Welcome!
Personal Statement
1) What is a personal statement?
A
personal statement is a reflection of your philosophy of education, your belief
system in terms of pedagogy, and/or your ideas about teaching and/or administration. It is a way for your voice to shine
through your file and reach out to potential schools.
2) What are schools looking for in a personal statement?
Your
personal statement can take many forms. It can
include anecdotal information that will make your candidacy more interesting to
a school. It can outline your professional
accomplishments and address how your experiences have prepared you for this
move. You may want to touch on an example from your past where you were
inspired by a former teacher or colleague. You
could discuss a few of your personality traits, in particular those that help
explain why you work well with kids or why you would be successful in a school
setting. OR, you can blend any number of these
themes.
In
sum, the personal statement is a way for you to add personality and depth to
your candidacy and to convey how your background and accomplishments have
prepared you for your next professional opportunity.
3) Why
do I need to write an essay for my job search?
Keep
in mind that when your file is referred to a school, it is often sent with
other candidate files as well. Thus, a
personal statement can provide you with an identity that will help distinguish
you from the others. It is
something that you want a school to read and say, I want to
interview this person. It will
accompany your letters of recommendation, transcript and resume, so it’s an opportunity for
you to share what you might not otherwise be able to express in those
documents.
4) How long should it be?
Keep
it concise. The
statement should be approximately one page in length; no longer than two.
5) Is a Personal Statement required in order for my CS&A file to be complete?
While we have from time to time referred candidates to positions who have not submitted a Personal Statement, our preference is that you send us one.
AND FINALLY, PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO PUT YOUR NAME AT THE TOP OF YOUR STATEMENT!