Real Talk
We all know that teachers are superhumans. This has been magnified as they’ve stepped into the classroom (physical or virtual) to teach through a pandemic. Teachers are now doing things, saying things, and seeing things that no one could have ever predicted, as hard as we may have tried. After the unpredictable excitement of teaching through a pandemic, teachers will leave this year with a new outlook, a bit of mascne, and a whole new set of resume-worthy skills.
New skills to add to your teacher resume:
1. Flexibility
(from “pivoting” with a smile on your face while crying on the inside)
Our luck pivoted on that fateful Friday the 13th, and we were ready to pivot right along with it. Teachers have been transitioning (sometimes with only a few hours of notice) between in-person teaching, virtual teaching, and hybrid teaching since March, and we’ve channeled our inner-Ross each step of the way.
2. Architecture and interior design
(from creating a Bitmoji classroom that is a true work of art)
We may not have the salary to express our architectural skills in real life, so the Bitmoji classroom is our new canvas. Every day, your students get to see a beautifully-designed educational haven with exposed brick, decorative rugs, and an animated version of you. Fair warning: students might notice that the digital version is way cooler than the live-action version.
3. Multilingual
(from becoming so fluent in teenage slang that you could master it on Duolingo)
For those of you who didn’t think that you were multilingual, you’re ready to add a whole new language proficiency to your resume: Slang! Ok, so our students might still laugh at us when we use the slang, but at least we know what they’re saying. We hear words like “bet,” “tea,” “simp,” “sus,” and “clout,” and we don’t even bat an eye. And honestly, that’s half the battle.
4. Tech proficiency
(from teaching yourself so many tech skills you could honestly thrive in Silicon Valley)
If the “technological proficiencies” portion of your resume was lacking before, I think you’re ready to make some updates. Oh, you want me to share my screen for a Zoom lesson, split kids into breakout rooms, and check their progress on Classkick to make sure they’re following all of my directions instead of watching TV or playing games? Done. What’s next?
5. Carpenter’s eye
(from mentally measuring six feet with shocking accuracy)
Go ahead and add “carpenter’s eye” somewhere on your resume to flaunt your accurate understanding of six feet. Your desks are six feet apart (even though your classroom barely accommodates that), you know exactly how close you can get to students and other teachers, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve said something along the lines of, “You should not be able to high five the person next to you!” at least 200 times.
6. Learning new routines quickly
(from preparing to become TikTok famous)
The TikTok craze is real, and it’s lasting much longer than the VSCO girl trend (which was so short that you might have even forgotten about it at this point). Not only are we tracking the “drivers license” drama, but we’re also ready for those TikTok dances that our students can basically do in their sleep. The good news is that you can learn a new dance in person or through a screen, so there’s absolutely nothing holding you back from mastering some new moves in just one short class period.
7. Tech support
(from guiding co-workers, parents, students, and even admin through the various new programs you had to learn overnight)
Ok, maybe instead of a section about technology on your resume, you actually need a whole page. Not only have we mastered multiple forms of technology, but we’ve taught kids how to use it, too. They know how to join your video conference, where to find assignments, where to turn in assignments, and how to ask for help when they forget those other steps. And, for an extra layer, a lot of us are teaching technology through technology. If you’ve said, “Please click the green button at the bottom of Zoom and show me what’s happening on your screen,” raise your hand.
8. Safety and sanitation
(from developing a new germ-detecting sixth sense)
We’ve always known that kids are little germ factories, but pandemic teaching has made us acutely aware of this fact, and we’re one step ahead of them. A kid touches their face? You’re ready with your industrial-size bottle of hand sanitizer. A new class is coming into your room? You’ve already wiped down the desks. Someone sneezes? Boom, Lysol.
9. How to look good on camera
(from being so camera-ready that your students wonder if you have a ring light)
At this point, the goal is to look so good that students think they actually might be on TikTok instead of Zoom. We know how to work the lighting and angles to trick everyone, and we’ve successfully hidden the fact that we’re more exhausted than we’ve ever been in our entire lives. Fortunately, we can still do this in sweatpants.
10. Multi-tasking
(from doing a minimum of 53 things at once)
This isn’t a new skill for teachers, but we have entered extreme levels of multitasking. Many of us are teaching in-person AND Zoom at the same time. Here’s a list of things we will probably do in the first ten minutes of class:
- Make sure our students use hand sanitizer
- Confirm that all masks are on and positioned properly
- Let in the Zoom kids
- Explain the directions
- Repeat the directions at least five times
- Repeat the directions one more time for the kid who joins Zoom late
- Solve an inevitable technology malfunction
- Finally, start the lesson
- Get interrupted to repeat the directions again for those who weren’t paying attention
Name any other profession that has to do all of that at once. I’ll wait.
11. Getting the job done even in harsh conditions
(from avoiding frostbite while continuing to work in frigid weather conditions)
If you’re an in-person teacher, you’ve been teaching with all of the windows and doors open through these lovely winter months, and you are now a pro at perfecting your winter layers. Teaching on a windy 34-degree day? You know the exact legging-sock-boot-sweater-jacket-hat-glove combination to survive the arctic tundra that is your classroom.
Good news, teachers! Employers everywhere are searching for these highly-desired skills, so it’s a good thing we’ve taught through a pandemic to gain this priceless experience. Now go beef up that teaching resume with all of your free time!
