Arizona Teaching Fellows is currently recruiting teachers in math, science, language arts and special education. Candidates interested in teaching one of these subjects must meet the subject-area Eligibility Requirements outlined on our website. We may later identify opportunities for Fellows to teach art, general elementary, ESL, and/or social studies, but Fellows interested in teaching those content areas MUST first be accepted into the 2012 cohort and be willing to teach math, science, language arts, or special education.
Once you complete Institute, you enter the job search pool just like any other teacher. It is important to understand that securing a teaching position is a challenging process, and one that requires patience and proactive participation by Fellows. Due to mobility within the school system, it is often difficult to predict exact vacancies until very close to, and in some cases, just after, the beginning of the school year. Additionally, hiring is largely driven by school needs and each candidate’s qualifications. As a Fellow, you must be prepared to be extremely flexible about your teaching assignment, with the expectation that you will work in the school where you are needed most.
As you begin your job search, Arizona Teaching Fellows will connect you with vacancy postings, share timely news about upcoming school and district job fairs, and coordinate interviews with principals who reach out to us regarding teaching openings at their schools. In addition, our team offers hands-on assistance to Fellows through job-search workshops, résumé review support, mock-interview events, and other related services.
While admission to Arizona Teaching Fellows does not guarantee that you will find a teaching position for the fall, 100% of Fellows have successfully found positions since we launched the program in 2008.
A Typical Teaching Day
A typical teaching day in Arizona lasts about 8 hours. An example teaching schedule might run from 8:05 a.m. to 3:35 p.m.; however schedules vary from school to school. In addition to instructional hours, all teachers spend time preparing lessons, reviewing student work, attending faculty meetings, or supervising extracurricular activities. During your first two years, you will also attend evening and weekend courses to earn your teaching certification. Balancing these priorities will be challenging, but your coursework will be immediately relevant to your work in the classroom, so you can apply what you learn in the evening with your students the very next day. Still, you should anticipate that Pre-Service Training and your first two years in the classroom will be very demanding as you strive to meet your own professional development goals and the achievement goals you set for your students.