Reading recovery teacher skills for your resume and career

Educators need to have a deep understanding of three elements of teaching and learning: how students learn, how to build a community of learners and content pedagogy. Skillsets which support this, such as proficiency in technology, planning, and organization, are important to convey to future employers, but the effective educator knows that these skills are the means to the end---designing instructional opportunities which support student understanding and academic growth.

In any teaching position, whether special education or otherwise, it is perhaps the soft skills that are the greatest indicators of professional aptitude and success. In my years as a principal, we used to call this "teacher mojo," and it was an aura that is easier to glean in an interview than on a resume but centers around those personal traits that the person brings with them to the table beyond their content and pedagogical knowledge and expertise. A hiring administrator wants to know that the candidate is collaborative; special education teachers are expected to partner with their general education colleagues and related service providers and serve as case managers of interdisciplinary teams. They need to have excellent listening and facilitation skills, demonstrated through approachability, patience, flexibility, cultural competence, and the ability to lead sometimes difficult conversations. Special educators need to have impeccable time management skills and be reliable when meeting deadlines, as timelines are set by federal legislation and state regulation, not simply the whim of a school administrator. Additionally, they need to model inclusivity and kindness; they are often the voices in their buildings for the excluded students. They should be confident enough to say, for example, "have we thought about accessibility concerns for the upcoming field trip?" and be willing to kindly remind their colleagues of equal access and inclusivity when someone suggests "leaving those kids behind just this one time."

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.

We consistently hear from employers that they need employees who have strong communication skills, written and oral, problem-solving and collaboration, the ability to adapt and respond to changing circumstances, and the ability to work through difficulties collectively. Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) majors are taught to excel in all these areas. The world will continue to change, so our ability to analyze, adapt, problem-solve, and collectively solve problems is what will help us all continue to survive and thrive. All the DePauw PACS majors graduate as trained mediators, and I consistently hear from them once they enter the work world that they were told they rose to the top of the pile of applicants because they had that skill set.

Collaborative, problem solver, leader, passion for teaching, learning, and helping others - technology savvy, planner, lifelong learner