Principal discusses teaching jobs

By Amy Estrada/reporter

The Alpha Epsilon Eta chapter of Kappa Delta Pi will host Finding a Job in the Teaching Profession: Insight from a Principal 7 p.m. Nov. 10 in the NSTU Galley on NE Campus.

Paul McCollum, a principal in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford school district, will speak with students about marketing themselves before applying for a teaching job in the current market, said assistant professor of child development and education Lisa Self.

School districts receive more than 1,000 applicants for 50 jobs or less, making the teaching field a competitive place to find a job, Self said. She learned this after attending several seminars on the topic.

Self said with budget cuts occurring, most school districts fill open positions within the district leaving potential employees jobless.

She also said it is important to make connections with people in the local school systems.

“You have to know people,” she said.

McCollum plans to share tips like these and discuss what principals look for in applications and during the interview process, she said.

Self said she would like students to leave informed about what specialization they would like to enter after completing the associate of arts and teaching degree before going into a four-year university to complete a bachelor’s.

Entry fee into the event includes a new pair of adult-size socks or a small donation. Both will go to the HEB ISD Clothes Closet in honor of McCollum.