First teaching job interview

[HsvTeacher]

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.

This!

We're hiring teachers who have worked in troubled schools because they understand the worst possible scenarios, but they were still able to make a difference. The candidates that come in with a negative attitude or talk in a bad way about the other school don't get a second chance.

 

[Cindy B]

This!

We're hiring teachers who have worked in troubled schools because they understand the worst possible scenarios, but they were still able to make a difference. The candidates that come in with a negative attitude or talk in a bad way about the other school don't get a second chance.

This is ver helpful. Like the pp, i am in a troubled district. It is very difficult to give positive stories when the challenges are numerous. Just recently, there were shots very VERY close to the building. How can you be positive dodging bullets? The kids were giving "how to survive a drive by" advice out to people during the lockdown.. can a mattress stop a bullet, no-- but laying in your bathtub you might be ok. The desks might stop bullets but the chairs are useless. How sad it that children know these things? I cried.


How can you have fun in an interview? I don't know what that is. I know my "normal" is different than others "normal". I feel that I have to rely on buzzwords because my "normal" is anything but. Of course this tactic is unsucessful. I have to reevaluate and find something.

 

[HsvTeacher]

This is ver helpful. Like the pp, i am in a troubled district. It is very difficult to give positive stories when the challenges are numerous. Just recently, there were shots very VERY close to the building. How can you be positive dodging bullets?

I worked in an inner-city school during my first five years of teaching so I understand your situation. However, you can still find the positive in it. One year, every single one of my students had at least one parent (but most had both parents) in jail. They would having shootings in their project on a daily basis, and most of their parents were dealers. (Some of my students were dealers, too.) I was a sheltered white girl who didn't know a lot of those things even existed. The reason I say that is because when I first started teaching, many of them told me "I don't have to listen to you because you're white."

It took a little time, but I was able to gain their trust, and school became their safe place. Attendance in my class went up, and the students did their best because they knew that's what I expected of them. It's important to show them that they matter.

 

[Aliceacc]

You could spin it a few different ways:
- that your classroom was a safe haven. That no matter how rough things were at home, school-- and your classroom in particular-- offered a few hours respite from the ugly realities at home. That in your class, respect and civility set the tone.

- that your class offered a chance to break out of the life these kids had been thrust into. That in your class, they learned that they weren't confined by the hardships they endured-- that they learned that college was something they could reach for and that that degree could open doors for them.

I've never taught in such an enviornment, but I can see how having done so might make you a stronger candidate.

 

[Cindy B]

I worked in an inner-city school during my first five years of teaching so I understand your situation. However, you can still find the positive in it. One year, every single one of my students had at least one parent (but most had both parents) in jail. They would having shootings in their project on a daily basis, and most of their parents were dealers. (Some of my students were dealers, too.) I was a sheltered white girl would didn't know a lot of those things even existed. The reason I say that is because when I first started teaching, many of them told me "I don't have to listen to you because you're white."

It took a little time, but I was able to gain their trust, and school became their safe place. Attendance in my class went up, and the students did their best because they knew that's what I expected of them. It's important to show them that they matter.

Are you sure you aren't in my school? (Checking location) 98% of the students have parents in jail- the other 2% lived with their grandparents. And yes, I have heard that phrase as well- too many times.

Yes, attendance is up, but performance really isn't. Most of the kids are "working"-either dealing or "party hosts" already, so to them the benefit of a high school diploma is worthless. They make more money on the street than they do at a legit job.

I encourage, do positive behavior, create incentives and most don't care. I hang my hopes on the few that want to learn-despite all the distractions. These students received a free ride 4 year university scholarship valued at 120,000. That is positive. One of my roughest toughest kids wrote an amazing essay on why the effects of slaverly remain important. I think about when I had a kid that wouldn't read at all and caused disruptions. I brought in an ereader just to see if he would go to that. He was able to adjust the font size and settings and could read. It turns out that he couldn't see the print in the text.

I replaced a teacher that didn't make it a month..and for a while they kept on saying "youre still here!". And when I was there at night, I wasn't the first one running out the door-it is truly unsafe - but stayed later and stood outside waiting for family. Sure I was a target, but I stayed there until all little ones were picked up. And I sure prayed fast and fervently in my car until I got to a safe location.

Its been rough- the shots and police activity really make me pause though. In broad daylight, near the school on a weekday, really? Two shooting incidents in three days- I've learned to get my cue from the students. If they stay, I stay. Students should not have to learn under these conditions. Lockdowns aren't drills here. When we do them, there is a good reason.

 

[Aliceacc]

My heart goes out to you and your kids.

 

[HsvTeacher]

Are you sure you aren't in my school? (Checking location) 98% of the students have parents in jail- the other 2% lived with their grandparents. And yes, I have heard that phrase as well- too many times.

Yes, attendance is up, but performance really isn't. Most of the kids are "working"-either dealing or "party hosts" already, so to them the benefit of a high school diploma is worthless. They make more money on the street than they do at a legit job.

I encourage, do positive behavior, create incentives and most don't care. I hang my hopes on the few that want to learn-despite all the distractions. These students received a free ride 4 year university scholarship valued at 120,000. That is positive. One of my roughest toughest kids wrote an amazing essay on why the effects of slaverly remain important. I think about when I had a kid that wouldn't read at all and caused disruptions. I brought in an ereader just to see if he would go to that. He was able to adjust the font size and settings and could read. It turns out that he couldn't see the print in the text.

I replaced a teacher that didn't make it a month..and for a while they kept on saying "youre still here!". And when I was there at night, I wasn't the first one running out the door-it is truly unsafe - but stayed later and stood outside waiting for family. Sure I was a target, but I stayed there until all little ones were picked up. And I sure prayed fast and fervently in my car until I got to a safe location.

Its been rough- the shots and police activity really make me pause though. In broad daylight, near the school on a weekday, really? Two shooting incidents in three days- I've learned to get my cue from the students. If they stay, I stay. Students should not have to learn under these conditions. Lockdowns aren't drills here. When we do them, there is a good reason.

This is what you should focus on because you were able to make a positive difference regardless of the situation.

 

[tasha99]

I interviewed last year for a school speech language pathology job. I was asked about lots of speech therapy specific topics, but the ones I could most see being asked of a regular education teacher were:

response to intervention (rti)
evidence based practice (ebp)
classroom management

Good luck on your interview!

 

[richmond282]

I agree that you have got to figure out how to be yourself and show the interview panel your personality. Most people that are being interviewed can spout the "buzz words" or give the "right answers" (They all went to college too.) Crack a joke. Tell a story. Be the colleague they will want to work with every day.

 

[StephMK]

I'm interviewing for elementary but here are some questions I was asked -

1) Tell us about a difficult day - what happened & how did you handle it?

2) How do you know that your students are learning?

3) What type of assessments do you use?

4) How do you keep your students engaged & manage classroom behaviors?

5) How did you handle an upset parent or one who didn't think their child was at the right level?


In my cover letter, I had added a paragraph about specifics that I did over the last year. I wanted to show that 1) I can be creative w/a $0 budget 2) put in time & effort to do the hands on projects 3) find ways to incorporate the standards into multi-curricular lessons. I don't know if it helped but finally got called to interview after including that info. We'll see if anything comes of it.

Good luck!! It's a tough market! Hoping we all find employment!

 

[Tiggeroo]

I'm interviewing for elementary but here are some questions I was asked -

1) Tell us about a difficult day - what happened & how did you handle it?

2) How do you know that your students are learning?

3) What type of assessments do you use?

4) How do you keep your students engaged & manage classroom behaviors?

5) How did you handle an upset parent or one who didn't think their child was at the right level?


In my cover letter, I had added a paragraph about specifics that I did over the last year. I wanted to show that 1) I can be creative w/a $0 budget 2) put in time & effort to do the hands on projects 3) find ways to incorporate the standards into multi-curricular lessons. I don't know if it helped but finally got called to interview after including that info. We'll see if anything comes of it.

Good luck!! It's a tough market! Hoping we all find employment!

I've been thinking that I need to similarly upgrade my cover letter.

 

[Tiggeroo]

I have positive examples of how I did things. However, some of my application questions are practically begging for me to point out weaknesses in my district. They ask specific questions about my districts performance, how administrators are handling this. Is there support for teachers, etc..
In addition I am often asked to do things that are not really allowed. Some of my best successes involved long term substitute assignments in classes that are not my content area. If I list these I may make my district look bad and blow the references I have there. I have seen bullying by teachers to students overlooked. I have seen money handling indiscretions that are amazing. I have also seen people clearly not qualified to teach a subject hired because of their connections. In fact I was passed over for a position while somebody who doesn't even have a teachers cert and degree is in another field was hired. There are many wonderful and caring teachers and administrators but really the district is a mess. Several schools have asked questions (in application, essay) where I was unsure whether to be kindly honest, blunt or evade the whole thing in a slightly dishonest way. The schools that seem to do this the most are charter schools.

 

[StephMK]

I've been thinking that I need to similarly upgrade my cover letter.

I definitely think it helped. I am short on experience but have glowing recs from last year, high test scores on my license & a well written resume & cover - checked by a career center. No nibbles at all for weeks and weeks. Once I added that specific info, I now have 3 interviews. Fingers & toes crossed!

Also, all of the districts around here are online. One principal told me that if you make changes, it bumps your app up to the top. I don't know if it's like that all over, but I try to change minor things every so often to keep mine near the top when new job postings come up.

As far as your struggling district, I would try everything to put a positive spin on it & avoid any blunt disparaging remarks. ie - While the district may be struggling in certain areas, they are taking ... steps to work towards solutions. The school recognizes that X is an issue and is trying to take steps towards Y. I am looking for new challenges because...

Good luck!

 

[Cindy B]

I have positive examples of how I did things. However, some of my application questions are practically begging for me to point out weaknesses in my district. They ask specific questions about my districts performance, how administrators are handling this. Is there support for teachers, etc..
In addition I am often asked to do things that are not really allowed. Some of my best successes involved long term substitute assignments in classes that are not my content area. If I list these I may make my district look bad and blow the references I have there. I have seen bullying by teachers to students overlooked. I have seen money handling indiscretions that are amazing. I have also seen people clearly not qualified to teach a subject hired because of their connections. In fact I was passed over for a position while somebody who doesn't even have a teachers cert and degree is in another field was hired. There are many wonderful and caring teachers and administrators but really the district is a mess. Several schools have asked questions (in application, essay) where I was unsure whether to be kindly honest, blunt or evade the whole thing in a slightly dishonest way. The schools that seem to do this the most are charter schools.

I hear you loud and clear. I have gone by that I have to go by my conscious and that I have to live with my thoughts and decisions. I always told my kids, Stand up for doing the right thing, even if it means standing alone. That is how I feel.

Of course you don't want to say I saw Ms. so and so stealing, but you might be able to say how you remained positive throughout different challenges. I know some people that just make up a good essay and keep remembering it. I know some people when asked in an interview about a certain thing - they pull out a college or student teaching example instead of a current example.

I tend to use my long term sub experience in a suburban district a lot as compared to my current position.

If the essay topic is something like How you would change the school environment I would stress the following:

1)Positive behavior system
2) Parental involvement

I had an interview today yes a Saturday- and took others advice, I just didn't overtly prepare but just went with it. I explained my weaknesses (I hate that question) while being careful not to bash the administrator.

I also clarified that I do not have a Special Ed certification. I took the Special Ed praxis but I do not have Special Ed certfication which confuses some people.

 

[Aliceacc]

I've been thinking that I need to similarly upgrade my cover letter.

I think the cover letter is the best kept secret in the search for a teaching job.

Too many that I've read look as though they've been downloaded from a site that purports to specialize in education cover letters. They string together a list of buzzwords, and the readers are supposed to be amazed that this paragon hasn't been snapped up yet.

Except, of course, that the cover letter is virtually indistinguishable from another 30 or 40 or 50 in the stack.

A strong cover letter talks about YOU. It gives concrete examples of small successes. It tells of Kristen, who now knows her times tables after a whole year of working on those math facts. Of of Tommy, who started the year as a selective mute and ended the year raising his hand on a regular basis. They leave the reader thinking "Now THIS is a teacher I want to meet."

 

[HsvTeacher]

If the essay topic is something like How you would change the school environment I would stress the following:

1)Positive behavior system
2) Parental involvement

Personally, I would stay away from this topic and stress things you can do to improve the school environment, such as teaching hands-on lessons for motivation, intervention groups for struggling learners, etc.

As much as we'd all like to improve parental involvement, that is something that is really out of your hands. You can encourage parents to be more involved, but that's a decision they have to make.

Hope your interview went well today. Sending positive thoughts your way!

 

[Cindy B]

Here was an interesting question I got today:

How would you incorporate literacy AND numeracy into a specific subject.

I am a certified Language Arts and Middle School Social Studies teacher. I told them how I used the Social Studies text to talk about population, area, square miles, etc. I then talked about how we did a Social Studies project where the students researched these facts and in a small group created an Excel chart which showed each continent. I then spoke about how I collaborated with the Computer teacher (who had to teach Excel anyway) so they used the Social Studies data to complete a project for both Social Studies and Computer course.

 

[daisyx3]

The last time my department hired a new teacher (2 years ago) there were 5 of us on the committee. There were two of us from our content area, a science teacher active in the union, the principal, and a math teacher.
I can tell you about two people we didn't hire. One had actually been a long-term sub in our building a year previously. She followed that up with a year in a charter school. Unfortunately, she was very quiet and unassuming and wasn't even in our top three when it was over. She knew her content and had student taught with one of our department members (which is how she got the long-term sub gig) but didnt have the "oomph" we felt necessary to teach 5 or 6 periods of 10th graders. Personality is huge.
Another woman had taught at a private school, took 10 years off to raise her kids, and then went back to the private school. She wanted to teach in a public school. What turned me off, personally, was when she remarked on the change in the private school during her time off "due to open enrollment". We read you loud and clear lady. Kids you never had to deal with before open enrollment are the kind of kids we have at public schools every day.
I know we have subs we would never interview. One girl talks like a little mouse. One girl was subbing during our state testing week and was supposed to help with hall duty, but "got a migraine" and hid in the teacher work room for an hour.
I wish we had an opening right now because I would hire my student teacher from last year in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, the only opening we had this year was social studies. They had 130 applicants. They interviewed 10. The department members chose a nice girl with varied experience. The superintendent overrode them and hired their second choice--because he can be assistant wrestling coach.
Daisyx3

 

[Cindy B]

The last time my department hired a new teacher (2 years ago) there were 5 of us on the committee. There were two of us from our content area, a science teacher active in the union, the principal, and a math teacher.
I can tell you about two people we didn't hire. One had actually been a long-term sub in our building a year previously. She followed that up with a year in a charter school. Unfortunately, she was very quiet and unassuming and wasn't even in our top three when it was over. She knew her content and had student taught with one of our department members (which is how she got the long-term sub gig) but didnt have the "oomph" we felt necessary to teach 5 or 6 periods of 10th graders. Personality is huge.
Another woman had taught at a private school, took 10 years off to raise her kids, and then went back to the private school. She wanted to teach in a public school. What turned me off, personally, was when she remarked on the change in the private school during her time off "due to open enrollment". We read you loud and clear lady. Kids you never had to deal with before open enrollment are the kind of kids we have at public schools every day.
I know we have subs we would never interview. One girl talks like a little mouse. One girl was subbing during our state testing week and was supposed to help with hall duty, but "got a migraine" and hid in the teacher work room for an hour.
I wish we had an opening right now because I would hire my student teacher from last year in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, the only opening we had this year was social studies. They had 130 applicants. They interviewed 10. The department members chose a nice girl with varied experience. The superintendent overrode them and hired their second choice--because he can be assistant wrestling coach.
Daisyx3

Interesting. Thanks for that perspective. I get a lot of "it was a hard decision" rejection letters or emails. Those last few sentences make me think. No matter what the committee thinks, sometimes decisions are overrode.

During one interview I had one principal look me over (a white very non sporty woman) and ask me if I would coach sports- I said to him "i'll do whatever you need". This male principal then told me how he was asked to help coach cheerleading and drama his first year- and he just did it.

130 applicants is a bit low- that's not too bad. I've been told by principals that there were 300, 400 or even 450 applicants for ONE position. That is when I am grateful that I have four certifications!