BUILDING THE BRIDGE: TRANSITIONING FROM A

STUDENT TEACHER TO A FIRST-YEAR TEACHER

Presentation by:

Marisa DiFronzo

& Josh Gardner

PRESENTER INTRODUCTIONS/

BACKGROUNDS

Marisa DiFronzo• High School English

Teacher• Weddington High

School• Currently Teaching 9th

Grade English I Honors, College Prep, OCS Inclusion Class,

Co-teach• Employed at the

school where she completed student teaching in Union

County.

Joshua Gardner• Elementary Teacher• Employed at a different school than where he completed

student teaching.

CREATING A DPI APPLICATION

The Process: Step 1: Access the NC DPI job application

http://schooljobs.dpi.state.nc.us/Home

Step 2: Create account

Step 3: Create profile

Step 4: Complete application

Step 5: Submit application

CREATING A DPI APPLICATION

TipsSelect any counties/Local Education Agency (LEA)

you are interested in teaching in NCContact references before listing them on the

application

Let’s look at the application…

FINDING A JOB

Browse jobs via the NC DPI website http://schooljobs.dpi.state.nc.us/Jobs/Search

Browse jobs via the individual LEA in which you wish to obtain a position

Let’s look at the website…

E-MAIL EXAMPLE

Dear Principal’s Name,

I am very excited to hear of the employment at your school, school name. I have heard wonderful remarks about LEA/school district and after exploring more of school name, I can tell that your school is a product of the exceptionality of the school system. For your convenience, I have attached a letter of interest and resume. I have also completed the NCDPI application, as instructed through the LEA’s website. I welcome the opportunity to speak with you and interview for any employment opportunities you have. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Candidate Name

THE INTERVIEW

Research the school prior to your first email. If there is something specific you observe, make note of it in your email

Reference anything specific you find out about the school during the interview

Examples: School Improvement Plans (SIP), behavioral support models (PBIS, etc.), socioeconomic demographics, NC Report Card data

THE INTERVIEW

You’re a NC Teaching Fellow, who has mastered the concept of interviewing and have set in on numerous Thursday seminars on this subject. You’ve got this!

As a proper follow-up procedure, send a thank you note!

THE PORTFOLIO

Items to include:Lesson PlansAssessments (ISL Project)Parent CommunicationReferences/Lesson Observations

SO, NOW YOU’VE GOTTEN YOUR JOB. WHAT’S NEXT?

CELEBRATION?

Well yeah, but a lot comes

with it!

J U S T B E C A U S E Y O U H AV E P R O V E N Y O U R S E L F D U R I N G T H E I N T E R V I E W A N D D U R I N G

S T U D E N T T E A C H I N G , I T D O E S N O T M E A N T H AT Y O U S T O P T R Y I N G T O I M P R E S S !

Always behave as if you are trying to impress.

Teachers can never afford to have a “bad day.” Each day in the school and in your classroom should be

one that you are proud of and would want others to see. Always put your

best forward because, as an employee, you are always being watched and little things matter!

Reaffirm why you deserved to be hired each day you are at school!

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: GROWING & IMPROVING IN THE

PROFESSION

*No matter how successful your student teaching

experience was and how confident you are in the classroom, one should

always be actively participating in professional development opportunities

offered at your school, within the county, and within the

state. *As a new teacher,

especially, you will be required to participate in a wide range of professional

development events.

*Some of the professional development events you may attend will address:

• understanding, planning, and implementing the Common Core in

instruction• effective practices in the classroom

• globalization in all classrooms/subjects

• New Teacher Evaluation Model• collaboration/overlap across grade

levels within the content department• data analysis and using data to guide

instruction

YOU GOT THE JOB! IT’S SUMMER! NOW, WHAT’S

EXPECTED OF ME?

Things that should be accomplished during the summer before the school

year begins: Make your presence known. Introduce yourself to

administration and faculty who you do not know. The more the

faculty is familiar with you, the more they will be able to assist you throughout the year.

Register for all required

county meetings on time; and

once attending those, get all

of the required paperwork

from these handed back in a

timely manner. (benefits

meeting, effective practices

training, meeting with your

Curriculum Coordinator,

meeting with Licensure, etc.)

Sign your

contract with

an

administrator

.

Decorate your classroom ASAP so

that you can have as much additional time

to do other things during your workdays.

MENTOR/MENTEE RELATIONSHIPS

• As a first-year teacher, you will be assigned a mentor who will be there to offer you advice, guide

you, and listen to you vent, share your successes, and inquire about

your confusions.

• Most of the time, your mentor will be someone within your

department; however, this is not always the case.

• Just because you are assigned a mentor by administration, it doesn’t

mean that you can’t adopt an “informal mentor” who you naturally click with,

otherwise known as your “go-to.” Hopefully, you will naturally “click”

with your mentor; but if not, don’t be afraid to seek out help/advice from

others!• Share resources!

• Collaborative planning• Understanding employment paperwork

and legal paperwork.

DEPARTMENT COLLABORATION & GRADE LEVEL PLANNING

• Take advantage of the opportunity to collaborate with your colleagues,

especially ones within your content department and grade level.

• Tiered approach to planning: Develop some consistency an overlap within grade levels so that students will be

able to apply their previous knowledge successfully and develop the skills

they already have, as well as the information they have learned.

• While we all naturally have our own teaching methods and

preferences, don’t be afraid to consider others’ ways,

activities, delivery methods, and lesson ideas. Even if it is an idea you wouldn’t implement

exactly in the same way, tweak it and make it your own! Don’t

be afraid to share!

INVOLVEMENT IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM

• Your first year will be all about finding and maintaining a balance that works for you. Keep in mind

that one person’s idea of “balance” will be completely

different than another’s. Do what you can handle and what works

for you! Your students need your best every day in the classroom,

so make sure nothing hinders you from giving your all to them.

• Show that you are concerned with contributing to your school academically,

athletically, and socially. Take on responsibilities and commitments slowly,

but surely. Don’t commit to something halfheartedly just for the sake of getting

involved.• Ways to get involved:

-teacher leadership/correlates-clubs/honor societies

-athletics-curriculum

-professional development-community events

-tutoring-school spirit

PLANNING FOR DIFFERENT GRADE LEVELS & DIFFERENT

PREPS

• Differentiating instruction, activities, assignments,

assessments…pretty much everything!

• Co-teaching in a CP/OCS Classroom (Marisa)

• Establishing the classroom dynamic you want

• Submitting Lesson Plans to Administration

• Personal experiences

• Methods that work/methods that don’t

• Semester/Monthly/Daily Planning

• How we differentiate in our classes currently

• Discussion/Q&A Session

RELATIONSHIPS ARE KEY!

• Teacher-Student Relationships: incorporating their interests in

classroom instruction• Be approachable at all times! Be

empathetic! Understand that students have lives outside of

school.• Parent-Teacher Relationships: establish them early, communicate expectations, document everything, consistent updates of instruction, assignments, grades, and student

progress.

• Teacher-Administrator Relationships

• Teacher-Guidance Counselors/Support Specialists Relationships

• Teacher-Peer Teacher Relationships

• Teacher-Faculty/Office Staff/Custodian Relationships

• Teacher-Coach Relationships

QUESTION & ANSWER

SESSION!