Your first selection criteria, audit your teaching experiences

As a seasoned teacher, you have a wealth of experiences you can draw on when starting to  think about writing your first selection criteria response. I always advice teachers to take the time to write a 'draft' copy of a selection criteria response so you know what is involved and the many different elements that need to be included. This 'draft' version may never be submitted for a role but the learning it will provide you is invaluable.

 

Before a draft can be written, you need to take stock of everything you have done so far. I'll show you how to do a Leadership Experience Audit. You could make a table or a spreadsheet to do this audit.  I've also made a PDF for you to complete as you do this process.

 

Get a copy of the criteria

1. Do a Google search for the criteria you will need to respond to.
2. Head to where leadership jobs are advertised and find what criteria they are asking for. If you can find a role that future you would actually apply for, take note of those but do not limit yourself to looking at only these roles.
3. Write out all the criteria that you may be expected to respond to. I've made a PDF for you to complete as you do your Leadership Experience Audit.
4. I also suggest putting a code beside each one so that you can lovingly refer to them in an abbreviated way. It helps get to know the criteria better. When I see the code SC3, I know  that I need to show off how I analyse and use data because in Queensland, that is the third criteria we need to write to. It also helps when you have to write your 'draft' because you can annotate it on the side.

Write out your career experiences so far

Start with an audit of your teaching career so far. This audit is a like a stroll down memory lane.

1. Write down the roles and responsibilities that you now have. Don't limit yourself. Write down more rather than less here. You may not use it all but these experiences can be moved into your resume.

Have you written a unit of work from scratch?

Did you organise a rewrite of a unit of work?

Have you improved a piece of assessment?

What committees have you been part of?

How about any extra curricula have you been part of?

Where else do you participate in the school community?

What networks are you part of?

2.  Break each one down into the tasks and actions you took for each role. It is really helpful to spell it out. Don't leave a detail out.

3. Keep going back through time and writing out what you have done. How far back? Be my guest but anything over 5 years is unlikely to have the depth of experience you need.

Places to look for inspiration

Once you've exhausted your own brain and memory, here are some other ways to get a refresher of your awesomeness.

• Ask your boss, be that a HoD/HoC/HT maybe even a member of the executive leadership team.
• Ask other colleagues about things you've done
• Ask past colleagues to remind you of things you've done.
• Go back through your digital files to get inspiration as well.

 

Audit through the lens of the selection criteria

Now we're going to see how the experience you have could be used in writing a selection criteria response.

Look at each role and the actions/tasks you completed in that role and decide if there is any evidence of a selection criteria and put a tick in the corresponding box. The number of selection criteria that this role could align with could be one or more. It really depends. Work through each role, ticking the appropriate criteria that is evident.

 

Your Leadership Experiences Audit is almost complete...

With one last sweep, made a note beside any role that involved only you, where you solely were impacted by that role and there was no one else you worked with or helped. These experiences will have no leadership value. Leadership has to involve other people, not just you. A thing you did for only your class, is you being the amazing teacher you are, not necessarily a leader.

 

 

Your Leadership Experiences Audit is now complete!

 

You can now choose a role from the table and write out the leadership story as your 'draft'. If you already have a project/role you are working in that would make a great selection criteria response, read up on another strategy of front-ending your leadership stories.

 

A last note about this process...

 

By taking stock of where you are right now, you will allow yourself the opportunity to reflect on where you have been.  You will now move forward in your career, being acutely aware of the past and present. It's from here you will now take full responsibility for your future.

 

You are a teacher who has taught several hundreds of students, maybe thousands of students. You have impacted their lives. You have achieved massive amounts of influence. When you start doing this process, keep that in mind and let that be the lens which you look through. Don't down play what you did. It will not serve you.

 

Don't forget to follow along on Facebook and Instagram for when the next blog post goes active.

 

Reach out for a free 30 minute chat if you want to know how I can help you on your leadership journey.