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Featuring Cailin White '11
♦ How did you connect with this job
opportunity?
♦ What attracted you to this position?
♦ What are the most gratifying aspects of your job?
♦ What has been your biggest challenge as a first-year teacher?
♦ How did your time at GCC prepare you for the teaching field?
♦ What advice would you give to a current pre-service teacher in order to
better prepare for his or her future classroom?
♦ What job search tips would you give to GCC students?
How did you connect with this job opportunity?
I applied for Teach For America and was placed in Baltimore City. My
resume was then passed on to a number of schools in the city, and I was
eventually interviewed and hired by Morrell Park Elementary Middle
School.
What attracted you to this position?
I wanted to teach where I thought I was most needed. I was blessed with a
number of fantastic educators all through my schooling, and I wanted to
try to give my students the same opportunities that I had. Morrell Park
is a community. The teachers work tirelessly for their students, and
they have been very welcoming and helpful to me during my first year.
What are the most gratifying aspects of your job?
Seeing the growth in my students is so exciting! For some of my
students, this is their first year of school. To see how much they've
grown in only half a year is incredible.
What has been/was your biggest challenge as a first-year teacher?
As a kindergarten teacher, many of my students have never been in school
before. It was a challenge to get them acclimated to the school
environment. However, my ongoing challenge has been addressing the
range of abilities in my students. I have some students who started
school knowing so much and ready to start reading, while some of my
students started school not even knowing the letters in their own name
or how to count. There is a lot of differentiation that takes place
every day!
How did your time at GCC prepare you for the teaching field?
The teaching experiences that I had throughout all four years have been
invaluable. Education is a field that is always growing and changing.
My professors provided me both with excellent teaching strategies, as
well as up-to-date information on current education topics.
What advice would you give to a current pre-service teacher in order to
better prepare for his or her future classroom?
Save everything! All those lesson plans you wrote may prove useful.
Also, observe veteran teachers as much as you can. I gained a lot of
useful tips and strategies through my observations.
What job search tips would you give to GCC students?
Don't be discouraged if you don't have a job by July. Many schools
don't know how many available positions they have until closer to the
school year.
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