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Is your skill-set still on Release 1.0? This is a tough question for many of us teachers to deal with. Why? Because many of us are convinced that we don't need to update our skill-set now that we have found our dream teaching position in a wonderful school. We are set, right? Not exactly. As we all know things can change in a flash. Against this backdrop, you and I will explore your skill-set and offer some suggestions as to how to do some necessary upgrades.

Why do you need to upgrade your skill-set?

As I pointed out in the opening paragraph, your circumstances can change in a flash. The most common reason for suddenly needing a new teaching position is a major change in your family circumstances. A member of your family who lives in another state has an accident or becomes seriously ill requiring your presence in the area. While you could take Family Medical Leave, it has become obvious to you that the best solution is for you to move closer to your family member so that you can supervise his care and generally be there for him. That means you will need to look for a new teaching job.

In the following TEDx Talk, Jean-Michel Gauthier explains why your job applications are getting ignored.

The important thing to understand is that life can deal some unexpected cards. You thought

A couple of years ago when tenure for professors began to look like a thing of the past, I remember thinking that tenure for K-12 teachers would probably be next on the chopping block. And so the rumblings which I thought I heard off in the distance were indeed the precursor of a serious storm. With that in mind let's explore the issue and try to understand what is happening with the concept of teacher tenure in the United States.

The California decision

The judge in the case certainly came down hard against teacher tenure. I am not a lawyer but it seemed to me that the root of his judicial displeasure was the way the California statutes had been written. To understand where those laws originated, you have to go back in time to the early part of the twentieth century and indeed even earlier. Back then teachers could be fired when ever a school board or administrator decided. Essentially teachers had no due process. Teacher protection in the form of tenure was a German idea which began to take hold across the United States back in the 1920s and 1930s. Tenure also curbed another abuse of the teaching profession which was interference from politicians. Teaching positions were considered patronage plums that politicians handed out.

In my opinion tenure for public K-12 teachers was a necessary protection a hundred years ago. But as with

These are tough times for teachers. It doesn't matter whether you teach in a public or private school setting. You expose yourself to legal risks every single day on the job. Some people think that teachers have a soft job. Public school teachers only have to work ten months of the year. Most private school teachers have it even better as they usually work a nine-month year. Of course, that's a distorted view of the profession. Many teachers teach summer sessions or run summer camps. They might have a month of vacation if they are lucky. Lurking on the sidelines is the question of liability. Yes, teachers can be held liable for all sorts of things which make no sense. The problem is that American society is very litigious. Folks will sue in a nanosecond. Lawsuits, as you well know, are time-consuming, expensive, and, in the worst cases can be career-limiting events.

So, let's look at liability from our point of view as teachers. Disclaimer: I am not an attorney, so read my layperson's comments and observations, then run questions by and seek advice from your attorney. The mnemonic DIRE lays out some of the issues we need to watch for. Protecting yourself is very important. Nobody else will look out for your interests as well as you will.

Everyday risks

Your chances of getting sued are probably on a par with having an accident while driving. When you drive carefully, observe the rules of the road, stay

One of the basic differences between private and public schools is the fact that most public school teachers belong to a union. Does that make a difference for public school teachers? Does having a unionized faculty benefit schools? How did unions get involved with public education? Are private school faculties unionized? Basically, the question is, should teachers be unionized or not? My answer to that question is "Yes" if you teach in a public school and "No" if you teach in a private school. Let me explain why.

In Public Schools: The Case for Protection and Leverage

Public schools are essentially controlled by the government at the local, state, and national levels. They also are funded by taxpayers at all those levels. So it makes sense for teachers to want and need some protection from and leverage with those three quarters. The most potent protection public school teachers have is their union. Teacher unions also furnish the leverage or negotiating strength necessary to engage administrations in frank discussions about matters like compensation, class size, accountability, etc.

²ÝÁñÉçÇø schools are funded primarily by the tuition fees paid by their customers, i.e., the parents of their students. Endowments and fundraising make up the delta between what tuition raises and the actual expenses for the school year. Income and expenses must align. Each private school is an independent corporate entity controlled by school trustees, not governments. Each private school has its own particular mission and educational goals. Each school hires teachers

If you about to graduate from college or have graduated recently, and are thinking about going into teaching, you will find it worthwhile to consider one of the intern programs which many private schools offer. The reason why private schools offer teaching internships is that they want to shape their future teachers to teach in the way they want them to teach. Each private school is a free-standing, independent school with its own approach to teaching and its own curriculum. While it is always beneficial to hire an experienced teacher, the school still has to adapt that teacher to the school's way of doing things.

Teaching in a private school also is not simply about teaching in the classroom. Teaching in a private school requires you to be involved in extracurricular activities and athletics as well. Teaching in a private school means that you are teaching the whole child. These intern teacher programs which you will explore offer the opportunity to do all that and to learn how teaching in a private school really works. An internship typically has a light teaching load and is mentored constantly. The possibilities for some serious learning about and understanding of teaching abound. This short video shows Exeter's choir and orchestra getting ready for a concert. Just think! If you are a musician, you could be involved with this kind of extracurricular activity.

Yes, many private schools have