When completing student teaching, it’s a good idea to start looking for teaching jobs. But when is the best time to apply for teaching jobs? Here are some of the things that are going on each month to help you decide when to apply.
Winter
At the beginning of the year, schools start posting about potential vacancies. Remember: the early bird gets the worm. By applying for these positions, you can get a leg up on the competition. Look for these postings in January and February.
Spring
During the spring, many school districts, private schools, and charter schools hold job fairs. Attend all the job fairs that you can. Get your name out there, and start making contacts at schools where you would like to teach.
Also, in February and March, schools start to advertise for possible openings. Add your name to email lists for teaching positions in your state or desired school district. Then, you can hear about the positions as soon as they come available.
Summer
For most school districts, May 31st is the deadline for teachers to report whether or not they will return the following school year. This means that more job openings will appear online in June. Oftentimes, interviews will take place in July and August. However, many teachers report that they weren’t hired on until 2 weeks before school started.
Fall
Public schools may continue to hire new teachers after school starts. You may even hear of new positions opening up as late as October. Why? Because new students continue to enroll in school, so administrators need to quickly hire new teachers to limit class sizes. If you still don’t have a teaching position at this point, diligently check for openings and apply quickly. When something comes available, the school will want to hire someone quickly.
Basically, it’s possible to get a teaching position at any time throughout the year. However, most teachers get hired in the late spring or in the summer months. Therefore, it’s time to prepare your resume, cover letter, portfolio, and recommendation letters now so you’re ready. Talk to professors, mentor teachers, and university supervisor about writing letters of recommendation for you. Keep all of these documents together, so you can use them when it’s the best time to apply for teaching jobs in your area whenever that might be.
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