When one door closes, another one opens!

Well, actually, when a few door closes....

Hello Diana Nguyen,

We would like to thank you for submitting your application for the History position as advertised on Edjoin for ATAMS High School. We were very fortunate to have various applicants interested in our vacancy. After careful consideration, I am sorry to inform you that you have not been chosen for the position.

We thank you again for your interest with our organization and wish you the best in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

Leandro Otero

Recruitment Coordinator

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools

----------------------------------

Hello Diana Nguyen,

We would like to thank you for submitting your application for the US History/Geography position as advertised on Edjoin for Alliance MA #7. We were very fortunate to have various applicants interested in our vacancy. After careful consideration, I am sorry to inform you that you have not been chosen for the position.

We thank you again for your interest with our organization and wish you the best in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

Leandro Otero

Recruitment Coordinator

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools

----------------------------------

... another one opens! 

Will have my interview for the Irvine Unified School District for the Instructional Assistant position tomorrow at noon!!!

Wish me luck! I really need this job. 

 

More rejections... :(

"Hello Diana Nguyen,

We would like to thank you for submitting your application for the Social Science position as advertised on Edjoin for Alliance College-Ready Middle Academy #5. We were very fortunate to have various applicants interested in our vacancy. After careful consideration, I am sorry to inform you that you have not been chosen for the position.

We thank you again for your interest with our organization and wish you the best in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

Leandro Otero

Recruitment Coordinator

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools"

-----------------------

"Hello Diana Nguyen,

We would like to thank you for submitting your application for the US History position as advertised on Edjoin for Alliance Cindy and Bill Simon Tech Academy High School. We were very fortunate to have various applicants interested in our vacancy. After careful consideration, I am sorry to inform you that you have not been chosen for the position.

We thank you again for your interest with our organization and wish you the best in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

Leandro Otero

Recruitment Coordinator

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools"

---------------------

"Hello Diana Nguyen,

We would like to thank you for submitting your application for the World History position as advertised on Edjoin for Alliance Cindy and Bill Simon Tech High School. We were very fortunate to have various applicants interested in our vacancy. After careful consideration, I am sorry to inform you that you have not been chosen for the position.

We thank you again for your interest with our organization and wish you the best in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

Leandro Otero

Recruitment Coordinator

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools"

First rejections. :( :( :(

"Hello Diana Nguyen, 

We would like to thank you for submitting your application for the Social Science position as advertised on Edjoin for Alliance College-Ready Middle Academy #7. We were very fortunate to have various applicants interested in our vacancy. After careful consideration, I am sorry to inform you that you have not been chosen for the position.

We thank you again for your interest with our organization and wish you the best in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

Leandro Otero

Recruitment Coordinator

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools"

-------------------------------------------

"Dear Diana Nguyen, 

Thank you for your interest and application for the Social Science teaching position at Granada Hills Charter High School. We appreciate the time you took in preparing your materials and submitting your information.

Once we gathered all the information we needed to plan for our next school year, it turns out that we are no longer in need of a Social Science teacher. If circumstances change that warrant another look at the position, we will be sure to consider all applicants.

Again, thank you for your interest in our school. Best wishes to you in your search for viable employment.

Sincerely,

Karla Diamond
Human Resources Manager
Granada Hills Charter High School"

Instructional Assistant - Special Ed at University High School

After much consideration on what I was to do this next upcoming academic year of 2012-2013, I had a few options:

 

Option #1: Keep applying to Humanities (Social Science and/or English-Language Arts) positions throughout California -- concentrating on the southern California area.

Pros - If I land a full-time teaching position, I would be able to get a full-salary, benefits, and complete my BTSA.

Cons - Probability of landing a full-time teaching position is probably 10-20%.

 

Option #2: Continuing substitute teaching and private tutoring for IUSD and around the Irvine area.

Pros - Some free time if I wanted (will allow me to go to gym in the mornings, etc).

Cons - Unstable, especially cancellations, around holidays, etc.

 

Option #3: Apply to become an Instructional Assistant for Special Education at University High School (I have subbed for the special education classes for almost 2 years now and they told me they would hire me as an Instructional Assistant if I wanted the position). Will probably continue private tutoring, as well.

Pros - Able to complete BTSA as an exception. Somewhat of a stable salary.

Cons - None except that it is not a full-time teaching position or not in my content area.

 

In the end, I decided to go with Option #3 and that was exactly what I did today on Edjoin.org.

 

The position I applied for:

 

Irvine Unified for the position of Instructional Assistant - Special Ed. 2012-13

It begins... Edjoin Applications

Schools and teaching positions I have applied to thus far:

• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools for the position of World/ US History Teacher - Alliance Technoloogy & Math Science High School

• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools for the position of US History Teacher - Alliance Cindy and Bill Simon Tech High School.

• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools for the position of World History Teacher - Alliance Cindy and Bill Simon Tech High School

• William S. Hart Union High for the position of Social Studies (AP History)

• Environmental Charter Schools for the position of High School US History Teacher

• Magnolia Educational & Research Foundation for the position of MSA-6, HISTORY TEACHER

• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools for the position of Social Science Teacher (US History/Geography) - Alliance College-Ready Middle Academy #7

• Watts Learning Center for the position of Teacher -- History 8th Grade

• PUC Schools (Partnerships to Uplift Communities) for the position of HS Social Studies - U.S. History

• Granada Hills Charter High School for the position of Social Science Teacher

• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools for the position of Social Science Teacher (7th Grade) - Alliance College-Ready Middle Academy #5

• Environmental Charter Schools for the position of MS Social Science Teacher

• Magnolia Educational & Research Foundation for the position of MSA-2 Social Studies Teacher

• Magnolia Educational & Research Foundation for the position of MSA1, Reseda -- Middle/High School Social Studies Teacher

And so it continues... WISH ME LUCK!

Application Process 2012: Here we go!

Recently applied to:

* Irvine Unified for the position of Social Science - 7-8th - History
* Irvine Unified for the position of Social Science - 9-12th grade

More application updates...

Recently REJECTED:

• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools: Marc and Eva Stern Math and Science School
  "Diana Nguyen,
  Thank you for your interest in the open US History teaching position at the Marc and Eva Stern Math and Science School. Unfortunately, the position has been filled. I highly encourage you to seek out other open positions in the Alliance College-Ready Public Schools. Good luck in your continued employment search.
  Sincerely,
  Derrick Chau, Ph.D.
  Principal
  Marc and Eva Stern Math and Science School"
• Escondido Charter School District - Middle School History Instructional Aide
  "Hello Diana,
  Your resume has been received for the Middle School History Instructional Aide. We are currently reviewing all applicants and forwarding on to the appropriate director. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
  
  Thank you,
  Escondido Charter School District
  1868 East Valley Parkway
  Escondido, CA 92027"

Recently APPLIED:

• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools
  History Teacher (7th grade) : College-Ready Middle Academy #4

Another rejection --> Apply to more...

So I got another rejection yesterday:

• Soledad Enrichment Action Charter School (English and Social Science Teacher)
  "Good morning,
   This position has been filled."

Still, it's not the end of the world, so I just made sure to keep applying. Here are some more schools I have applied to:

• Santa Ana Unified - Social Science 9th -12th Grade- Godinez High School - In District Employees Only
• Jordan High School (LAUSD) - Social Science/History/Humanities Teacher
• Film and Theatre Arts CHS - Social Studies Instructor/Advisor[Apparently, this is considered a Big Picture School (a special umbrella schooling system of some sort). The school my sister teaches in down in San Diego is also a Big Picture School].
• Escondido Charter School District - Middle School History Instructional Aide
• Army & Navy Academy - Full-time Social Science Teacher

Wish me luck once again.

Request for Application Status Updates on Edjoin.org

So I emailed a bunch of people for updates on the applications I applied for on Edjoin.org up to April 29th, 2011.

My email inquiry looked like this (yes, each email was unique in that I inputted specific information according to the subject, school, and person):

"Dear ------------------,
My name is Diana Nguyen and I recently applied for the position of ----------- at -------------- (Application -------) on ---------------.
I would just like to ask about the status of my application and if by any chance I could be offered a courtesy interview.
I hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you,
Diana Nguyen"

So far, two schools have emailed me back with rejections:

1. Richard Merkin Middle School (U.S. History Teacher)
   "I am sorry but our positions for next year have been filled."
2. Media Arts and Entertainment High School (U.S. History Teacher)
   "Hi Diana - thank you for your interest.  At the moment we are not interviewing, pending the budget allotment from the governor.  Good luck with your search."

Still keeping my hopes up.
:(

UPDATES: Long-term subbing, THINK Together, and Edjoin applications

First off, I've been long-term subbing at UNI High School for almost five weeks now. We're currently going to finish up a Financial Planning Program unit which involves completing an entire workbook that the original teacher left behind as sub plans. To make sure things don't get too repititious, I make sure to spend a few days every now and then reading short stories or articles from Upfront or Scope Scholastic magazines and having them write a journal to prepare to class discussions. All this only makes me more frustrated that I still don't have a classroom of my own. No worries though. A mentor of mine told me to keep doing what I'm doing (subbing, tutoring, mentoring), because that shows the passion within me to not go into another profession.



I have a final update with the THINK Together position of Summer Program Leader where I would be able to teach a classroom of about 30 students using a curriculum that will be provided. In the end, even though I was one of the applicants considered for the job, I was not able to get it due to something I thought was mediocre (but completely understandable and I will explain why). I was not able to get the job because I was not able to attend one of the pre-employment exams (testing us on basic English, math, and writing skills). The reason was because all of the the available dates and times were when I was preoccupied with my long-term substitute position. They were all on weekdays around noon. I contacted them asking if there could be any sort of exception (i.e. please take a look at my resume, I am highly qualified and I don't mind the $11/hour). I even asked if they could set another date, hopefully on Wednesday after 2 pm because UNI High School ends early on Wednesdays. If that doesn't work, I asked if there's a possible chance of a take-home exam. Nope, nothing, no exceptions whatsoever. When I thought about it, I did try my best in obtaining that Summer Program Leader position, but at the same time, I knew they had to be consistent with their employment process. If they made an exception for me, then they would have to make exceptions for everyone else. I wasn't about to give up though. I still wanted to be a part of time, but at the same time, can't be employed by them; therefore, I emailed them to see if I could volunteer as an instructional assistant for free (not working all 4-5 hours though but 2-3 hours per day is good). That way, I get what I wanted all along (to be in a classroom helping students even if it's for free) and they can get a highly-qualified volunteer. Still waiting for their response though.

As for the EDJOIN.ORG applications, no school has contacted me yet for an interview (I was hoping a few did because in the Letter of Introduction, I kindly asked for a courtesy interview). So far, only a couple Alliance of College Ready Public Schools declined my application. Still waiting on the others. I practically applied to every position I thought possible (i.e. History, Social Science, Social Studies, Humanities, etc). It all came out to be 34 job applications. I'm even one of the annoying ones who applied to job postings that specifically stated "In-District Employees Only" (the Santa Ana Unified School District postings).

Here are all the new teaching positions I applied to on Edjoin.org:

• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools: Christine O'Donovan Middle Academy - English/Social Science Core Teacher (6th grade)
• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools: Stern Math and Science School - History Teacher (U.S./AP U.S.)
• Options for Youth - Los Angeles County - Small Group Instructor-English Language Arts (SGI) San Gabriel Center
• New Millennium Secondary School - Social Studies Teacher
• Los Angeles Education Partnership (Formerly Urban Education Partnership) - Social Studies Instructional Coach
• Los Angeles Leadership Academy - 7th - 8th Grade Language Arts
• Los Angeles Leadership Academy - 7th and 8th Grade English Language Arts
• Los Angeles Leadership Academy - 7th - 8th Grade Social Studies
• College Preparatory Middle School - Teacher - Social Science
• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools: Alliance Teachnology Math Science High School - World History/AP European
• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools: Alliance Teachnology Math Science High School - US History/AP US History
• Santa Ana Unified: Spurgeon- In District Employees Only - Social Science 6th - 8th Grade
• Santa Ana Unified: Alternative Education - In District Employees Only - Social Science
• Santa Ana Unified: Lorin Griset - In District Employees Only - Social Science
• Santa Ana Unified: Century - In District Employees Only - Social Science 9th -12th Grade
• Santa Ana Unified: Godinez High School - In District Employees Only - Science 9th -12th Grade
• Santa Ana Unified: Valley - In District Employees Only - Social Science 9th -12th Grade
• Rowland Unified (Rowland H.S.) - Social Science Teacher
• Orange County High School of the Arts - Social Science
• New Los Angeles Charter School - Middle School Humanities Teacher
• Patty Gould via Email (Lynwood Unified???) - 7th - 8th Grade Social Studies
• Westerly School - Humanities Position

Wish me luck!

My first OCUSD application on Edjoin.

There was actually a History position for Irvine Unified (which is extremely rare). It definitely goes against all my morals and such but I decided to apply for it. Doesn't matter as much though since it was near the end of the application deadline and they really do only look at the first half of applicants since the number of applicants are too demanding. I really need to pay the bills and need the medical benefits, so I'll try it out.

• Irvine Unified Social Science - 9-12th grade
  http://www.iusd.org/

It was the first application where I had to answer open-ended supplementary questions:

***We would like you to recall an important teaching, teaching related, or human relations incident that involved you and one or more persons. The situation may be actual or fictitious, but it should have meaning for you from a human relations standpoint. It is more helpful if you describe the thoughts and feelings of yourself and the other individuals involved rather than attempt to objectively describe the situation.

1. Describe the situation as it occurred.
During the time I was student teaching, I was in the middle of a lecture. I spent a lot of time preparing the lesson in advance trying to make it engaging. I believe the lesson was about the Black Death (bubonic plague) where I actually had a fictional story (taken from a storybook) involving the Black Death. They were to then complete a worksheet incorporating the Black Death story and Icons of Depth and Complexity. One of my male students was disrupting the classroom dynamics by being obnoxiously loud, not paying attention to the task at hand, and not taking notes from the lecture.

2. What did you do in that particular situation?
First, I tried proximity, going near his desk and giving him a pencil to give him a nonverbal warning that he should be taking notes or following along on the reading (we all read together). Second warning was a verbal warning, making sure to make it personal by whispering to him I expected of him (so he would not be embarrassed). The last and final warning was a verbal warning. When he ended up not listening, I gave him a detention with me after school (which was good in a sense because he never finished his research paper on the Religious Crusades which was required by the school). I spent the time going over the Black Death story with him and well as get him to complete his research paper.

3. How did you feel about the situation while you were experiencing it?
I was very frustrated because many of the other students seemed to be enjoying it (it was the bubonic plague after all). Even though I made sure the story was accessible (at an appropriate lexile score), that one male student did not seem interested and it made me wonder whether he understood the story or not, because if he didn't understand the story, that might be one of the reasons why he was misbehaving in class.  

4. How do you feel about the situation now?
I feel that maybe I could have handled it better and quicker. I did give him multiple warnings and everytime I gave him a warning it would interrupt the class time and discussion. At the same time, I am glad I gave him detention because it allowed me assist him one-on-one, which helped dramatically. Not only was he able to complete the current worksheet, but he also was able to complete writing the final written draft of the research paper on the Religious Crusades with my help and supervision. I always have to remember though that it was just him and me. If there were more students in detention, the result might not have been the same and I would have to adjust accordingly.  

***Please complete the following questions.

1. Briefly discuss your attitudes, beliefs and interest in education. 
The education system nowadays, in my honest opinion, is failing our students when it comes to preparation within a global community. There is less emphasis on developing critical thinking skills and more emphasis on "teaching to the test." The priority that standardized tests receive is a result of that. It does not allow teachers to be creative, teaching at their own pace what they believe would benefit their students. In addition, other subjects have all-together been forgotten (i.e. electives, social sciences within some districts, etc.). Everything seems to be revolving around Language Arts and Mathematics, which indeed, are very important, but the education of our students should not be limited to just those two. We highly value the aspect of diversity within the country whether it is diversity with opinions, religions, ethnic makeup, so when it comes to education, the diversity of subjects offered and given credibility should also be practiced. I see this especially with Social Science in certain districts where History has been offered as an elective, giving students a chance to take two periods in Language Arts and two periods in Mathematics to help prepare them for the standardized tests. One of my theories regarding why history is not perceived as important would be most teachers teach it the traditional way where it is mainly memorization and regurgitation. Most school districts do not understand that history can now be taught a non-traditional way (the method I have learned in my methodologies class in the credential program). The non-traditional approach to teaching history includes teaching students to recognize bias within written pieces (offer them written history in different perspectives). This way, they are taught to question the reliability of what they are reading (who wrote it, what was their job, what was their intention of writing it, etc.). In addition, offer them primary sources to analyze. When using any sort of textual evidence (primary or secondary), be sure to incorporate the icons of depth and complexities (i.e. change over time, patterns, multiple points of views, across the disciplines, cause and effect, main idea, etc.). Also, literacy within the history classroom is extremely important because everything taught within the textbook is content-based meaning the students are required to have sufficient reading comprehension skills. Not only does reading comprehension have to do with it, but being able to write essays is a significant feature in the non-traditional classroom. To get a sense of understanding, I always make sure to have one document-based question essay writing at the end of each unit. Being able to analyze primary sources and incorporate the content they have learned into one written essay will give me a sense where my students are and if they are improving throughout the school year. Essay writing, if taught correctly, will engage students in the writing process. They have to be taught that every essay is their opinion of what the prompt asks for; their opinion just has to be backed up with evidence, logic and reason in an academic manner. In the end, it still represents what they want to say about the subject, not what the subject expects them to say. When teaching essay writing, it is always best to teach them how to develop paragraphs first with a topic sentence and supporting sentences. I am always sure to teach them transition words to help their essays flow. Once they are comfortable with writing the paragraph, they are ready to learn how to write an essay (introduction, thesis, supporting paragraphs, conclusion). Of course, this writing process will require a lot of scaffolding, modeling, supervising, revision, but learning how to write an essay can be a powerful motivator once the students get comfortable with it. All these techniques--literacy within the classroom, document-based questions, primary vs. secondary sources, incorporating the icons of depth and complexity--all show how the Social Sciences are important and how they can teach the critical thinking skills our youth need to know to compete in the real world. As for student success, I believe in the "Triangle Rule of Success"--school, parents, and community (non-profit organizations, businesses, government). If all these factors are involved in the child's education, it would make a dramatic difference in their future success. We would need all three to be the most efficient. 

2. How do you as the classroom teacher work to ensure success for each student? Please include any other information you think would be helpful to us in considering you for employment such as additional work experience, activities, accomplishments, honors, etc.
I believe in the saying "Students should not be expected to understand the lesson plan; instead, the lesson plan is expected to understand the students." It is a given fact that every student/classroom is different and that they all learn differently. As a result, I always make sure to make each lesson accessible to all the students even if that includes adjusting the original lesson plan, as long as the objective stays the same. If the lesson plan fits the needs of the students, there is a higher chance the objective will be met as well as less occurrence of challenging behaviors. I would have to say that student teaching in Santa Ana as well as long-term subbing twice at University High School taught me a lot when it comes to creating lesson plans the students would enjoy and learn. These experiences also allowed me to practice in preventing and managing challenging behavior among students and creating my own "discipline style." I define success as improvement in a reasonable amount of time and at an efficient pace. For example, if a student is in the 7th grade but reading at a 3rd grade level, I am not going to expect the student to begin reading at a 7th grade level after a few months of teaching the student. Instead, I make sure to have attainable goals/expectations for the students. Instead of catching up to 7th grade reading ability, I would make sure he caught up to 5th grade reading capability within 1/2 the academic year. Then the rest of the academic year would be to set the goal to be 7th or 8th grade reading level by the end of the academic year. The classroom environment is also another important factor in ensuring the succcess of each student. The classroom should be a safe haven for student learning. This includes the seating arrangement and postings on the wall.

Edjoin -- Three more on my list.

I am still continuing to apply to LAUSD since that is my main goal, but the whole rejection letter situation is sort of getting my hopes up. I finally decided to apply for Irvine Unified. I only have two more years until my credential expires. :(

• College-Ready Public Schools : College-Ready Middle Academy #7
  Social Science Teacher
  http://www.laalliance.org/
• Soledad Enrichment Action Charter School
  English and Social Science Teacher
  http://www.seacharter.net/
• Birmingham Community Charter High School  History Teacher
  http://www.birminghamcharter.com/   

My first rejection.

Today, I received my first rejection via email from Edjoin.org:

Subject: U.S. History Teacher Vacancy
"Good Morning Diana Nguyen,
We would like to thank you for submitting your application for the U.S. History Teacher position advertised on Edjoin by Alliance College-Ready Public Schools. We were very fortunate to have various applicants interested in interviewing for our U.S. History Teacher. After reviewing your application, I am sorry to inform you that you have not been selected for the position.
We thank you again for your interest in interviewing with our organization and wish you the best in your future endeavors.
 Sincerely,
 C***** E******
Human Resources Coordinator"

I really hope this doesn't mean ALL the Alliance College-Ready Public Schools that I have been applying to because that would mean I've been rejected by ALL of them. Not good.
I'll keep on trying...

Edjoin Update...

Signed in and looked up some status updates on all the applications I have submitted so far:

• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools for the position of History Teacher (U.S./AP U.S.): Health Services Academy High School
  Status: DISTRICT VIEWED
  
• PUC Schools (Partnerships to Uplift Communities) for the position of Middle School History Teacher
  Status: DISTRICT VIEWED
  
•  Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools for the position of U.S. History Teacher - Richard Merkin Middle School
  Status: POSTING ARCHIVED, but not yet DISTRICT VIEWED

Regarding the applications that were district-viewed, they have not gotten in contact with me yet, so I'm not sure if I would be offered an interview in the end. Still wishing myself luck and not giving up.

-------------------------------------------------

There were also a few new postings available for History positions, which I applied to, of course. :)

•  Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools
  U.S. History Teacher : College-Ready Middle Academy #4
  http://www.laalliance.org/schools/crma4/

Edjoin Applications again!

New job openings for History positions up on Edjoin. Once again, I'm concentrating on the Los Angeles County openings.

• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools
  History Teacher (U.S./AP U.S.): Health Services Academy High School
  http://www.laalliance.org/schools/healthser/
  
•  Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools
  U.S. History Teacher (11th grade) - Media Arts and Entertainment High School
  http://www.laalliance.org/schools/mediaarts/

Wish me luck!

Edjoin Applications - Alliance for College Ready Schools and MORE!

Checked out Edjoin again today and there were more job postings for History-Social Science positions. Also, I saw the posting for the one College-Ready Public School #5 I recently applied to via W** B***. I decided to still apply for that one again just in case. In addition, there were a few other schools under the Alliance for College Ready Public Schools umbrella with open History teaching positions, as well. Of course, I applied to those, too. In addition, the other two schools I applied for were under another umbrella teaching organization, PUC Schools (Partnerships to Uplift Communities).

• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools
  U.S. History Teacher - Richard Merkin Middle School
  http://www.laalliance.org/
• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools
  U.S. History Teacher (8th grade) - College-Ready Middle Academy #5
  http://www.laalliance.org/
• PUC Schools (Partnerships to Uplift Communities)
  High School History Teacher
  http://www.pucschools.org/
• PUC Schools (Partnerships to Uplift Communities)
  Middle School History Teacher
  http://www.pucschools.org/

Wish me luck once again!
We'll see where this goes...

EDJOIN Application Time!!!

Every now and then, I browse Edjoin.org to see if there are any available Social Science teaching positions available around the Orange County - Los Angeles area (San Diego is cutting it a bit far, but I would apply to those, too).

Schools I look out for are schools serving underprivileged students living in low socioeconomic communities. I don't plan on applying to affluent schools because the target demographics I would love to teach are students who come from low-income families. Affluent schools already have enough great teachers and resources. I believe I would make a bigger difference to a school in need, bringing my passion along with me.

Schools I have applied to today via Edjoin:

• KIPP Academy of Opportunity 8th Grade Social Studies Teacher
  Category: Teacher - Middle Grades
  http://www.kippla.org/index.cfm
  
• Environmental Charter High School Social Studies/Language Arts
  Category: Teacher - Middle Grades
  http://www.echsonline.org/
  

Will be applying to more soon. Once again, wish me luck!

College Ready Middle Academy #5 - Part IV

I finally decided not to visit the campus. If I did, I believe I would give off the impression that I got the job already, which I didn't. I wouldn't want to be viewed as so conceited to act that the position is already mine.

If I do end up getting the position, I think it more appropriate that I observe the school then.

Hopefully, my cover letter and resume will speak for itself. If they were to ask for my Letters of Recommendation and my Student Teaching Evaluation, that would be better, as well, because it adds even more to my qualifications.

College Ready Middle Academy #5 - Part III

Got a reply from W** B***!

"Diana,

To answer your questions...
-Parental involvement varies (student/parent compact requires parents to contribute or volunteer ~40 hours over the course of the school year). It kind of depends on the student.
-The school has an after school program that consists of ~1 hour of "homework time," 1 hour of some kind of program (sports, dance, robotics, etc.), and about half an hour or so of snack/break. Like many things, its effectiveness varies depending on how invested individual students are in learning and working.
-As for grade level, I can't quantify how many levels they're behind, but I can tell you that its fairly significant (though not insurmountable if the students themselves were more motivated). Most of the students seem willing enough to learn, but they're ridiculously lazy outside of the classroom.
-Humanities at my school is relegated to the 6th grade. Our school's pretty small, so any teacher in a given subject area/grade will teach all of the students for that grade level. Still, my principal encourages cross-curricular planning, which means it's possible to bridge history and language arts across classes (albeit with a different teacher for each subject area) into something vaguely resembling humanities core.

As for visiting, that's up to you to arrange with the administration. We're going on spring break from April 16-22, so it'd have to be this coming week. My school's phone number is (323)-987-1680 though I honestly don't know how my principal would respond to your request. (One quick note, principal's last name is Martinez now)."

Regarding visiting the campus, I'm so confused on what I should do. I would really love to visit and observe, but at the same time, I wouldn't want the principal to think that I'm desperate for the teaching position or think that it is already mine in a conceited sense. 

Will think about the decision of visiting the campus a little bit more... Let me sleep on it.

College Ready Middle Academy #5 - Part II

So I looked up more information on College Ready Middle Academy #5, since it is always a significant requirement to know more about the school that interests me. That way, I'll be able to know about the student demographics, their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to standardized tests (even though that is not a genuine portrayal of their abilities), and just random information that might be helpful for me.

First of all, CRMA#5 is part of a larger network of schools called Alliance College-Ready Public Schools. Through searching the site, I came upon the following information:

"College-Ready Middle Academy #5 (CRMA#5) is a free public charter school authorized by the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Performance

College-Ready Middle Academy #5 achieved a 2010 Academic Performance Index (API) score of 671. CST results: 30% Advanced Proficient in English, 29% Advanced/Proficient in Math.

Community

College-Ready Middle Academy #5 is located in the Lincoln Heights area of northeastern Los Angeles. Many of the schools in this community serve a range of 1,500 to over 3,000 students per campus.

Demographics and Average Daily Attendance

95% Hispanic, 4% Asian, 1% African-American, 30% English Language Learner (ELL) students, and 97% free or Reduced meal program participants. To date, average daily attendance is 98%."

http://www.laalliance.org/schools/crma5/

I would love to be given the opportunity to teach in this school! The students come from low socioeconomic background/communities and they are struggling in all areas of the standardized tests. It is also a pretty new school opened since September 2009. As a result, they have the potential to become even greater given time, dedicated teachers, and a motivating plan.

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In addition, I waited a week before emailing W** B***, the person you forwarded my resume directly to the principal:

"Hi W*****! 

I was about to call you, but decided it would be easier to just email you.

I have been thinking about particular questions about the school:

- How much parental involvement/support is there? 
- I noticed it is a fairly new school, opening in 2009. Does the school offer after school outreach programs? 
- How many grade levels behind is the average student? 
- Is there currently a Humanities Core program offered through the school curriculum (i.e. a teacher teaching both History and Language Arts to a particular group of students)? 

In addition, I was wondering if it is at all possible I could visit the campus, meet Ms. Torres if she's not busy, and observe history/English teachers, if they're comfortable, as well as the students? If that is too intrusive, then I apologize for overstepping boundaries. 

If it is at all possible, what day would be best.

I have a long-term substitute position starting Monday, April 25th, so I'll most likely be free before then depending on the day. 

Hope to hear from you soon! 

Regards,

Diana"

Hopefully, I'll be able to visit the campus and see how things are there and be able to ask him more questions in person as well as meet the principal, Suzette Torres. I do have a confession to make, while en route to Glendale, I did stop by in front of the school just to see what it looked like. This was a somewhat bad decision because it made me even more desperate to teach there.