Teaching Abroad

Lisa

Ever have the urge to travel? Ever want to travel abroad but your hectic academic and social calendar never permitted it? Well the Department of Defense can offer you both of these opportunities and more.

The Department of Defense is continuously hiring on a need-base for school staff-positions on American Army bases within the U.S. and around the world. Listings for some of these locations include but are not limited to; Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Tongduchon, South Korea, Wiesban, Germany, Okinawa Island, Japan, and many more. These jobs vary within the field of Education, from Substitute Teacher, to Educational Aid, Guidance Counselor to Child and Youth Program Assistant. The job types and descriptions vary depending on the location and specific need, so you never know what you may find! Job profiles are all located online, as well as the application requirements (most applications are available electronically), as well as the steps required prior and post applying. Travel, relocation, and key requirements of the job are listed, as well at the explicit job qualifications and duties. These qualifications and duties are usually very specific, so that you can get a sense of the exact requirements, as well as age group or interactions you will be working with.

To search more of these job listings, visit either of these two websites:

http://www.dodea.edu

https://www.usajobs.gov

When working for the Department of Defense Education Activity you have the potential to receive the equivalent benefits of a Federal employee, or in short- a Military Personnel. This includes and offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. To find out more about the major benefits offered to most Federal employees, visit http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/ .

As Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DoDDS) Educators are stationed outside of the U.S., they may be eligible for certain other benefits such as allowances, differentials, and transportation agreements. These are all determined by the types of (job) appointment and location of residence at the time of appointment. Each appointment also has a different time requirement, or tour of duty, depending on the location and position obtained.

This opportunity is one that has the potential for both personal and professional growth. It presents the opportunity to travel; possibly far across the globe to a part of the world you have never visited. Here you can apply what you have learned through your education in a foreign country, but on an American base where the people and children you will be working/interacting with will also speak English. You may pick up new skills and proficiencies from your experiences that you can then apply upon your return home to the United States. Teaching abroad is an aspect of your career that is sure to wow future employers and coworkers as well! This is also a perfect opportunity to give back to those men and women who have dedicated their life to the service, by teaching and nurturing their children, helping them grow and develop. 

5 Things

Kaitlin

A teacher is someone who is held to the highest of expectations whilst molding the minds of our future. This responsibility is a great one and so, naturally, admittance into the teaching profession requires some very specific qualities and abilities. As future teachers, we spend a lot of time trying to anticipate what these qualities and abilities are that catch the attention of interview panels.  What are they looking for? Through online research as well as a conversation with someone who has sat on many panels interviewing for teaching positions, I have come up with five things for a future teacher to consider and pay special attention to. Each one has an example of a question or scenario that could be given by the interview panel. These examples were given by a school principal who has participated on many interview panels. 

1. Passion for Student Growth

What is your purpose for wanting to be a teacher? 

An employer wants to know that you are passionate about the growth of students, not simply that you have "always pictured yourself in front of a classroom". They want to hear about your dreams and plans and how those ideas will lead to positive change in the growth of the students at their school site. Think about what ideas you have, how you want to implement those ideas, and why you were inspired to make such changes. 

2. Ability to Collaborate/Communicate 

Why is collaboration important? What would be strategies in enhancing collaboration opportunities with teachers? 

Part of being an effective teacher is being able to function as part of a team. Think about the ways collaboration with other more or less-seasoned teachers could improve the quality of education at the school. It is not a secret that teachers are extremely busy and that collaboration takes extra time and effort. Think about ways to collaborate effectively and efficiently. Monthly dinners or lunches with staff? An idea board in the staff room perhaps? 

How would you keep a communication with parents of students?

New teachers spend a lot of time considering their interaction with students, but they sometimes fail to think about the communication they have with parents. Think about the strategies you could use to keep parents "in the loop" and make sure that their questions and concerns are heard and answered. Letters home are nice, but does that allow communication to flow both ways? Think in-depth about how to create an open, two-way line of communication.  

3. Flexibility 

Scenario: What if you just taught a lesson and five students don't seem to understand? 

Teachers are expected to move through a lot of material in a relatively short amount of time. From these expectations often stems a rigid schedule. Because students learn at different rates and in different ways, there will be certain concepts which some students will find more challenging than others. Think about how you can give more specialized instruction to certain students while still allowing the rest of the class to improve their own abilities. Maybe you have a period of activity stations which allows students to be self-sufficient while you work with those who require extra help. Brainstorm these types of scenarios before an interview, employers want to see that you have given this some thought. 

4. Strong Work Ethic and Compassion  

Scenario: How would you respond to a child if they tell you one of their parents was just incarcerated?

Unfortunately, this type of situation is a reality in the lives of many of our students. This child's parent could have committed a seemingly unforgivable crime, but your responsibility is to the student who is living the nightmare of having their parent taken from them. Employers want to see that you have the ability to look beyond your own opinions and beliefs and meet a child's woes with compassionate care. Each student, despite their situation outside of school, deserves to be met with love and understanding. 

How do you feel about unfinished tasks? 

How often have you had a disorganized teacher who seems to have a thousand unfinished thoughts, plans and projects? This type of attitude results in a chaotic environment that makes it difficult for students to thrive. An employer wants to see if you have the ability to come up with, organize and carry out your plans. The education of children in a very limited time frame requires an ability to carefully plan. 

5. Ability to Analyze and Adjust 

Scenario:  What if you find there is a standard where your students are having difficulty, what do you do? 

This is related to flexibility. Here,employers want to see that you have the ability to not just notice that students aren't understanding a standard, but to analyze and decipher where exactly students went wrong. Maybe your students seem to be having a difficult time in long division. You dig deeper and discover that they seem to make mistakes in the dividing process when required to multiply by sevens. Using this information, you prepare a worksheet reminding students of their sevens multiplication facts. A teacher with less analytic skills might have wasted a couple of days re-teaching the entire concept of long division. 

I hope that you have found some of this information to be new and useful. I encourage you to spend time talking to others who have either been interviewed or have sat on an interviewing panel. This is the best way to gain insight into what an employer is looking for. Good luck to you! 

More then just a teacher

Erick

Have you ever stopped to think about how much our previous and present teachers/professors have helped us in our lives? Teachers have played a huge role in shaping who we are today. Teachers are part of how we think and where our concepts of thinking come from.  From kindergarten up to high school, I feel like they give us all the tools to go into college and face it head on. When we get into college, professors not only give you the material you need to receive your degree, but they give you their knowledge to become a better person in life. Some professors go out of their way to make you understand why it is important to pursue what you've always wanted to do in your life. I feel as if teachers have helped us become the successful students we are today. They spend everyday of their lives helping and molding students to be the best they can. So why are teachers aren't credited more for what they do?

Teachers are what make our future. Teachers are essential to us in becoming successful. We weren’t born smart. We didn't come out of the womb knowing how to do calculus or how to read a book and write an essay, it was taught to us. How does a president become a president? Sure they need an amazing resume with great things they have accomplished, but there is always one thing that every president usually has and that’s an education. Education is taught to us from educators! Behind every great mind there was a teacher. Someone who taught them everything they know. I one day want to become a counselor. Do you think that I even know where to begin on how to counsel people? No, I have to learn from someone. Teachers encourage us to be something. Our parents and peers have something to do with it as well, but teachers capitalize on it and push us because they want to see us grow and be successful. 

Edudemic.com is a leading education technology website that posts blogs and articles on the success of teachers and the affects they have on children. A recent article called, How Teachers Make a Difference, “had a study of 103 U.S. students between 7 to 15 years old found that most rated their teachers as very socially/emotionally/supportive.” There was a given statistic on 88% of American adults reported that a teacher in their past education had a significant impact on their success today. Of the adults, 83% of them said, “that a teacher had helped boost their self-esteem and confidence.” Teachers push and encourage us and give us hope. Teachers are a big resource in our life. They are here to help us succeed and become something great. Educators should be valued and appreciated not just because they are our mentors but because they are our friends.

Link to the website. http://www.edudemic.com/how-teachers-make-a-difference/ 

No More Ramen! Healthy Food on a Budget

The phrase “starving college student” is often thrown around as a joke, but with the cost of living these days being a starving college student has become a reality for many.  It’s easy to use a limited budget as an excuse to eat unhealthy foods because they are cheaper, but there are many alternatives and avenues one can take in order to eat healthy food on a budget.  Here are some tips!

Buy one or two extra canned or dry food items every time you shop.  This will help to build your pantry, and will prove to be helpful when money becomes extra tight.  It’s a safe way to plan for the future, and will allow you slightly more freedom to buy quality foods when your pantry is stocked.

Be aware of the dirty dozen.  Buying organic fruits and vegetables can be a huge drain on your wallet, but should be balanced with the understanding that the pesticides that reside on fruits and vegetables we eat can be harmful!  Here is a link to a website that lets you know which fruits and vegetables to only buy organic (the dirty dozen), and which ones don’t matter as much.

http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php

Grow some of your own. Seeds are cheap and easy to buy, and growing lettuce or basil on a windowsill takes little skill and a lot of patience.  It’s worth it to save the few extra dollars that you will once your small garden takes root.  In addition to this, check out the local farmers markets.  There is the student led Organic Vegetable Project that has a station on the Chico State campus every Wednesday afternoon, and the Chico farmer’s market is every Saturday morning. 

Pack a lunch!  Carrying snacks around with you all day helps to keep you accountable to buying meals, drinks, or snacks while on the go.  Plan on having at least one smaller meal per day, as this will help save you money as well.

Bad health is more expensive than good food in the long run.  Do what you can with the resources you have, and stick with it!

Get Involved this Holiday Season

The arrival of the holiday season is the perfect opportunity to give back to your community and the people you are surrounded by daily.  There are many opportunities that are available, from donating food to local food drives to supporting the organization of Toys for Tots.  To help you get started, I've listed some sites below to make it easy to get involved!

Opportunities at Chico State:

The Annual Giving Tree Program has kicked off for 2013!  The Giving Tree program has been a part of the Chico community for more than 20 years and is designed to promote the spirit of giving, community service and gratitude at CSU Chico during the winter season and throughout the year.  Everyone in the campus community is encouraged to participate!  And it's easy!

HOW TO JOIN IN: 

1)  Simply take a Gift Tag with a Child's Name and Age off of one of the Giving Trees located on campus.

2)  Purchase an appropriate gift for that child*

3)  Return the gift, UNwrapped with the original Gift Tag attached to it to one of the Drop boxes located on campus or to the CADEC office in SSC 180.

*The Giving Tree (CADEC) will donate your gift to the child at Stepping Stones or Northern Valley Teen Parent Program that you selected!

*Trees are Located:  BMU Lobby, SSC Lobby, CCLC, Sutter Dining, Student Health Center and CADEC

*Gift Drop Boxes Located:  BMU Lobby, SSC Lobby and Sutter Dining

Donate clothes, food, or toiletries to The Jesus Center:

http://www.jesuscenter.org/donations

Donate food to The Esplanade House:

http://esplanadehousechico.com/make-a-donation/non-cash-donations

Donate food to North State Food Bank:

http://northstatefoodbank.com/wp/

Donate blood through Blood Source:

http://www.bloodsource.org/Locations.aspx

Donate toys through Toys for Tots:

http://chico-ca.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/default.aspx

The holiday season is a time of joy and giving, but it’s easy to get caught up in the materialistic aspect of this season.  I challenge you to get out and give back, and I know you will be glad you did.

The Student Learning Center is your friend

 

Student Learning Center

It’s that time of the semester where finals are right around the corner. We are all stressing and we have to admit, we might need some help studying. A good way to prepare for a test would be group study sessions with friends or people in the same class as you. Being able to go over the material with others can help you prepare for a test. A good tip would be by quizzing each other or making flashcards. Another great way to study would be the student-learning center on campus. The Student Learning Center provides group study sessions and tutoring in subjects you know you are having difficulties in. This can be located in SSC 340 and anybody there at the front desk will be willing to help. They can work around your schedule and make sure you have time to get your studies in. You don’t have to feel like you can’t do it. One other great thing is that students like yourself tutor you. You don’t have to feel intimidated or scared because they are people just like you and understand your difficulties because they had the same problem as you at one point.    

We know that studying is a hard thing to do. Sometimes we aren’t really dedicated to it or just tend to procrastinate. By attending these group sessions or tutoring it can boost your confidence about the class and test. It always feels good going into a test you know you prepared for and studied hard for, but we also know how it feel to sit there and feel absolutely hopeless and have no clue what you are doing. So, the student-learning center is just another one of our resources that we may or may not be aware of and need to be put to use. We are paying for it.

By: Erick

Hey, I'm broke!

The Envelope System-A Creative and Practical Way to Manage Money

College is a difficult season for the piggy bank.  Not only are we as students figuring out how to live well on our own, but suddenly there are all sorts of expenses and bills to be paid that we never knew about before, and this isn’t even stepping into the realm of the large sum of money that goes towards paying for college itself.  It’s easy to take the credit card and swipe away when making purchases, but that isn’t financially healthy in the long run, and will eventually cause a great deal of hardship and stress.  The envelope system is a simple and flexible money-managing technique developed by Dr. Dave Ramsey that, when properly applied, proves to successfully ease one’s financial difficulties. 

The main premise of the envelope system is to work within one’s earnings.  Each envelope represents a certain amount of money each month that you want to put towards a certain category.  You can have as many categories as you want, and any amount can be put towards each separate category, but you must never budget over your earned income for each month.  For example, one simple envelope system could have the categories of Food, Rent, Gas, Bills, Spending Money, and Savings.  Each of these categories is one envelope.  If I make $500 a month, $100 could go in the envelope category of Food, $250 could go in the envelope category of Rent, $50 could go in the envelope category of Gas, $50 could go in the envelope category of Bills, $25 could go in the envelope category of Spending Money, and $25 could go in the envelope category of Savings.  The amounts, of course, could be changed to fit any budget, and would depend on the rent and average bills each month. You are only allowed that amount of money to spend on the certain category, and once that money is gone you cannot “borrow” money from elsewhere but rather must be frugal and wait until the next paycheck. It is also important to make sure that one envelope category is Savings, and a great amount to start saving each month is at least 10% of your earned income.  Make sure that when implementing the envelope system that you keep a record of all transactions, purchases, bills paid, and paychecks earned.  Keeping receipts helps with the maintenance of this record, and not only will you most likely be surprised by where your money is going, but keeping a solid record helps to provide a perspective of how each paycheck is being spent, and can help you understand what to cut out of your budget if need be.

It’s true, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all system for managing money, and one system will work for one person while another system will work for another person.  Do find what works for you, and give it time.  Getting used to any new system, especially one that deals with something as heavy and important as finances, can be difficult and time-consuming at first.  I want to challenge you to try it, and give it a few months before quitting in order to grasp a full understanding of how the system works and if it will work well for you. 

For further information and tips on the envelope system, visit “Dave Ramsey’s Envelope System” at  http://www.daveramsey.com/article/dave-ramseys-envelope-system/lifeandmoney_budgeting/.

By: Tiana