Thread: CV Help

Something like.....
"In this position, my duties included instruction based around (x), and included the use of (insert instructional technology here). I was also expected to (insert extra things like hall duty, served on x committees). Also, I was (insert things like coach, club advisor, etc.) Basically a short synopsis of the things you did/do in the position.

kewl thanks

Originally Posted by JohnBoy

Something like.....
"In this position, my duties included instruction based around (x), and included the use of (insert instructional technology here). I was also expected to (insert extra things like hall duty, served on x committees). Also, I was (insert things like coach, club advisor, etc.) Basically a short synopsis of the things you did/do in the position.

On the other hand, yesterday I tried to shorten my CV as it was four pages long and I got advice from several posters on another board. I managed to shorten it to two pages. So my first page is my contact info and education, and the second page is work experience (a. list of all schools where I worked as a teacher, b. list of workshops I gave to the kids, c. other). I can not shorten it any more without omitting any info that I think is important for getting a job or job interview.

We have a large oversupply of teachers in my subject and if I chop off everything, it would be just contact info, date of graduation and the list of school I worked at. That does not give me any edge over other candidates who probably have identical things on their CVs.

I can squish (just) mine down to two pages by playing with the little buttons on MS Word that give you more room to write. That might work with you. If you are careful with them you can get lots of room to write that isn't noticable as you pulling the edges of the page. I used to do it with my uni essays all the time :P

If I had to make one today I'd probably use a small font to put more info on fewer pages. Times New Roman 12, to be precise. Two-three pages is probably about as much as a jaded government bureaucrat can stand......

Ok. This is what I ended up wiht in my CV part:

2006 – Present Pukekohe High School, Auckland
Teacher of Media Studies and English. Teacher in Charge of Media Studies (2006).
Working with students to achieve at high standards in NCEA Achievement Standards. Participating in the wider community within the school. Promoting the growth of Media Studies within the school.


And this is my "new" personal statement: (get your puke buckets ready)

Personal Statement

I have always known that teaching is the profession for me. This was confirmed in 2005 when I stood for the first time in front of a class and taught my first lesson. When the bell rang, I though about all the clichés that are used to describe teaching and had to smile because they all described exactly how I felt at that moment.

Pukekohe High School is the first school I have taught at. It is the school where I believe I have learnt the most about the craft of teaching and the skills needed to guide a full classroom of students on their learning journey. It never ceases to amaze me what a vibrant and diverse student population attend the school and seeing how they interact within the classroom setting is interesting.

I see media studies as a subject that will grow in the future. New Zealand is becoming more and more technologically savvy. As we develop our technologies the youth will latch on and grow with the technology as it grows in our society. The role of media studies is to give youth the skills to form a perspective on these new technologies. While everyone else is riding the information wave, media studies students take a step back and examine it critically. These critical thinking skills are what we need as adults in order to function as a valuable member of society

During my time teaching I have been able to participate in a wide range of co curricular activities. One of the most rewarding experiences was to work with teams to prepare videos for the “Big Science” competition, and then to see one of the teams get through to the finals. I was able to work with a group of students, not in my Media Studies classes, and create a documentary of broadcast standard.

It has also been wonderful to be a part of the music department within my school. Music is very important to me and being able to participate in training the choir and getting them ready to participate in the “Big Sing” competition. It was wonderful to know that they were performing for the love of performing and were not afraid to put themselves out there. I was so proud of them when they stood up to perform.

I am looking forward to taking part in the variety of activities offered at Westlake Girls High School.

For me, teaching is a gift. I am able to spend all day, ever day, doing my favorite things. I am able to share my love of my subjects with my students. I love to watch my students as they are introduced to an idea, then take that idea and form their own opinions about it.

At the end of the day, reflecting on what has taken place in my classroom, I am always a little mystified at the variety of things my students and I have achieved during the lessons.

For me, the core of teaching is to be able to work with others and give them the skills and tool dot be able to reach and fill their potential