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I wrote this article and its companion Leave No Evidence! because I have long been concerned that my colleagues in the classroom are not as street smart with social media as they need to be. I am focusing on the use of Facebook here. However, much of what I have to say applies to the other social media apps such as Instagram and Twitter.

When you use social media, be aware of the following:

• Your posts are forever.
• Your posts can be forwarded outside your circle of friends.
• Your comments can be forwarded outside your circle of friends.
• Your following of people and groups is visible.

Your posts are forever.

As part of my research for this article, I googled "teacher fired for posting on Facebook" and got 2,602,000 search results. Well, not all of those search results are relevant, but you get my point. My warning is simple and very clear: if you are employed by a school or would like to be, on Facebook which could be misinterpreted by your present or future employer. The issue is not freedom of speech. The issue is electronic media. It is everlasting.

Now, let me be more specific about what to post and what not to post. Birthday and anniversary greetings are appropriate. Nasty, intolerant comments are not appropriate. News about family gatherings and activities are appropriate. Photos of a family gathering

As you begin exploring schools for your child, you begin to realize that you have dozens of options. And they are all a little different. It's rather bewildering looking at all these websites, especially if you have never visited a private school before. They are all so different. How can you ever decide which one is best for your daughter? Start with a very basic strategy, a game plan, if you will. Let's look at what really matters when it comes to choosing a private school for your child.

Your requirements

Start with your requirements. Your requirements trump everything. So have a family discussion. Be relaxed and open-minded because your requirements as a parent will be different from your daughter's. You are thinking about the best educational experience. She's thinking about her life and her friends and the reality that she will have a whole new situation to deal with. That's scary for a young person. But you can make it an adventure and get her to buy into going to private school if you are patient, informative, and, above all, a listener. Dictating your child will probably get you nowhere in a hurry.

So, what's really important? Ponder these questions and then develop some answers after having that family discussion.

1. Are you looking for a traditional college prep school experience or something else?
2. Is your religion a major determining factor?
3. What about sports? Arts programs? Extracurricular activities?

What about a school such as in Los Olivos,

I can just hear you thinking to yourself: "Why on earth would I need a rebranding?" Signs that you might need a rebranding include the reality that you are invisible to prospective employers and, almost as bad, your credentials have begun to look kind of 2000-ish. Rebranding. Makeover. Facelift. Call it whatever you wish. But it all amounts to the same thing. Or does it? Rebranding, you see, is intrinsically much more focused than a simple makeover or a facelift. Let's see what is involved.

What is rebranding?

Rebranding sounds like something Proctor and Gamble might do with a tired soap brand. The product does a great job, but it has lost the appeal it once had in the marketplace. Are you beginning to see how this might have some relevance to a private school teacher? Rebranding yourself as a dynamic teacher with vision, expertise in her subject and the skills to create excitement in the classroom will push your candidacy for the position you want to the front of the pack. Or you can leave things as they were. The choice is yours.

Remember: it is a fiercely competitive job market in the second decade of the 21st century. Schools have hundreds of highly qualified and experienced candidates from which to choose. Why should they look at you? They should look at you because the rebranded you seems fresh, relevant, and perfect for position they have open.

Who is a candidate for rebranding?

Unless you have an

What's the Difference Between a Letter of Interest and a Cover Letter?

Depending on the instructions you read on a private school's employment page, you may be directed to send a letter of interest or a cover letter.

• While most businesses use online application forms with automated responses, most private schools still use analog cover letters as part of their employment application processes.
• Successful private schools want to identify exceptional candidates through a comprehensive, hands-on evaluation of their academic credentials and their teaching abilities.
• They also expect a strong commitment to extracurricular leadership, ensuring a new teacher brings both classroom excellence and enrichment expertise.

The ideal teacher demonstrates not only subject mastery and pedagogical skills but also shows enthusiasm for coaching sports or leading an extracurricular activity.

• Some people think a letter of interest is the same as a cover letter.
• However, they are not the same.
• What, then, exactly, is the difference between these two letters, and how do you compose them?

What is a letter of interest?

Strictly speaking, you compose and send a letter of interest when a prospective employer requests you do so.

• In the sense that a letter of interest is a letter written to accompany your resume and other required documentation,
• it functions almost the same as a cover letter.
• But there is a major difference.
• The letter of interest gives a snapshot of what makes you worth