What Do You Use To Measure Student Performance
Sample Answer: I believe that it is important, both for the student and the school district, that teachers use standardized methods of measuring student performance. I mirror my students performance during the school year by formatting their tests, assignments, and so on, by the achievement testing that they will complete at years end. This gives students a heads-up on testing so that they are more comfortable and prepared for standardized tests each year. This is not only good for the student, but is also good for the districts rankings.
Although most school districts have an established policy that teachers and educators must use to measure the performance of their students, some districts allow teachers to formulate their own guidelines. Since the amount of federal funding that public schools receive is based in part on their performance, showing that you want to promote higher performance levels on standardized testing makes you a more appealing candidate.
Prepare Thoughtful Questions To Ask The Employer
Doing so shows your passion for the position and your preparation for the interview. These questions can also help you determine whether your core values align with those of the school’s administration. You may want to consider asking about what kind of support you can expect in terms of mentoring or training.
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.
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Elementary Teacher Interview Questions
Elementary teacher interview questions that explore the competencies and skills required in this key teaching job. Prepare using the interview answer guidelines and be ready to impress in your teaching job interview.
Key qualities that employers look for in teachers at the elementary or primary level are enthusiasm and energy.
Be positive and enthusiastic as you share your experience, knowledge and strengths with the interviewer.
Prepare for your elementary teacher job interview using our excellent interview answer help.
Nailing The Interview: Answer With Confidence
After becoming eligible to become a teacher, youre finally ready to get hired congratulations! Youve put in a lot of effort and hard work to get here and now its time for you to land the job. Its natural to have some pre-interview jitters, but were here to tell you not to sweat it! Were dedicated to making sure you succeed during every step of your teaching journey, and we want to help you walk into the interview with confidence.
Being prepared ahead of time will set you up for success. Weve gathered the most common questions youll be asked during your teacher interview. For a more in-depth look at how to get a job, make sure to check out this post.
While this list doesnt contain every question you might be asked during the interview, it should help you prepare some answers that can be applied to most questions. Carefully going through these questions and preparing your answers will help you nail the interview and show your future employer your dedication to becoming a teacher. Lets take look at the 8 most common teacher interview questions in Texas:
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What Methods Do You Use To Handle Classroom Discipline
Sample Answer: I think that the discipline that is handed out must match the childs age and maturity level in order for the child to understand why he or she is being punished and to make the punishment fit the offense. For example, disruptive third graders might receive a timeout or lose recess privileges for the first couple of offenses and then future offenses might require a visit to the principals office. By developing ground rules and making those rules understood from the first day of class, my students will know what is acceptable and what is not. They will also know what disciplinary action will be taken if they dont obey the rules.
Tip: Again, maintaining control while complying with school districts policies regarding discipline is what he interviewer will be looking for when judging your response to this question. You may want to use an example of a real situation in which you have had to discipline a student tin order to show your expertise in this touchy area. Explain in your example why the discipline was appropriate and why it was effective.
State Test Grading Results
There are a lot of ways to demonstrate your abilities as a teacher. One way to tie the successes and skills outlined in a resume and cover letter is to bring results for statewide standardized tests. Showing high marks on state tests is attractive to schools as it can mean you can help raise their test scores or meet already high benchmarks. If you also brought along your lesson plans, you can better illustrate how your lesson planning helped deliver those results.
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What Skills Are Interviewers For Teaching Jobs Looking For
Interviewers will want candidates to demonstrate:
- excellent communication skills, including effective listening and the ability to construct well-thought-out answers
- positive social skills with pupils and co-workers, with the ability to motivate
- classroom management skills
- professional knowledge and understanding of your subject
- a personal philosophy about, and a commitment to, the teaching of your subject or subjects
- the ability to reflect and an awareness of your own development needs
- motivation to work for that school or local authority .
Tell Me About A Time When Someone Gave You Feedback And How You Handled That
You know that thing about teachers needing to have a growth mindset? Well, receiving and implementing feedback well is important to showcase that.
This is actually most critical for veteran teachers because veteran teachers would be the ones who in most cases communicate a level of, Ive already gotten this, Ive already arrived, I dont need any extra feedback, says Swartz.
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How Would You Handle A Student Swearing Or Using Inappropriate Language
Sample Answer: Students who swear and use inappropriate language can be a challenge, and this type of behavior at school is never acceptable. I think that diffusing the situation without causing it to escalate further is important. In this instance, I would remain calm and avoid losing my temper. Because I am the authority figure in the room, it is important that I maintain order in order to make sure the other children feel safe. I would then escort the student to the office to see the principal regarding their language.
Tip: Maintaining order and control within the classroom is one of the biggest challenges facing teachers today. When interviewing for a teaching position, interviewers want to see that you have a plan in place to deal with possible scenarios like the one described in the question. They also want to know that you will be able to keep your cool and avoid losing your temper.
How Will You Engage Reluctant Learners
Teaching in an age when we must compete with Fortnite, Snapchat, and other forms of instant entertainment makes this question valid and necessary. How will you keep students engaged? Share specific incentive policies, lessons youve used, or ways youve built relationships to keep students on task. An anecdote of how a past student that you taught was turned on to your subject because of your influence would also help your credibility here.
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If I Were To Randomly Walk Into Your Classroom One Day What Would I See Going On
Sample Answer: You would see children being challenged to do their best and a teacher that interacts with them on a level that they can understand. I believe in a lot of hands-on teaching, so you could expect to see me up at the Smart Board, demonstrating how to solve a problem or walking around the room, helping individual students. I believe in active, not passive teaching. I can accomplish very little in a seated position behind my desk! I want to get out there with my students, on the front lines, so that I can help each and every child to be the best they can be.
Tip: This answer gives the interviewer a glimpse into what your expectations are and how you would handle teaching on a day-to-day basis. The interviewer wants you to be able to envision yourself in the role of teacher and to relay what you see back to them.
Why Do You Want To Teach At This School
Research, research, and research more before your interview. Google everything you can about the school. Do they have a theater program? Are the students involved in the community? What type of culture does the principal promote? Use social media to see what the school proudly promoted most recently. Then, ask around. Use your network of colleagues to find out what teachers loved and hated about it. The point of all this digging? You need to know if this school is a good fit. If it is a good fit, youll demonstrate how much you want the job by explaining how you would get involved with all the amazing school programs youve heard so much about!
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Let Your Light Shine Naturally Dont Force It
You didnt decide to get into teaching to go into the office and have a boring and miserable time every day. Guess what? Neither did the people who are interviewing you. So keep it light and keep smiling. You want to be the bright spot in their day.
Youll have to read the room to draw a line between being hilarious and being inappropriate. Not everyone wants their staff to be a laugh machine, and gimmicks are never a substitute for real teaching skills and the ability to turn curriculum into a real learning experience. You can try out the classroom karaoke with your students down the road, but our advice is to keep it out of the interview. Something really fun and unorthodox could be incredibly effective with students and become part of your repertoire for years to come, but it might not hit the right note with an interview committee. Have fun but keep it professional. You dont want to give the impression that youre putting on an act, or that youre a one-trick pony who feels they need to sell every lesson with something overtly performative.
If We Sat Down Right Now And Discussed Goals For The Upcoming Year What Would They Be
Sample Answer: My biggest goals for the year are to prepare my students to meet their core competencies by the end of the year. I believe that every teacher should set a goal of recognizing where individual students are struggling and then finding a way to get each student up to speed with where they need to be. I also believe that students should demonstrate the ability to perform at grade level before going on to the next grade. It is my intent to have all my students reach their goals before being promoted to the next level in school. I also want to make sure that my students are in school and ready to learn every day, and have plans of implementing an attendance incentive to encourage them to come to school.
Tip: All school districts have goals that must be met in order to qualify for federal funding dollars. School districts and interviewers want to see that you are on board with their goals, and under the No Child Left Behind Act, those goals are similar. Each child should be able to demonstrate the core competencies for their grade level. If they dont, schools lose money.
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What Would Your Cooperating Teacher Say About You
- PURPOSE: Use this question to describe how your master teacher during student teaching would describe your teaching abilities and teaching philosophy, as well as your overall competency and energy.
- TIPS: Try to give actual descriptions from the person who oversaw your student teaching.
- PREPARATION: Get in contact with the person who provided oversight for your student teaching and ask them what they would actually say.
An Overview Of What To Bring To A Teacher Interview
Ensuring you’re prepared for an interview is a daunting task. This is especially true careers like education, where job seekers are often tasked with bringing plenty of skills and materials to an interview. In addition to standard interview practice and preparation, those looking for a teaching position should also plan on bringing a few other things along with them. Here is a comprehensive overview of what to bring to a teacher interview.
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Who Am I To Give Advice
Ive changed schools a lot and have been on 14 job interviews during my teaching career: I was offered every position on the spot except two. An uninformed person might conclude that Ive just got it like that, but the truth is, I was fortunate to have sought positions during extreme teacher shortages. Its kind of like getting excited about selling your house in 2 daysin a sellers market. Who would have expected anything less? If teachers are the buyers, then it was definitely been a buyers market when I was job hunting in Washington, D.C. and South Florida. Teacher turnover in both places was extremely high and the colleges werent producing enough graduates to fill the positions. Therefore, rather than having to sell myself, principals have always spent the majority of the interview trying to sell ME on their school.
My advice on this page comes from that perspective, so Im really not the best person to advise you on landing a position that hundreds of other teachers are vying for. At the bottom of the page, Ill recommend some more resources to help you. But, even if youre in a tight job market, its still important to think about what YOU want and need in a work environment, and I hope my ideas will remind you to consider that, as well.
If One Of Your Students Told You That None Of The Other Students Liked Them What Would You Say
Sample Answer: I would say, That can be really tough, but did you know that everyone feels as if they dont fit in at some point in their lives, even adults, including me. And there are other kids in this very classroom who are going through the same thing. I know it feels like the end of the world, but this feeling won’t last forever. If you ever need to talk, Im here for you. I think that as a teacher, the role that can be taken is to coach and reassure the child. Children who feel like they dont fit in feel unsafe and vulnerable, and they are often prone to teasing or bullying. I would make a special effort to include the child in group activities with other students, and to foster group activities whenever possible, fitting the activity to the grade level.
Even the act of positioning the childrens desks so as to encourage interaction between a group of girls or a group of boys can help a child to fit in. There are lots of ways a teacher can promote friendship among students.
Tip: When hiring an effective teacher, interviewers are looking for teachers who can handle and overcome this all-too-common problem. Showing that you have thought about this potential issue positions you as a nurturing and caring educator!
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How To Best Utilize Your Portfolio In An Interview
- Familiarize yourself with it. Get to know your portfolio like the back of your hand. If the interviewer asks you a question, you want to be able to turn to a page quickly in order to give them the best tangible evidence for your answer.
- Don’t Overuse it. Use your portfolio sparingly. If the interviewer asks you a question, and you think it will complement your answer, then use it. Try not to pull it out for every question you get asked.
- Leave it out. Once you use your portfolio and take out artifacts, leave them out. It will be very distracting if you start rummaging through the papers.
For additional tips on using your portfolio and to learn about the must-have items to include, read Perfecting Your Portfolio.
What Do You Dislike About Teaching
Sample Answer: One thing that discourages me about teaching is the lack of funding in the public school system. There are so many things that teachers need to purchase that have to come out of their own pocket, and there never seems to be enough money to buy everything.
With that being said, I also understand the fact that money doesn’t just grow on trees! When things get tough, schools need to cut back just like everyone else, and they need to find ways to be more efficient. I don’t know what the solution to the problem is, but it would be great if schools could do something to increase their revenues in order to purchase supplies for their teachers.
Tip: Good answer. Although you should never go into an entire list of things that you dont like about teaching, it is never good to point out more than a thing or two or you risk looking as if you dont really like your job at all! Selecting something like lack of funding is a safe choice when it comes to things that you dont like as it is universally not liked by teachers and school districts alike.
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