VOCATIONAL EDUCATION TEACHER, SECONDARY

Job Definition:

• Vocational education teachers teach or instruct vocational or occupational subjects in adult and further education institutions and to senior students in secondary schools and colleges. They prepare students for employment in specific occupations or occupational areas for which university or higher education is not normally required.

Job Description:

• Teach or instruct vocational or occupational subjects at the secondary school level.

Duties and Tasks:

• 1) Prepare materials and classroom for class activities.
• 2) Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by law, district policy, and administrative regulations.
• 3) Instruct students individually and in groups, using various teaching methods such as lectures, discussions, and demonstrations.
• 4) Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among the students for whom they are responsible.
• 5) Observe and evaluate students’ performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
• 6) Instruct and monitor students the in use and care of equipment and materials, in order to prevent injury and damage.
• 7) Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.
• 8) Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments in order to evaluate students’ progress.
• 9) Enforce all administration policies and rules governing students.
• 10) Assign and grade class work and homework.
• 11) Instruct students in the knowledge and skills required in a specific occupation or occupational field, using a systematic plan of lectures, discussions, audiovisual presentations, and laboratory, shop and field studies.
• 12) Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to students.
• 13) Use computers, audiovisual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
• 14) Plan and supervise work-experience programs in businesses, industrial shops, and school laboratories.
• 15) Prepare students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
• 16) Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators in order to resolve students’ behavioral and academic problems.
• 17) Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools.
• 18) Guide and counsel students with adjustment and/or academic problems, or special academic interests.
• 19) Select, order, store, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies.
• 20) Keep informed about trends in education and subject matter specialties.
• 21) Meet with other professionals to discuss individual students’ needs and progress.
• 22) Prepare and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help.
• 23) Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration.
• 24) Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children’s progress, and to determine their priorities for their children and their resource needs.
• 25) Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guest speakers or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities.
• 26) Attend professional meetings, educational conferences,and teacher training workshops in order to maintain and improve professional competence.
• 27) Sponsor extracurricular activities such as clubs, student organizations, and academic contests.
• 28) Collaborate with other teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of secondary school programs.
• 29) Place students in jobs or make referrals to job placement services.
• 30) Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula.
• 31) Attend staff meetings, and serve on committees as required.
• 32) Perform administrative duties such as assisting in school libraries, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading.
• 33) Provide disabled students with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities such as restrooms.

Activities:

• 1) Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• 2) Coaching and Developing Others — Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• 3) Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• 4) Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• 5) Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• 6) Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• 7) Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates — Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• 8) Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• 9) Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• 10) Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• 11) Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• 12) Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• 13) Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• 14) Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• 15) Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• 16) Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• 17) Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• 18) Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• 19) Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• 20) Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• 21) Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• 22) Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• 23) Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• 24) Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• 25) Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• 26) Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• 27) Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• 28) Provide Consultation and Advice to Others — Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• 29) Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• 30) Performing Administrative Activities — Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• 31) Monitoring and Controlling Resources — Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• 32) Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• 33) Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.

Abilities:

• 1) Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• 2) Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• 3) Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• 4) Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• 5) Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• 6) Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• 7) Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• 8) Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• 9) Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• 10) Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• 11) Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• 12) Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
• 13) Fluency of Ideas — The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
• 14) Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
• 15) Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a
• task over a period of time without being distracted.
  16) Flexibility of Closure — The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.

Knowledge:

• 1) Education and Training — Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• 2) English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• 3) Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 4) Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• 5) Clerical — Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
• 6) Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• 7) Psychology — Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• 8) Public Safety and Security — Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• 9) Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• 10) Mechanical — Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• 11) Design — Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.