10 Ways to Give Your Teaching Career a Kick-Start!
- Categories Career, Inspire & Empower, Job Interviews, Teacher Tips & Tricks, Thought-provoking
- Date March 31, 2022
At Mná Fest in January 2022, we discussed the gendered barriers to leadership in education.
50% of female teachers would consider leadership in education. (Rahoo Survey. March 2021)
Yet, according to DES statistics, only 1 in 15 female teachers are principals.
These barriers exist in Ireland and worldwide. You can learn about these barriers by attending our free online workshop “Aspiring Female Leaders in Education”.
At Mná Fest, we encouraged attendees to take a career challenge to pursue leadership or growth in their career.
This blog post shares 10 steps with you!

1. 5 Year Vision
Imagine yourself 5 years from now. What does your life look like? Reverse-engineer a 5-year plan to get you there! Bullet point some milestones for each year!
2. Mock Application Forms
Seek application forms for roles you may want to apply for. Do a mock application and ask a trusted colleague, friend or professional to review it for you.
Check out more job interview tips HERE!
3. Start Reading
Read! Whichever aspect of career or life you wish to make progress in, invest time in reading about it.
Books, blogs, trade magazines, government regulation/advice are all relevant for building your expertise.
Relevant Link:
4. Do the Maths!
Take time to consider your financial goals. What is your salary? What are your options for financial growth via promotion, new job, part-time work?
Set 3 financial goals for 2022.
If you need help, check out Rahoo’s Teacher Savings Plan Course HERE.
5. Assess Your Tribe
Who do you spend the most time with at work? What is the group culture like? Is it supportive? Is there begrudgery or negative commentary? Be conscious of your network and it’s impact on you and your success. Make a list of 5 people who inspire you to be better and believe in you.
Relevant Link:
6. Self-Care
Incorporate daily exercise into your routine. This can be a walk, run, swim, exercise class, yoga or pilates. There are plenty of free options online or sign up for on demand if you prefer. Make taking care of your health a non-negotiable.
7. The Head Plan
Join the Headplan app. It’s a free social media platform which shares positive affirmations, inspiring blogs and talks daily. Make an effort to engage with the platform to cultivate a positive mindset.
Relevant Link:
This is not an ad!!
8. Assess Your Time!
Make a weekly schedule or routine that allows you to be more organized with your time. Block time for exercising, reading, work, chores, family and friends. Allow time to work on new projects that focus on your progress.
Clean up your social media profiles. Are they public? Are they visible to colleagues or prospective employers?
10. Linkedin
Set up a LinkedIn Profile and connect with colleagues. LinkedIn is used for professional purposes. Spend time exploring the site and join relevant networks.
Good luck! We’ll be back with Part 2 soon!

Virtual Conference for Teachers: NQT Picnic 27th July 2022
NQT Picnic is a specially designed online event for NQT’s in July 2022.
It is a daunting experience starting your very first teaching position – whether it is subbing or your own post! College seems like a long time ago now and you may be starting to feel a tad nervous.
Following the huge success of NQT Fest & Picnic in 2021, we are delighted to share this special event for NQT’s in July 2022 with you!

Free Resources for Teachers: End of School Year Activities
Free Resource for Teachers – End of School Year Activities!

11 Ideas for End of Year School Activities
What an exciting time of the year! Your main lessons and topics are complete and the pupils are getting excited for their summer holidays. It can be a challenging time to keep pupils engaged in classroom lessons due to exciting events on the horizon like school tours or sports days, so I like to keep things light and fun and still try to ensure the learning is taking place.

3 Things Teachers Should Know Before They Start Teaching
Ciara McGuane is the Summer Course Director for Rahoo.ie.
Her career highlights include being filmed by BBC London teaching in the classroom and guest-lecturing at the Institute of Education in London. She has worked as a teacher, school leader, teacher trainer and initial teacher training tutor prior to setting up Rahoo.

3 Classroom Management Mistakes to Avoid
This is always a hot topic for teachers and so important to get it right.
Here are some mistakes that teachers have shared with us when they did our EPV Summer Course on Classroom Management with Niamh Byrne, Irish Primary Teacher.
We have dipped in and out of the CPD course to learn what to do instead!

The Secret to Successful Lesson Planning!
Why do we remember the words of lyrics we haven’t heard in years? Why do some experiences stick in our heads more than others? Something made them memorable!
Make your lessons stick by trying to make some aspect of it different. This could be as simple as playing music (we have played classical music when students were working independently in the past) or hooking them into the lesson with mystery tasks or controversial questions that spark debate.
When planning ask yourself: What can I do to make this lesson memorable?
You may also like
