Finding Your Perfect Teaching Role

As the new school year quickly approaches, teachers everywhere are thinking about what this year will bring. For some teachers, this will be a return to a role they’ve known for years, in a school that feels like home. For others, this new year is an opportunity to find a new school community and a new position. If you are one of these teachers looking to make a change in your role, you have the exciting chance to find your perfect fit. But it doesn’t always feel easy. 

Luckily, there are a few key considerations you can keep in mind as you look into new roles and begin to interview with schools that can guide you toward the right role. These include what your day will be like and what your future could look like at the school. Most importantly, you want to think about how the information you get during an interview aligns with what you want for yourself in this role. 

What do you need?

Before you begin looking for a new role or interviewing, it’s important to consider what your non-negotiables are for your role and your school community. 

Start by thinking about what’s important to you: Do you want to have small class sizes? Do you want the opportunity to teach multiple subjects? Do you want to work with a co-teacher? How much prep time do you need during the day? Are you willing to pursue additional credentials if they are necessary for a role? What do you want family-teacher communication to be like? 

Starting with what you need in a role and from a school community will help you sift through all the possible roles out there more quickly and focus your attention on those with the most potential.

What will your role look, sound and feel like each day?

The day-to-day responsibilities of your role are probably at the top of your mind when you start thinking about a new role. So, what do you want each day to look, sound, and feel like in this role? When you begin talking to a school leader, it’s crucial that you already have this vision in mind so you can be sure that the position you accept actually matches what you want. 

Start by thinking about your space: Will you have your own classroom or will it be shared? Where can you put your belongings while you’re teaching? Where can you go during prep periods? What technology will be made available to you? Where is the school in relation to where you live? What is your commute going to be like every day? 

Then consider your class: How many students will you have in each class? How many classes will you teach per day? Will you be teaching only general education students or does the school use an inclusion model for special populations? Will you have a co-teacher or other support in the room with you? How long is each class period? What curriculum resources are you expected to use?

Finally, think about your responsibilities: What time are you expected to be at school each day? What time does the school day end? Are you responsible for covering lunch or dismissal duties and, if so, how often? How do teachers get coverage if they are out sick? Are there professional development requirements? 

As you reflect on these questions, you will begin to create the vision for your perfect fit. When you visit a school for your interview, you can look for evidence that this school community aligns with your vision and your needs. This might mean talking to current teachers, looking at classrooms, or watching students and teachers interact.

From these reflection questions, you can also start to decide what is non-negotiable and what you would be willing to compromise on in a role. From there, you can feel confident walking into an interview knowing the information you will need to make a decision. 

How will you grow in this role?

Beyond just the day-to-day, you also want to consider what your future could look like in your new role. This means thinking about what kind of leadership opportunities (if any) you want to have access to and thinking about what you want from your school leadership to help ensure you’re always improving as an educator. 

Start by thinking about leadership opportunities: Do you want to be a classroom teacher long-term? Do you want to be a grade-level or department leader? Do you want to move into an administrative role eventually? What does the path look like for growth within the school? How are new leadership opportunities awarded to current staff? 

Then consider learning opportunities: What areas within your own teaching practice do you want to improve? What professional development opportunities are available within your school community? Are there financial resources available if you want to seek out additional certifications or degrees? Will you have an instructional coach to work with during the school year? How will you get feedback from administrators and what are the support systems in place to help you incorporate that feedback? 

What else do you need to know?

Once you’ve done all of your interview pre-work by reflecting on these questions and building out the vision for your perfect fit, you are almost ready for the interview process. The final thing you want to think about is what questions you will bring to ensure this role is everything you want it to be. 

The questions you ask will depend on your vision, but a few things to consider are: What do teachers say about working here? Why did the teacher who previously held this position leave? What is teacher retention like here and how does the leadership team promote teacher retention? What responsibilities are expected of this role that aren’t outlined in the job description? How long has the administration team been in place? Are there any major changes expected in the coming school year? 

These questions can help you figure out what you want in a role, what you need from your administrators and how you want to fit into a school community. While the process might seem daunting at first, there is a perfect fit out there for every teacher; they just have to be willing to look for it. 

Rachel Fuhrman is currently the Curriculum Marketing Manager at Fishtank Learning, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing high-quality curriculums to students across the country. Before joining Fishtank Learning, Rachel spent five years as a middle school special education teacher in New Orleans, LA and Harlem, NY. Outside of the classroom, she is a frequent contributor to multiple education blogs and focuses primarily on student engagement and instructional practice topics. Rachel earned both her Bachelor of Arts in Economics and her Master of Science in Educational Studies from Johns Hopkins University.