Consultant teacher skills for your resume and career

An appreciation for the diversity in any given classroom is critical, along with the skills and commitment toward meeting the needs of students who come from a myriad of family backgrounds, social settings, belief systems, economic statuses', and histories of access and familiarity with our education system.

Each student brings with them a completely different set of skills, interests, fears, and struggles. Our capacity for empathy, honesty, and resourcefulness directly translates to student and classroom experience. Teachers reach students when they have the tools to connect with each student, show them that they are caring adults, and help each student realize their potential through measurable development in content areas as well as soft skills.

This is true online or in face-to-face settings. Online classrooms teachers are maximizing the reduced window of interaction with students by streamlining the delivery and assessment of content. No doubt, this priority is influenced by a culture of results-oriented teaching based on narrow measures. This compromise is made with a cost. Efforts toward social-emotional support should be increased in online classes, while content expectations should be relaxed during perhaps the most stressful time our young ones and their families have faced in their lives. Any absence of empathy and soft skill development in online settings is a product of decades-old priorities placed on high-stakes tests based on national standards.

Teachers entering the field should have a strong understanding of the need for social-emotional support and an ability to meet the needs of diverse students.

I think that learning is on a continuum. By advancing their degrees and graduate credit, teachers can move up the district’s salary schedule while continuing to perfect their craft.

I’m not sure if the set of skills will change due to the pandemic, but tangible skills are essential, and the student must make sure those show up in their resumés, CVs, and personal statements. In my fields of Geography and Latin American Studies, I could see that students will benefit by showing proficiency in Geographical Information Systems, quantitative analyses, programming skills, conducting interviews, ability to translate both language and cultures, being literate in more than one discipline, knowledge about international cultures and issues of concern in particular regions of the world, ability to do close readings and in-depth analyses, etc. No student can have a full set, but each should be qualified for a diversity of jobs. Also, students must be confident of their knowledge and display critical thinking skills during interviews. One last thing, prepare for interviews… don’t just show up! Learn about the organization that you are applying to. Be prepared to explain why it is suitable for you and them to hire you.

The technical skills that I believe will serve incoming teachers will be the ability to engage students in multiple formats for communication and delivery of instruction. There are many platforms for delivering instruction and being able to adapt to new platforms will be helpful. I believe getting comfortable making quick video tutorials for students and parents will also be necessary.