Question 11 ~ Do You Have A Homework Policy
What are your thoughts on homework? Ive met numerous teachers on both sides of the fence. Some educators believe that students require homework to continue practicing the learned skill. Thats okay. Other educators are not supportive of homework and thats okay too!
No matter what your answer will be or your feelings are about homework, it is important that you support your reasoning. If you are going to identify a homework policy be sure to discuss how homework plays into grading and what happens if students do not complete homework.
As a side noteconsider the reasoning behind why students are not completing homework. Sure they may just feel like not doing it. However, perhaps they are working at a job immediately after school or are one of the primary caregivers for their siblings. I will hop off of the soapboxfor now.
Best Teacher Interview Tips
1. Do your homework
Use social media, the internet, friends and teaching colleagues to find out as much relevant information about the school district before your interview as you can.
Focus on details like:
- school initiatives
- staff
The more research you have done the better equipped you will be to answer and ask the right questions.
The more you know about the school district, its students, and its curriculum, the better prepared you will be to prove that your skills and abilities match their needs.
2. Prepare a comprehensive teacher interview portfolio
View this guide on putting together your teacher portfolio.
Dont wait for an interviewer to ask to see your portfolio, rather be ready to pull out examples of your work whenever something in your portfolio relates to what is being asked. Interviewers will be impressed by your planning and preparation.
3. Prepare good answers to teacher interview questions
This will set you apart as prepared and professional. Use this guide to answering teacher interview questions to help you. Practice your answers, conduct a mock interview with friends and family.
4. Prepare for behavioral interview questions
You will be asked a number of behavioral-based interview questions in your teacher job interview. These behavioral teacher interview questions explore the core teaching competencies required for successful job performance. Have your stories ready.
5. Be ready for general job interview questions
7. Choose the right interview clothes
Question 18 ~ How Do You Keep Your Students Engaged And Motivated
How do you keep your students engaged and motivated? You often hear the phrase a teacher has many hats. We are not only educators, but nurses, family, magicians, and ENTERTAINERS to name just a few! We battle with social media, Fortnite, video games, and other instant entertainment sources for children. How can you possibly keep your students engaged?!?
New Teachers: Prior to walking into the interview room, take the time to picture your classroom. How is it set up? What will be on the walls? How will students interact with their space? All of these questions can be incorporated into engagement and motivation because it starts with the environment. Consider sharing ideas for centers and how students will collaborate with each other. The power of choice speaks volumes for me! Providing choice at times for students allows them to take ownership of their learning and feel more motivated in their choices.
Veteran Teachers: Share specific incentive ideas and lessons youve completed in the past. You can share how you build relationships and build upon student interest. I am a HUGE supporter of student centers in my classroom during both reading and math activities. This provides movement, team building and sometimes choice throughout their day. Dont be afraid to brag about an example of a great engaging and motivating activity or lesson you conducted in the past!
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Some Extra Tips For Nailing Your Teaching Interview
Findley advises that you really gather an understanding as to what the school cares about before going into your interview so you can show how you would bring that same passion. A lot of schools now in particular have a really specific focus. I used to work at a school that was really focused on character goals, she explains.
Swartz adds that all the other basic rules of interviewing apply here: Show up on time, prepare, and dress professionally. While you need to dress to a level that communicates that you are serious and interested about this job, he notes, you should also remember that interviewers want to see that you know what it means to work with students.
If you show up in a three-piece suit at a school building theyre like, Do you know where youre going to teach? Youre going to be bending over knees on the ground with the kids. So over-dressing would be a negative, he explains.
Most importantly, says Brown, Be confident in what you already know and your experiences prior. Preparing for any interview is mandatory, but dont try to over-rehearse your answers. Be yourselfor rather your best professional selfand youre sure to land the right teaching job for you.
Fast Company
What Are Some Of The Current Issues In Education
Be ready with a few specific examples of topics you have heard about recently. Consider how they impact teaching and learning, always using examples from your experience where you can. You could refer to a discussion in the staff room, a news report or something you have heard about in your training. Often this may be something that is putting pressure on teachers at the moment. Keep up to date with at least one issue that relates to your subject or age group.
You may then be asked a follow up question around your opinion on this topic. Discuss how this would impact teaching and learning and, if at all possible, illustrate your point with examples from your recent experience. This might lead to additional questions specific to your personal statement or application, designed to give selectors a sense of you as an individual. Your answers should be authentic – interviewers will easily spot a textbook answer. Relax and be yourself.
Learn more about current educational issues.
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Safeguarding And Equal Opportunities
In any teaching interview there is a question about safeguarding, which may take the form of any of the following:
- What is a teacher’s responsibility in keeping children safe?
- Tell us how you dealt with a safeguarding issue in school.
- What would you do if a child disclosed a personal issue?
Prepare for this by reading a safeguarding policy – preferably for the school you’re applying to or the school you’re at.
You’re also likely to be asked a question about equal opportunities, such as:
- What does the term ‘equal opportunities’ mean to you?
- How would you approach teaching a class of mixed-ability pupils?
- What is your motivation for working in special education?
Approach any of these by demonstrating that you understand the issue at hand. Be honest – if you haven’t been in that situation say so, but talk about what you would do if you were.
Prepare Your Personal Sales Pitch
Be prepared for the interview to kick off with the classic So tell me about yourself line. It can be dreadful and awkward, but its going to happen, so its better to be ready for it. If youre ready, youll be confident enough to embrace this question and break the ice for the rest of the interview.
When I say be ready for it, I mean brainstorm what youre going to say and rehearse it out loud. If youre like me, maybe even jot down notes on a Google doc, review whats most important, and go from there. It might sound silly to record notes about yourself or rehearse your story, but it actually makes perfect sense. You know yourself too well, and that simple fact makes it easy to ramble during this question. You dont want to end up word-vomiting your entire life story, but you do want to deliver an effective personal sales pitch that helps you stand out.
For help brainstorming this, you may want to look back on your cover letter and resume . Dont just regurgitate that information, but think of what you can add. Maybe thats more detail, some examples, and even a bit of your personality. Remember, this question is an ice-breaker, first impression, and important question, all in one!
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How Have You Overcome A Difficult Parent Or What Ways Do You Communicate With Parents
Its best to go into the interview with an idea of the different ways you communicate with parents. This could be a weekly letter/email, bulletin board outside your classroom, phone calls, notes in the diary etc. Also, consider having an example of when you may have overcome a difficult situation with a parent. This question could also be used to ask about a challenging student or difficulties faced when working with a colleague.
Be Who You Want To Work With
Before you head into an interview, think about the type of people you enjoy working with. Get a vision of an ideal co-worker in your mind and then be that person when you walk into your interview. Unfortunately, some people are so nervous in interviews that they appear unfriendly, too intense , or scattered. Channel your favorite co-worker! Show that you are friendly, reliable, level-headed, and organized. Show that you would be easy to get along with and are a team-player.
This is isnt about being fake or pretending to be someone youre not. Its simply about putting your best foot forward and letting them see the best parts of you. Sometimes, this is hard to do when you feel like youre under a microscope, so be thoughtful beforehand.
PRO-TIP: Show that you love what you do! Let some enthusiasm come through.
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How Can I Prepare For An Activity
The best preparation you can do is to get used to working with children of the appropriate age. You may already be very confident but, if not, try to do a couple of voluntary sessions at your local school or childrens clubs and get used to interacting with young people.
Think especially about how to explain things in different ways to help children to understand, and also how to keep children focused on the task in hand and how to manage any difficult behaviour.
If you are given a task to prepare ahead of time, make sure you work out what youre hoping to do in plenty of time, and practise, asking for feedback from a friend.
You might find it useful to look at the national curriculum frameworks for more information about what is covered at each key stage. You might also find it helpful to look at the resources available on Tes Resources.
Questions About You As Part Of A Teaching Team And Classroom Community
Schools want to foster a sense of community within the school, especially in the classrooms. You will likely be asked questions about your ability to work as part of a team of teachers and administrators, as well as your abilities and experiences bridging the gap between the students in the classroom and their families at home.
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Preparing For A Teaching Job Interview Tips From Principals
No matter how many you have experienced, or how established you are in your career, attending a job interview can be a daunting experience. What do you do when you are unsure how to answer a question? What should you remember to bring along with you? In this Q& A, we speak with three principals about their top tips.
Amanda Wicks is the principal at Caboolture East State School in Queensland and an Executive Member at Beginning and Establishing Teachers’ Association . Anne Ford is a long-serving principal, currently at John Wollaston Anglican School in Perth. She is also a board member of the Principals Australia Institute Certification Advisory Board. Carolyn Clinton is the principal at Risdon Park Primary School in South Australia and is in her 18th year of working as a principal.
Q: What should applicants bring to the interview? What should they leave at home?
Amanda Wicks: If they can bring with them things that they’ve completed during a practicum experience and sometimes in an interview situation those things may not actually be referred to, but it doesn’t hurt to have them with you you’ve got to tell the story of what those experiences have been, what responsibilities you’ve had through your practicum experiences and how you can show that you are developing your teaching and learning practices.
Q: What are some things to keep in mind while you’re preparing to attend an interview?
Q: Can you describe your most memorable candidate? Why were they so memorable?
Preparing For The Teaching Demonstration
Implementing the elements considered important in a teaching demonstration requires planning and practice. We have compiled a number of suggestions that can help job candidates as they prepare for the teaching demonstration part of their job interviews.
Follow Instructions.
If you are given instructions by the department on the type of audience you are to be teaching, follow the instructions. Regardless of the makeup of the audience, it is advised that you treat them as though they were students. Furthermore, if you were told your teaching demonstration is to be pitched to an introductory biology class, do not give the same talk you would give in a graduate-level journal club.
In my experience, the teaching demonstration can easily fall into a continuation of the research presentation, centering on the presenter’s area of expertise rather than using a more balanced approach to the big picture that an undergraduate or even graduate student might need to progress.
It is helpful to start your presentation by reminding your audience of the type of course your teaching demonstration is focused on . Reviewing these details not only sends the message that you are paying attention to directions, but also reminds the audience they are playing the role of the student. This reminder is particularly important when active-learning exercises are being used, as the faculty need to give typical student responses if the exercise is to work appropriately.
Do Some Research.
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Common Teacher Interview Questions
There are various types of questioning you can expect when preparing for your teaching interview. The areas most often covered during an interview include the following:
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Soft skills, such as communication, interpersonal or problem-solving skills
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Hard skills, focusing on specific technical skills, such as computer software, grading experience or presentation skills
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Education and training, such as teaching credentials and professional development
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Situational and analytic skills, usually evaluated by asking you to describe a time when something happened
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Previous experience, focusing on specific events and your background
There are specific questions that employers commonly ask when interviewing for a teacher position. Remember that an interviewer is evaluating not only what you say in your answer but how you say it by being clear, engaging and relatable. Here are some common interview questions, along with advice on how to answer them with example answers:
Researching The School District
As soon as you land an interview, your first step should be to research the school district. Go to the district website and gather all of the information that you can. You will need to be prepared if the employer asks you, “What do you think of our building-based intervention teams?” or “What can you tell me about our Dignity of Students Act ?” Each school district has specific programs that they implement in their schools, and it’s your job to be prepared and learn all about them. If at some point in the interview the prospective employer asks you if you have any questions, this would be a great time to ask a question regarding the districts specific programs .
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Interview Question 10 ~ How Do You Incorporate Social
I feel this is another component districts may focus on after experiencing COVID. Some states have added social-emotional learning into their standards already. The best thing about SEL is that it fits into everything that we do as teachers. Check out CASELs core SEL competencies and how they fit into your education philosophy and lessons.
Describe how you will help students build their skills as well as support them in building relationships. Check out a recent Teaching Trailblazer Vlog: SEL & PBIS in the Classroom & Beyond. Another resource for you is to check out NavigatingTrauma In The Digital World.
Why Should We Appoint You/what Would We Be Missing Out On By Not Appointing You
A related question is ‘what are you bringing to the role of a teacher?’
Don’t be modest in putting across your strong points during the interview. You might start with, ‘As you can see from my application⦒ and then lead into a quick rundown of your qualifications and relevant experience. If you haven’t already, present your strengths and how you’ll utilise them to enhance the quality of teaching in their school.
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Dress Professionally And Have Good Hygiene
This might seem obvious but it often occurs that individuals come to interviews dressed inappropriately. Remember, you are making an impression of your professionalism so be sure to iron your clothes and keep your skirts at an acceptable length. Brush and use mouthwash. If you are a smoker, don’t smoke right before you go into the interview to avoid smelling like smoke.
