Mike Vigilant

I have recently begun my full-fledged efforts to pin down a teaching position for the spring semester.  I have certainly learned a great deal about searching for teaching jobs over the past year, and I will be putting that hard-earned knowledge to good use over the next few months.

I’ll start this week with my first round goal, which is to send an individual e-mail to the principal of every school I would work at in driving range of where I live.  I want to start getting my name out there right now, even though I am aware many schools have not decided or do not even know which vacancies they will need to fill over the winter break.

Round two, starting in 7-10 days, will probably be a mail assault, sending a copy of my updated resume directly to principals.  I know principals are busy people who may not have time to check their e-mail in a timely manner, so sending them an actual piece of paper seems like a good idea to me.

Round three, which I am planning for the time around Thanksgiving, is when I start the phone calls and school visits.  I can’t wait to meet some of these principals face-to-face and discuss what assets I could bring to their school!  I’ve uploaded much of my work to this site, and once I get even more documents on here, I’ll be putting together a professional portfolio to bring with me to interviews.

During all of this, I will be keeping my eye on the online job postings, but as I have discovered, applying online is generally not the best way to get your name out there, as postings tend to be listed by district offices while actual interviews are conducted by principals.  I will be checking the listings often, and I will apply for positions I believe I would be a good match for, but I will be going the extra mile and contacting principals directly.

I am also very excited about the opportunities I have through this website.  I have already posted some of my work on here, and I look forward to finding more ways to build my online portfolio, so that potential employers can get an accurate picture of what they can expect from me as a teacher, as well as evidence of my technology experience.

I know that things will be tougher this time around, and I am anticipating the challenge.  Not only are there fewer positions available during the winter break, but I am well aware of the current economic situation, and that some schools are even reducing their head count to compensate.  While it appears that teachers have not been affected yet, I know things may change, and I’m more than ready to be competitive.

I am very excited to announce that all the paperwork is complete and my new certifications have posted to my professional certificate!  Having passed the Special Education General Curriculum GACE, this means I now have the following four certifications:

• Economics 6-12
• Geography 6-12
• Special Education General Curriculum (Consultative) 6-12
• Special Education Social Science 6-12

I will continue to pursue additional certifications so that I will have even more to offer a potential school; I hope to have additional news on this front soon.

Also, please look to the right-hand side of the page to see the new sample documents I have added this week.  I hope this gives you some additional insight into my thoughts and strategies behind teaching.  So far, I have posted a sample unit planner for economics and a document from my student teaching I used for differentiating my instruction.

I am proud to announce that, today at 5:00PM, the unofficial scores for the last GACE exam were released.  According to those scores, I have passed both parts of the Special Education (General Curriculum) exam!

I’m so happy and excited, because now I will have Special Education on my teaching certificate.  I’m always happy to have an extra credential, but Special Education is in such need right now, and to be certified in it will almost certainly give me a leg up on the job competition.

But don’t think I’m done yet.  My next plan is to call the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GAPSC) and inquire about AP certification; this will allow me to teach students across the entire spectrum.  I am excited about the overall scope of my teaching certificate now.

I will be celebrating this victory, and it has certainly inspired me and given me additional energy to continue looking for jobs and building my credentials.

Thanks for the patience while I transfer my account to a new hosting company.  The transfer is almost done and I’m in the process of recreating things here.  You’ll be seeing more on this site soon–stay tuned!