I just graduated with my BA in Early Childhood this June and though I've been in Dubai 1 week, today I scored my first teaching job thanks to WBT.
How so? you ask...
Here's how:
I was introduced to WBT at the student teaching seminar of my univerisity. The Student Teaching Coordinator showed several Youtube clips of WBT teachers and asked the group of 100 student teachers, "Could any of you see yourself teaching in this style?" A couple hands went up, but not mine... it was just too different from anything I had ever seen. However, when I went home, I watched more and more WBT videos out of curosity. Later, when class management started to become a problem in my student teaching placement and my supervisor was gave me a C+ at midterm, I became desperate. I had to do something. So I got up the courage to introduce WBT to my cooperating teacher and asked if I could use some of its techniques. Lo and behold, I tried them with immediate success. The kids in my double shift kindergarten class began to listen and participate. Boredom and misbehavior reduced dramatically. (I even discovered that the "Mighty Groan" shoulder shrug relieved my neck stress in the afternoon.) I shared the WBT videos with my daugther-in-law, who was also struggling with class management in her 3rd grade student teaching placement. She got very positive results also.
I was sold and vowed I would be a WBT teacher, if I ever got a job as a 57 year old fresh college graduate in this downsized and depressed economy.
After my graduation, my family was planning to relocate to Dubai. In July, I saw my one and only chance to attend a WBT conference and with much wondering and worring if my little old car would make it from Chicago to Missouri, I headed out. I was jazzed by the conference and renewed my vow to become a WBT teacher.... if ever.
Today, during a job interview for a kindergarten teaching position in an American school in Dubai, I reminded the superintendent of what my cover letter, said: "My teaching style is lively and engaging with high levels of child participation." And its loud, I added. I hope you don't mind a loud class. I try for on-task laughter and fun in all my teaching.
His response was a sigh of relief, a huge smile, and words to the affect of: Oh, you will fit in great around here. And can you share your approach with some of our more 'traditional approach' teachers?
That was it! The rest of the interview was spent giving me information about the school plans and I knew the job was mine.
After the handshake and the directions to HR, I got up the courage to say, "I know you are a very busy person (he is supervisor of 2 primary schools at the same time) and I may never have your ear again..." I then gave him a brief rundown of WBT, explained how it can help his school, and shared the website address. He thanked me and told me he would check it out.
And that, Dear Reader, is how WBT helped me survive student teaching and land my first job.
