&COMPANY_ID=00008702&APPLICANT_TYPE_ID=00000001

Forsyth County: http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/129410616211729590/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=54743

Lumpkin County: https://ats4.searchsoft.net/ats/job_board_frame?COMPANY_ID=00008808

It is Almost July :-)

Welcome
Beginning this week, we started three additional cohorts of students.
Welcome to everyone from the Epworth, Chestatee, and Horizon cohorts.
You will learn a tremendous amount during the next year. We hope that
you will take all the opportunities afforded you to learn all you can.

For the cohorts that finished in May, your certifications should be in your
hands or on the way to your house. The PSC has all of your materials and
is working feverously to get everything processed. A huge "Thank You" to
Ms. Chris Parker, Ms. Sarah Alvarez and Mr. Jeremy Davis for their work getting
everything together and sent.

I have heard about a few jobs that are opening up in the Metro Area. Please note
that everyone is still waiting to get the final numbers so that they can hire.
If you haven't sent emails to principals lately, I would do so now. It is a great time to
put your name out there again.

Some of the pictures from our recent celebrations are below. I will try to add more next week. Keep checking!

If you are on Skype, you can now add me to your list.

I hope that you all are enjoying some well deserved relaxation this summer. Take care, be safe, and let me know if you need me.

With much respect,
Barbara

Celebrations!!!

Jobs!

Private and Independent Schools
If you are interested in private or independent schools in the southeast, please check out this website:
http://www.southernteachers.com/Internal/CmsViewer.aspx?CmsPageListingId=18


Fairfax County, Virginia
There are several openings in Fairfax County, Virginia. It is the 12th largest school district in the nation and is close to Washington, DC. Here is the website for job openings:
http://www.fcps.edu/DHR/applicants/howtoapply.htm

Website

Kathy, a teacher and friend, recommended this website. She teaches mathematics and language arts and has found the site valuable for lesson plans, assessments, and ideas.

http://www.proteacher.net/

Update

Jobs!
The Stimulus Money from the Federal Government is starting to get to school districts. There will be job openings in Title I schools as well as additional openings for Special Education teachers in Title I and Non Title Schools.

Now is the time to send e-mails to principals and remind them that you are interested in a job at their school. Be sure to attach your resume and then follow up with a handwritten card a few days later thanking them for taking the time to look over your resume. Your application must be complete with the school district in which you are seeking employment. Check with the Human Resources Department to make sure it is complete.

Certification
We are in the process of putting all of the certification information together and adding the final PLUs. If you receive a call from my office, please be sure to get the required information to me asap.

Celebrations
Please check with the person responsible for your cohort celebration if you have questions.
Cleveland Cohort (Wild Wings Cafe) - Karen
Chestatee Cohort (2 Dog Cafe) - George and Kayla
South Forsyth Cohort (Provinos) - Kari
Horizon Cohort - Jennifer

New Cohorts - June 2009
We will be starting new cohorts in the following locations:
Monday nights beginning June 15 - Epworth
Tuesday nights beginning June 16 - Chestatee Middle School
Saturdays beginning June 20 - Horizon Christian Academy
Please contact Anita Roush at ajroush@ngcsu.edu or Barbara Dixon at bdixon@ngcsu.edu for more information.

Jobs:
Check the Gwinnett County School Systems website. A few more jobs have been posted.

Almost Over!

Student Teaching
For students who began their Post Bacc Program in either June or August of 2008, the light at the end of the tunnel is visable! May 8th is the last day of student teaching for the June Cohorts and the last day of post planning is the last day for the August Cohort! Remember to complete the work sample and remind your teacher to turn in all of their observations.

Classes
Students who began the classes in January are now completing the fourth class and getting ready to begin the final class of Instructional and Behavioral Management. Then it is on to the practicum and student teaching.

New Cohorts
New cohorts will begin in June 2009 at Chestatee Middle School, Epworth Campus, and Horizon Christian Academy. Be sure to check the North Georgia website, http://www.ngcsu.edu/, for information.

Jobs
Be sure to check the Teach Georgia website as well as individual wesites of private schools. Friendship Christian School still has an opening for a Grades 6 - 12 teacher for mathematics and science (check last week's blog post). If you are an HPE person, be sure to check the national organization's website. There are a few jobs listed there. If you are not opposed to teaching outside the United States, there are several jobs listed for teachers to teach English to native students of various countries.

Have a wonderful weekend. Happy Easter and Passover.

Job Opening

Friendship Christian School in Forsyth County has an opening for a Middle School/High School science and mathematics teacher for the 2009-2010 school year. Please contact Mr. Butch Quinn, Dean of Students at www.fcsga.org.

Things are Looking Up!

Hiring
What a change a few weeks can make!
Students have started getting interviews and a few have even been hired.
Be sure that all paperwork for the counties in which you have applied is
complete. You will usually not get an interview if you have parts missing.

Testing
After Spring Break most districts will be administering the CRCT.
If you have an opportunity to help in a classroom be sure to take
advantage of that opportunity. Once you have your own classroom,
you will be responsible for the testing of your students. It is always
helpful to know what is expected of teachers.

EOCT tests are also on the school calendars. Be sure to check the
Georgia Department of Education website so that you can see what
the state requires for students and schools.

Spring Break
Can you believe it is almost here? Many of you will only have a few weeks
of student teaching left after Spring Break. I hope that you will all enjoy your
time off and spend some meaningful moments with those you love.

March Madness

Over 80 Post Baccalaureate students are going through student teaching while 49 new students are beginning their third and fourth classes of the five classes. With everyone in different places, I thought that it would be beneficial for the new students to hear about experiences from students that are almost finished. If you are almost finished and would like to write about your experiences on the blog, just sent me an e-mail and I will get it attached. I may not be able to post all of them but I will post as many as possible.



I titled this post March Madness as a way of comparing student teaching to the basketball finals that many of us enjoy during this time of the year. Most student teachers work very hard to make points with students each day whether by a positive word, a lesson plan filled with engaging learning and executed perfectly, or a smile for a student that has had a bad day. Even though student teachers work hard, sometimes, the benefits are not as obvious as some think they should be. It may be many years, if ever, before the positive impact is known. A reflection that I read recently described a student teacher and her willingness to go the extra mile by going to a soccer game to watch her students. The benefits of the hour of her time that she took were immeasurable. The students were excited when they saw her at the game. That excitement transferred to the classroom where the students continue to work extra hard to show her their appreciation. Just remember that even as our favorite team does not always win the final game, they won some games and made an impact just getting to the BIG GAME. So it is with student teaching - you may not win them all, but you will certainly make an impact.

Reminder
On a different note, be sure that you have sent in all the paperwork for the districts in which you are applying. Once the school districts start looking at applicants for interviews, they will be looking at those with complete applications first.

Twitter
If you are using a Twitter account, you can follow the Post Bacc Group by typing in BarbDixon as a username. I am trying to introduce some of the various technologies that our Grades 6 - 12 students are using and looking at ways that we can incorporate this technology in lessons to make them more engaging for students. If you are setting up a Twitter Account, be sure that you set it so that you don't get text messages all the time (unless you have unlimited text messaging through your cellular provider).

Take a Deep Breath and Enjoy Your Internship

Many of you have mentioned that you are feeling overwhelmed by many things but mainly by the preceived lack of jobs that are available. I write preceived to help you to understand that jobs will be available; however, it will be closer to July and August once the money has flowed down from the stimulas package and the economy gets in a little better shape.
So . . . for this week let's concentrate on what you can do to make your internship less stressful and more engaging for learners.

Remember to take care of yourself
You have heard me say many times that what you do is so very important. You must remember that you have to take care of yourself in order to provide the level of "important" that you need to show to those around you.
a) Take a few minutes to think about WHY you want to teach.
b) Think about the teacher who made a difference in your life.
c) If you have children, take a few minutes to go outside and enjoy the sunshine with them.
d) Remember to take time with your spouse or significant other (you want them around after the internship :-) ).

Remember that you do make a difference
Many stories have come my way during this term. One that comes to mind is of a student teacher that heard of a student's need for food and loaded up bags of groceries and made sure the student and their family received them. What a difference that made in their lives.
Another story that comes to mind is that of a student teacher that had a colleague that needed a way to work every day. Without thinking twice the student teacher volunteered their services and not only picked up the colleague but returned them home safely every evening.
See . . . what you do on a daily basis does not go unnoticed no matter how insignificant you may think your actions are.

You have a job to do
Your job is to make sure students are successful academically as well as being challenged as much as possible. Michele Dugan has provided several internet resources that you may find helpful. Here they are:
I use this website for making vocabulary connections. This could really be used in any class and is wonderful for visual learners.http://www.visuwords.com/?word=convince

This is Mark Diamond's website. I will be attending his April 1st workshop. If you think of any teachers that would like to attend, I would be happy to explain a few of his methods to them!http://www.anyonecanwrite.com/index.htmlAnd here are reviews on his method books from Amazon.com:http://www.amazon.com/Tricks-Student-Story-Writing-Success/dp/0977147002

This is the website for the Cumming Town Loafer. Linda Allen is the publisher and would be happy to speak to classes! http://townloafer.com/cumming/modules/news/article.php?storyid=286

Rob's cousin's husband, Shane, is a writer in Tennessee and has written very successful books!http://www.shaneberryhill.com/

Finally, I use this website for so many reading and comprehension activities. It is directed toward ELL/ESOL learners, but I think that any student can benefit from it! I get ideas here all the time:http://www.eslcafe.com/

I hope that these resources will bring some new and fresh ideas to an already wonderful school!


I hope you all have an amazing week and know that you are thought of often.

With much respect and apprecation for each of you who truly care about students and their future, Barbara :-)

What's New

Here are a few additional options for jobs. You may be familiar with some of them. Others may be new to you.

Please note that the listing of the websites below are in no part an endorsement of the school or program. This is an attempt to pass along information that you may find useful. As with all Internet use, be careful when responding to advertising of any kind. Remember that any site that asks for money is probably not legitimate.

Don't forget about the AJC Jobs section:

http://www.ajc.com/hotjobs/content/hotjobs/

Teach Georgia - There are some listings for the Georgia Virtual School. That is an online school that provides classes to students in Georgia High Schools. This site is updated frequently so be sure to check it several times a week.

http://www.teachgeorgia.org/

Atlanta International School - This is a private school in Atlanta that may be of interest to Language Teachers.

http://www.aischool.org/employment/

Hebron Christian Academy in Dacula, GA, is accepting applications for the upcoming school year.

http://www.hebronlions.org/html/Employment.html

Some people live close to South Carolina so here is a website that may be of interest to you all.

http://www.cerra.org/home.html

Where are the jobs?

Remember that parents are continuing to have children and there will always be a need for teachers. There may not be many classroom jobs available for the upcoming year; however, there are many opportunities available in the area of education. Don't forget about the following areas:
1) Substitute teaching
2) Tutoring
3) Textbook companies have a wide array of jobs open for educators
4) Online schools

If you are seeking a classroom job for the 2009-2010 school year be aware that districts must first place all of their current teachers prior to being able to hire from outside their district. That being said, it will probably be May or June before districts know what positions they will have open. Then it will be June or July when interviews will be scheduled. Fully certified teachers will be getting the first opportunities to interview for job openings. Once those interviews and hires have been completed, any openings that are left may be open for interviews to students who have completed a four year degree and all GACE tests as well as being in a certification program such as our NGCSU Post Baccalaureate Program.