Searching for a Job
Teachers and educators create enriching opportunities by helping students to acquire knowledge through instruction related to literacy, numeracy, and civics. PreK-12 professionals prepare lesson plans in a variety of formal instructional settings such as traditional public schools, traditional private schools, charter schools, magnet schools, religiously-affiliated schools, boarding schools, and virtual or online schools. Teachers may take on administrative, research, and leadership positions in their future careers.
Career Advice Quick Tips
Tip #1 Frequently check school district job boards, teacher community websites, and professional industry associations for internship openings.
Tip #2 Teaching in public schools generally requires state certification; however, public charter schools and private schools are not bound by the same state certification requirements and will hire those with a bachelor’s degree.
Tip #3 Consult with Vanderbilt Peabody College’s Office of Teacher Licensure for additional information regarding accreditation and employment requirements. Accreditation status of your teacher education program is important to employers. Accurately list the accreditation status on your resume and cover letters with this list.
Tip #4 Once you have narrowed your search for a teaching job to a particular school district or state, you will want to learn more about the district and schools.
News in the Field
- U.S. Department of Education Press ReleasesFormal federal correspondence to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.
- District AdministrationK-12 education news for school district leaders, including the latest developments in edtech, staffing, leadership, analysis and thought leadership.
- Tennessee Department of Education NewsThe Tennessee Department of Education serves approximately over 900,000 students in 147 districts with both significant urban and rural populations.
- EduTopiaA free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education.
Video Resources
Popular Teaching & Education Job Search Websites
- The Association of Boarding Schools Career CenterThe Association serves approximately 250 independent, college-prep, non-profit boarding schools in the United States, Canada, and around the globe.
- EdWeek Top School JobsLooking for a teaching, principal, or district job? Set up job alerts that will bring that next great career opportunity straight to your inbox.
- Jobs at Teacher.orgWebsite for teachers by teachers aimed to continuously inform and encourage teaching.
- SchoolSpringAccess thousands of job openings nationwide with access to career document management tools, centralized job search aggregation, email alerts, and comprehensive applications.
- Southern Teachers AgencySTA helps independent schools in the South hire talented teachers and leaders so that our member schools may offer the best possible education to their students.
- TeachAwayBe a part of the world's largest community of international educators looking for career and professional development opportunities.
- TeachingJobs.comTeachingJobs.com is the only K-12 career site with a section dedicated to science, technology, engineering and math jobs.
Resources from Vanderbilt Libraries Research Guides
School District Information
- Common Core of DataThe Common Core of Data (CCD) is a program of the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics that annually collects fiscal and non-fiscal data about all public schools, public school districts and state education agencies in the United States.
- Private School University SurveyThe Private School Survey produces data similar to that of the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) for the public schools. the Survey is conducted every two years.
- School District Demographics SystemThe School District Demographics System provides access to school district demographic and related geographic data.
- State Departments of EducationContact the department of education, the higher education agency, special education agency and adult education agency in your state.
- State Report CardsThis site provides proficiency data of school districts.
Career Books
Becoming a Teacher by
An illuminating guide to a career as a teacher written by acclaimed journalist Melinda D. Anderson and based on the real-life experiences of a master teacher--essential reading for anyone considering a path to this profession that changes lives. Go behind the scenes and be mentored by the best in the business to find out what it's really like, and what it really takes, to become a teacher. Educators are the bedrock of a healthy society, and the exceptional ones have a lasting impact. The best teachers surpass mere instruction to cultivate and empower students beyond school. In LaQuisha Hall's classroom, students are "scholars," young ladies are "queens," and young men are "kings." The Baltimore high school English teacher's pioneering approach to literacy has earned her teacher of the year accolades, and has established her as a visionary mentor to the young black men and women of Baltimore. Acclaimed education writer Melinda D. Anderson shadows Mrs. Hall to reveal how this rewarding profession changes lives. Learn about Hall's path to prominence, from the challenging realities of her rookie year to her place of excellence in the classroom. Learn from Hall's inspiring approach and confront the critical issues of race, identity, and equity in education. Here is how the job is performed at the highest level.
Call Number: LB1775.2 .A56 2020ISBN: 9781982139902Publication Date: 2020-09-01
Creating a Home in Schools by
The authors of this book provide caring advice to Black, Indigenous, and Teachers of Color (BITOC) to help sustain them into and through the teaching profession. Through an examination of BITOC in the education workforce, the assets that these educators bring to the teaching profession are identified, as are some of the most critical challenges they face in today's schools. The book illuminates the importance of cultivating and supporting social cultural identities as resources that will serve prospective teachers and their increasingly diverse students. Rooted in an identity sustaining framework, the authors strongly encourage BITOC to bring their full cultural, social, and linguistic assets into the classroom while simultaneously encouraging their students to do the same. Creating a Home in Schools will help readers successfully negotiate and navigate the teaching profession, from pathway programs, to teacher education, and into the classroom. Book Features: Explores major contextual constraints that BITOC will have to understand and navigate. Identifies the cultural and linguistic assets BITOC bring with them and how to make these a central part of their teaching. Focuses on the importance of a strong sense of identity and how to approach teaching and learning in identity sustaining ways. Offers guidance for enacting culturally sustaining pedagogies that are rooted in BITOC identities to serve the needs of their students.
Call Number: LC1099.3 .R56 2021ISBN: 9780807765272Publication Date: 2021-04-28
Ferguson Career Coach by
This is an information-packed resource for students entering the education field.For those who dream of a career in teaching or administration, ""Ferguson Career Coach: Managing Your Career in Education"" is packed with essential tips for getting ahead in this burgeoning field. Readers will find practical insights into achieving career success in any area of education they choose. Acting as a personal coach, this practical career guide provides students with advice on making contacts, interviewing, strategies, and much more to excel in a career in this growing industry.The chapters include: Plan for Success; Job Search Strategies; Tools for Success; Getting Your Foot in the Door; Marketing Yourself for Success; Succeeding in the Workplace; and, Succeeding as a Teacher.
Call Number: LB1775.2 .F54 2008ISBN: 9780816053629Publication Date: 2008-08-01
How to Take Charge of Your Teaching Career by Call Number: LB1731 .A413 2008ISBN: 9781847060310Publication Date: 2008-12-08
Launching a Career in Special Education by
This book intends to be both a quick-start guide and a practical resource that would relate the essential skills and knowledge (setting up their classroom, behavior management tips, etc.) that a new special educator needs as they progress throughout the novice years.
Call Number: LC3969.45 .P68 2019ISBN: 9781681251936Publication Date: 2019-04-15
The Teachers by
***A National Bestseller*** A riveting, must-read, year-in-the-life account of three teachers, combined with reporting that reveals what's really going on behind school doors, by New York Times bestselling author and education expert Alexandra Robbins. Alexandra Robbins goes behind the scenes to tell the true, sometimes shocking, always inspirational stories of three teachers as they navigate a year in the classroom. She follows Penny, a southern middle school math teacher who grappled with a toxic staff clique at the big school in a small town; Miguel, a special ed teacher in the western United States who fought for his students both as an educator and as an activist; and Rebecca, an East Coast elementary school teacher who struggled to schedule and define a life outside of school. Robbins also interviewed hundreds of other teachers nationwide who share their secrets, dramas, and joys. Interspersed among the teachers' stories--a seeming scandal, a fourth-grade whodunit, and teacher confessions--are hard-hitting essays featuring cutting-edge reporting on the biggest issues facing teachers today, such as school violence; outrageous parent behavior; inadequate support, staffing, and resources coupled with unrealistic mounting demands; the "myth" of teacher burnout; the COVID-19 pandemic; and ways all of us can help the professionals who are central both to the lives of our children and the heart of our communities.
Call Number: LB1775.2 .R63 2023ISBN: 9781101986752Publication Date: 2023-03-14
