I'm sure this topic has been covered on here before, but I did a quick search and couldn't find what I was looking for. Other than a Principal/VP, who are good people to get letters of recommendation from? I just found a job posting for an online teaching position that I'm very interested in. I know this program well as I worked with it with many of the child actors I taught on set last year. This would be my ideal job and the ideal school. I really want to apply and I really want to at least get an interview! However, I don't have any good letters of recommendation. The school I'm at now only asked for references, and my current letters are kind of outdated. I have one from my master teacher during student teaching, the assistant director at a camp I counseled at for three summers, and one from a director of another camp I worked at. I don't want to ask my P or VP for a letter as I don't want to let them know I'm looking elsewhere. What should I do? I might contact some parents who I worked with on sets (especially the parents who use this particular online school program), but will those be good enough? Could I have a fellow teacher here at school (who knows I'm looking elsewhere) write a letter for me? Should I contact some old employers and ask them to write one? One of my college professors was supposed to write one long ago and never did...and now I'm really wishing I would have gotten one from her. Hmm....any ideas?
Do you have a department head/team leader at your school who has observed you teaching, and could write one for you? what about performance reviews? From your P/AP from previous years? I wouldn't worry too much about tracking your college professor down at this point to write a recommendation - it would be just as "out of date" as your student teaching rec.
This is my first year - I don't have any previous P/VPs. Would it be weird to ask my department head? I don't want to let the school (or the dept. head) know I'm looking elsewhere.
Raney, Honestly, most schools don't care how many recommendation letters you have or who they are from-- they only recommendation they are really interested in is from your current supervisor -- they want to see what your last principal thought of you. It isn't fair, but it is true. I wouldn't worry about it at this point. Most schools will not contact your current employer until after they have interviewed you. Many have a place right on the application asking if they may contact your current employer. Personally, you need to realize that there is always a chance of word getting back to your current principal, but I've always found it is just better to be upfront with them. A very casual "I'm very happy here, but I'm keeping my feelers our for a position in _____ for next year." can go a long way towards keeping a good relationship. Of course, some principals may have a negative reaction, and I'm sure you which category your principal would all into. My point is this -- don't agonize over getting former professors and parents to write a bunch of letters. Now, if you have someone at your school (like a department head) who has personallky observed your teaching and feels you are a high quality teacher, then by all means get that letter. But truthfully, in the end, the HR department in another district is going to want a recommendation from your current principal.
