First teaching job interview

[Tiggeroo]

I have my first teaching job interview next week. I haven't had a real interview in a very long time. I am so nervous. I don't know what to expect at all. Competition is so tough. Of you have done this do you know if I will have to have a bunch of academic buzz words memorized? What should I brush up on? Will they look through my portfolio? I really don't know what to xpect but I have heard horrors about you first interview.

 

[Flight]

Each interview that resulted in a job offer I never used buzz words for that profession. A good interviewer will see through that in a minute. Instead I conveyed my passion for the profession and showed how my experience will be of great value and ultimately beneficial for my employer.

Sometimes they seem to barely look at my portfolio and other times several questions were asked about the contents. Be able to discuss and explain everything in there.

Good luck on your interview!

 

[Katy Belle]

Former teacher here, certainly not up to date on current interviewing practices... But some good advice I was given, give examples of things you HAVE done. When they ask how you would handle a certain scenerio, relate it to something you've done, rather than just hypothetical.

Good luck!

 

[DenMig]

What position and grade level are you interviewing for ? I teach high school chemistry and physical science and I have been part of our teacher interviewing committee when we have science openings. If you are interviewing for a high scool position I'll be glad to give you some insight for what we were looking for.

 

[Cindy B]

I have done about 20 full time teaching interviews.

I have only asked for my portfolio twice. Once to show my example of rubrics, and the other was to show pictures of a project.

Mostly is is a prop.

DenMig: I'm looking at high school level positions, so if you could pass the info on I'd love it.

Be prepared for questions on :

use of technology
use of assesments formal v informal
differentiation
thoughts on inclusion
Test prep practices
classroom management

The new core standards in NJ. (Not the NJCCCC, but the new standards)

I have 4 standard teaching certs, (Elementary K-5, Middle School English, Middle School Social Studies and Teacher of English) and I am having a hard time. If I am having a hard time, who else is?

It is very competitive. For example, one district had 450 applicants for an elementary position, they interviewed 40. Another distict had over 350 applicants and they interviewed ten. I got a reject letter yesterday saying there were 400 applicants.

I'm considering getting out.

 

[Tiggeroo]

High school social studies. I have considerable experience having subbed for eight years. I received my cert in october. I feel like I haven't been in a history classroom for awhile and if they start asking me content area questions I will blow it.

 

[Cindy B]

High school social studies. I have considerable experience having subbed for eight years. I received my cert in october. I feel like I haven't been in a history classroom for awhile and if they start asking me content area questions I will blow it.

Standard cert? or CEAS?

Some districts will not consider you if you don't have a standard- trust me I've been there.

I 've had some doozy content questions.

Some districts only want to pick your brain for ideas- I have had that happen .
How would you change NJASK test scores?
What methods would you use to improve a Holocaust unit?
I see you have used ereaders in your classroom- which hardware is better- Nook or Kindle?

Look up the NJ school report. Ask questions from it.

I'm not sure why with all this interview experience I'm not getting them- I think I just get too nervous. The last few I haven't hardly prepared at all and they did better.

 

[Tiggeroo]

I have CEAS. Highly qualified with a degree in education and content area graduated with honors. Still zero confidence. I'm going to borrow a US history text for over the weekend.

 

[Cindy B]

I have CEAS. Highly qualified with a degree in education and content area graduated with honors. Still zero confidence. I'm going to borrow a US history text for over the weekend.

Sounded just like me, two CEAS, (in education and my content area - English) honors, summa cum laude grad 3.9 the whole shebang.

I have had much more interviews since I got my Standard.

I wouldn't worry about the content so much. I dont think they will ask about the war of 1812, or the Articles of Confederation.

They may ask how to use technology to "spice" up the content.

Definetely look at the new NJ Core Content Standards- I've had tons of questions on those.

 

[DenMig]

You have hit on a lot of the points we ask during interviews. Our interview committee was our principal and six science teachers. We first ask the candidates to tell us a little about themselves and why they chose a career in teaching. Here are questions we asked. I apologize in advance if your interview doesn't have any questions along these lines.

1. As a professional learning community, it is very important that our teachers value collaboration as a means of improving student learning. Tell us about your experience collaborating with other professionals and provide a specific example of a positive learning outcome achieved from this collaboration.

2. How do you handle teaching a class of students who come from widely divergent backgrounds and who have equally divergent learning styles? If you could please give a specific example from your past experience to help illustrate your answer.

3. Classroom management is an essential component of effective teaching. Explain your system of classroom management and how you would articulate this system to students, parents, and staff.

4. There is a strong emphasis surrounding issues of social justice at UHS. What does it mean to be socially just and how do you see yourself promoting issues of social justice in your classroom?

5. Can you briefly detail what a 30-45 minute lesson plan would look like in your biology class?

6. What are three aspects you consider essential to being a high quality science teacher?

7. What role do you think technology plays in teaching science? Please consider any experiences you have had incorporating technology into science teaching. How might you do this at UHS?

8. How might you help students make connections between the real world and concepts you’ll teach in a high school biology class?


9. At UHS, we are working to improve the scientific reasoning capacity of our students. How can you help us in this endeavor?

10. In coming years, a significant focus of our staff development efforts will be in developing content area literacy skills. What type of literacy do students need in a science class and how can you help your students develop that literacy?

11. School can be frustrating and difficult for many students, but for those with learning disabilities and other special needs, there are more challenges in education. For these types of students we offer co-taught classes in biology and physical science. Do you have any experience with co-teaching and what does the ideal co-taught classroom look like to you?

12. How do you plan to assess/evaluate your students’ progress and your teaching of _______.

We weren't just looking for "buzzwords", but for an understanding of things like differentiated learning, formative assessment, multiple teaching styles to meet the needs of students, adapting curriculum and lessons based off student learning, giving students proper feedback from assessments to adjust lessons, etc.

Also, we were more impressed by candidates who did their homework and knew a bit about our school when they were asking questions. Make sure you have a few questions to ask, whether its classroom size, teacher mentoring programs, or something you noticed from the website, etc.

hope this helps, not sure if this is what an interview in your neck of the woods will look like. Good luck !

* Be confident ( i know you'll be nervous, but portray a confidence in yourself and your ability).

 

[DenMig]

As for the portfolio, I"d definitely bring it. We passed it around and looked at it, but it wasn't a major factor in our discussion of candidates. That could be different for other schools though.

 

[Boston Tea Party]

Just wanted to pop in and wish you luck. I have been teaching for twelve years so I have no interview advice. I do understand where you are coming from, though, as I have been interviewing for school librarianship for two years. Keep your chin up!

 

[daughtersrus]

I'm not a teacher but know many that are currently looking for jobs. I don't know if it's a regional thing or not but here a lot of first interviews include things like

-write a newsletter article (not sure they would do that at the HS level)

-write up lesson plans on X subject

- here are the lesson plans for Y, please go into the classroom and teach the lesson

These are in addition to the standard questions that are asked. As others have said, questions about technology and team teaching are always part of the interview.

Good Luck!

 

[Cindy B]

You have hit on a lot of the points we ask during interviews. Our interview committee was our principal and six science teachers. We first ask the candidates to tell us a little about themselves and why they chose a career in teaching. Here are questions we asked. I apologize in advance if your interview doesn't have any questions along these lines.

1. As a professional learning community, it is very important that our teachers value collaboration as a means of improving student learning. Tell us about your experience collaborating with other professionals and provide a specific example of a positive learning outcome achieved from this collaboration.

2. How do you handle teaching a class of students who come from widely divergent backgrounds and who have equally divergent learning styles? If you could please give a specific example from your past experience to help illustrate your answer.

3. Classroom management is an essential component of effective teaching. Explain your system of classroom management and how you would articulate this system to students, parents, and staff.
4. There is a strong emphasis surrounding issues of social justice at UHS. What does it mean to be socially just and how do you see yourself promoting issues of social justice in your classroom?

5. Can you briefly detail what a 30-45 minute lesson plan would look like in your biology class?

6. What are three aspects you consider essential to being a high quality science teacher?

7. What role do you think technology plays in teaching science? Please consider any experiences you have had incorporating technology into science teaching. How might you do this at UHS?
8. How might you help students make connections between the real world and concepts you’ll teach in a high school biology class?


9. At UHS, we are working to improve the scientific reasoning capacity of our students. How can you help us in this endeavor?

10. In coming years, a significant focus of our staff development efforts will be in developing content area literacy skills. What type of literacy do students need in a science class and how can you help your students develop that literacy?

11. School can be frustrating and difficult for many students, but for those with learning disabilities and other special needs, there are more challenges in education. For these types of students we offer co-taught classes in biology and physical science. Do you have any experience with co-teaching and what does the ideal co-taught classroom look like to you?

12. How do you plan to assess/evaluate your students’ progress and your teaching of _______.
We weren't just looking for "buzzwords", but for an understanding of things like differentiated learning, formative assessment, multiple teaching styles to meet the needs of students, adapting curriculum and lessons based off student learning, giving students proper feedback from assessments to adjust lessons, etc.

Also, we were more impressed by candidates who did their homework and knew a bit about our school when they were asking questions. Make sure you have a few questions to ask, whether its classroom size, teacher mentoring programs, or something you noticed from the website, etc.

hope this helps, not sure if this is what an interview in your neck of the woods will look like. Good luck !

* Be confident ( i know you'll be nervous, but portray a confidence in yourself and your ability).

Thanks so much! Are you hiring for a high school English teacher?

I have been asked many of these questions. I will highlight them .

I know that I have used the "buzzwords" and actually utilized but perhaps haven't articulated the concepts as clearly as I should have - or I would have a job!

I will agree with the knowing about the school. I pull the schools report card of the Dept of Ed websit. I print it out and ask questions from it.

And yes, be prepared for a quickly written writing sample: I've been asked the following: write an opening letter to your parents introducing yourself and your classroom management style, write an essay on how you use formal and informal data to implement differentiated instruction, give three strategies on how you would turn this school around (AYP failure), Describe your instructional strategies, How do you use literacy in the classroom?

And yes, I have had to teach a lesson.- with the administrators, students and parents in the room. There was no technology set up and no boards (principals conference room). So I improvised- I used markers, construction paper and walked around the room, to engage students. It was difficult to do in a tiny conference room, but I got through it. Just wanted to let you know that sometimes those "teach a lesson" components in interviews are not in a classroom but in a conference room and you have to change your instructional strategy on the spot. (I had a Powerpoint that I wanted to show the students).

 

[OceanAnnie]

You have gotten some great advice. The only thing I can add is think about your, "philosophy on education" and how it relates to your classroom. Think back to your university days and the classes you took about philosophies of education. Think about educators that helped shape our education system today. Who do you identify with and why?

 

[Aliceacc]

As someone who has been on both sides of the teacher interviews:

They're not looking for the right answers, they're looking for the right person. They want someone they can picture as part of their school community, someone who will manage the kids without aliennating them, someone who will keep parents in the loop while still letting the kids learn to be independent, someone who will ask the right questions and make the right judgement calls.

It's not about buzzwords, it's about being yourself, but your best self. The very best interviews are like cocktail parties minus the wine and the pigs-in-blankets-- just a conversation about a topic which matters to both parties, in this case education.

Be yourself. Don't be afraid to have a laugh at your own expense or to admit that you don't know an answer-- but then ask them what the answer is. Have fun with it.

Best wishes!

 

[hanutedmansionmomma]

As someone who has been on both sides of the teacher interviews:

They're not looking for the right answers, they're looking for the right person. They want someone they can picture as part of their school community, someone who will manage the kids without aliennating them, someone who will keep parents in the loop while still letting the kids learn to be independent, someone who will ask the right questions and make the right judgement calls.

It's not about buzzwords, it's about being yourself, but your best self. The very best interviews are like cocktail parties minus the wine and the pigs-in-blankets-- just a conversation about a topic which matters to both parties, in this case education.

Be yourself. Don't be afraid to have a laugh at your own expense or to admit that you don't know an answer-- but then ask them what the answer is. Have fun with it.

Best wishes!

this!

I sit on interview teams. We choose personality over how folks look on paper almost every time. It's who we want to be around every day.

Smile, relax, take your time, and use personal examples rather than buzzwords.

Good luck!

 

[HsvTeacher]

As someone who has been on both sides of the teacher interviews:

They're not looking for the right answers, they're looking for the right person. They want someone they can picture as part of their school community, someone who will manage the kids without aliennating them, someone who will keep parents in the loop while still letting the kids learn to be independent, someone who will ask the right questions and make the right judgement calls.

It's not about buzzwords, it's about being yourself, but your best self. The very best interviews are like cocktail parties minus the wine and the pigs-in-blankets-- just a conversation about a topic which matters to both parties, in this case education.

Be yourself. Don't be afraid to have a laugh at your own expense or to admit that you don't know an answer-- but then ask them what the answer is. Have fun with it.

Best wishes!

this!

I sit on interview teams. We choose personality over how folks look on paper almost every time. It's who we want to be around every day.

Smile, relax, take your time, and use personal examples rather than buzzwords.

Good luck!

These two posts are, in my opinion, the best pieces of advice.

We also use interview teams, and we're looking for people who are passionate about teaching, not people who can regurgitate the buzz words they learned in college. The competition is too tough right now to only look at things on paper.

Good luck on your interview!

 

[Tiggeroo]

How honest should you be. I work in a troubled school district. There are many wonderful people but we have some serious problems. They are not really addressed. If they ask questions that touch on this should I be honest even in a nice way or be pc. I only know public information about this district not any behind the scenes info.

 

[Aliceacc]

How honest should you be. I work in a troubled school district. There are many wonderful people but we have some serious problems. They are not really addressed. If they ask questions that touch on this should I be honest even in a nice way or be pc. I only know public information about this district not any behind the scenes info.

Turn the question back to your effectiveness in the classroom. Give examples of how, even against rough odds, you made made a difference to particular kids. Show them that you're the person they want in their classroom-- you'll roll with the punches and your kids will learn.