New Teacher: What to know about Interviews

I have been lucky enough to have been on both sides of the interview table, both as the interviewee and as part of the interview team for one of my previous schools. And although each school and district is different, there are some commonalities in the questions asked and how the process goes.

Here is what I have gathered from interviewing at the high school and middle school levels on:

• The Interview Process

• Example Interview Questions

• Interviewing Tips

I won't be going into resume building in this post, but stay tuned for a later post. :)

THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

In my experience, I have been a part of 3 kinds of interview processes for getting hired:

1. Apply online, get an email or call to come in and interview in-person, interview with the school, then find out the results in about a week

2. Apply online, get an email for a phone interview or a video interview, then if that is successful, get invited in for an in-person interview, interview with the school, then find out the results in about a week

3. Apply online, get an email or call to come in and interview in-person, interview with the school, get a call back for a "Sample Lesson" (maybe have a follow up after the lesson), then find out the results in about a week

The exception to these examples is if you skip the "apply online" piece by attending a teacher hiring event. If you are an extrovert, like me, I have found these to be a great way to get my resume noticed by schools and getting a first glimpse at what school would be the best for me. However, these events can be daunting. If you are timid to walk up to tables to talk to the school representatives you might want to skip this hiring alternative.

EXAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What do you like to do for fun or hobbies?

2. What is your favorite book? Or what are you currently reading?

3. What is your favorite subject/topic to teach? Why?

4. What is your favorite grade to teach? Why?

5. What would your supervisor/manager say is your greatest strength? Why?

6. What would your supervisor/manager say is your greatest weakness/area for improvement? Why?

7. What is your educational philosophy?

8. How in the past have you handled a conflict with a colleague? How did it resolve?

9. How in the past have you handled a conflict with a parent? How did it resolve?

10. What means of communication do you use with your students and families?

11. How do you incorporate standards into your lesson plans?

12. How do you differentiate in your classroom?

13. What do you need from the school to be successful?

14. What does a typical lesson look like?

15. What does your classroom management style look like?

16. How do you use technology in the classroom?

17. How do you collaborate with teammates?

18. How do you build relationships with your students/families?

19. Scenario: You have a student who is consistently not engaged in your class. What would you do?

20. Scenario: You have a student failing your class by 2 percentage points. What would you do?

21. Scenario: You have a student who cheated in your class. What would you do?

22. Scenario: You receive your standardized test scores from last year and some areas are very low but your students' class grades are all good. What would you do?

23. What questions do you have for us (the interviewer)?

INTERVIEWING TIPS

• Try to always answer a question with an example from your experience. It doesn't necessarily need to be from your teaching experience either. If you are a new teacher you might not have any experience in a school, so take it from other places where you have worked. Such as: if you get the example question above about "how would you handle an angry parent?" if you have ever been a server or in customer service of any kind you can relate to this question with a similar example. Answer with how you handled that situation and then follow up how you could imagine you would handle it in an educational environment.

• Always over-dress! It's better to be the most over-dressed person in the room than the most underdressed. Undressing can be interpreted as not caring or not taking the interview seriously. This doesn't mean to say you need to wear name brands. But a coordinated skirt or pantsuit can go a long way to impress your interview team.

• That being said, there are interview studies that show you should wear minimal simple jewelry (big chunky jewelry can be distracting) and no perfume or cologne (someone could be allergic).

• Never be embarrassed to ask for a question to be repeated. The interviewer knows you are nervous so don't worry about asking for a question to be repeated or taking your time to formulate your answer.

• Do your research beforehand! Once you get your interview scheduled take the time you have until then to research the school you are interviewing at. Comb through their website. What curriculum do they use? What is their school's motto? What teams, sports, and clubs do they have? What are the school's virtues or values? etc. All of this information you can use to weave into your interview responses so they can see you are interested in them as much as they are interested in you. And that you both are on the same page about what is important to their school.

• Bring extra copies of your resumes, certifications, and any other important documentation or sample materials. I was always complimented on how prepared I was, having at least 6 copies on me, and having them neatly prepared in folders. (HERE are the ones I used)

• Stay on topic and try not to ramble when answering questions. You want to elaborate with on topic responses and examples, but try to be more concise than just rambling to fill the time.

• Don't be afraid to ask your own questions. As mentioned beforehand, do your own research on the school. Use the time they give you to ask your questions to fill in any information you are confused on or would like to hear more about. You can also ask about the responsibilities you would be charged with, your tentative classload (always subject to change), etc. I like even to ask the interviewers favorite part about the school, this gives me insight to staff dynamics and if it's a healthy workplace.

• Let your personality shine! Don't be afraid to make a joke, geek out over something you are passionate about, talk about your "why" (why you became a teacher), or tell a story about a past student who changed you.