How often do schools get the opportunity to proudly display their talents and achievements for all to see? I teach at an early college high school that specializes in preparing students for the biomedical field and has many qualities that make it stand out from other area schools. However, when we scheduled our most recent open house for prospective students and parents, I wondered whether we were positioned to showcase our greatest asset: our teachers.
I was already aware of a few awards my colleagues had earned, and I was proud of my own. There were other notable accomplishments, too. The idea to create a "Faculty Team Résumé" seemed like an ideal way to show our school community—and one another—why we are such an exceptional staff.
To begin, I sent an e-mail to fellow teachers asking them to share their degrees earned; years of teaching experience; and whatever other accomplishments, activities, or previous occupations make them stand out. As I compiled the information, I was amazed at the feats they disclosed. They showed the range of unique personalities and strengths we have on our fairly small staff. Who would have thought that one of my colleagues worked as a mathematical epidemiologist in Uganda, or that another worked in foreign exchange trading before hearing her calling as a teacher?
Most of our teachers seemed genuinely interested in sharing their achievements and were curious to see what others wrote. Because I kept the résumé somewhat anonymous by listing everyone's accomplishments without individual names, I repeatedly fielded questions like, "So, who is the minister?" or "Wow, four of us have been published before?"
Tooting our collective horn was an exercise in teambuilding and camaraderie. We bonded by bragging, something we do not usually indulge in as otherwise humble educators. Through informal conversations, we revealed background information that nobody would have thought to disclose—and several of us realized we had more in common than we knew. For instance, we found out that one of our newer teachers had been the tennis "coach of the year" for a decade in her previous district. She forged a bond with another teacher whose son is a varsity tennis player.
Before the open house, we printed the résumé on a large, four-page poster and hung it in the main hallway near our trophy case. We also posted it to our website and plan to display it during recruiting events.
Tips to Start
When compiling a staff résumé, I found that it helps to keep expectations open and let the information flow in from colleagues who are willing to participate. Some prompting may be needed at first, however, to ensure a wide range of responses. For example, you could have teachers list their
- Home state or country
- Degrees earned and universities attended
- Years of teaching and coaching experience
- Work experience outside the classroom
- Awards and honors
- Professional conferences, seminars, workshops, and other affiliations or memberships
- Internships and study abroad
- Clubs and other sponsorships
- Grants or scholarships earned
- Research, publications, and curriculum writing/development
- Other unique activities and accomplishments
Of course, as teachers come and go and achievements pile up, revisions will be necessary. It might be nice to revisit the document each year when teachers return from summer break.
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Would you like to write for the next "Road Tested" column? Visit www.ascd.org/educationupdate for submission details.