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Interview Tips for Teachers

This week, I had the opportunity to participate on the interview committee for my school.  It was such a great experience and made me think about what I can do to make myself more marketable.  I've mentioned it before but my family is moving to Hawaii at the end of November.  It's very exciting BUT also nerve-wracking to think about having to start all over again and hunt for jobs.  



After we got done interviewing, I thought that many of readers in blog land are probably also looking for teaching jobs and are facing the stress of interview committees.  So here are things that might be helpful to think about and consider when interviewing/applying for teaching jobs. 

1.  Make sure your resume is up-to-date.  It can be easy to tell if you have an out-dated resume.  If you are tailoring your resume to specific schools, such as naming the school you are trying to get hired at in your resume, make sure you are sending the resume to the right school.  Don't say you will be a great fit at ABC Elem School and then send it to XYZ Elem School.

2.  Think carefully about who you ask to submit a reference letter for you.  Will this person write a good reference letter?  If you have teaching experience, did you list your last principal as a reference?  It can be a red flag if you do not have your principal listed or if all of your references are fellow teachers.

3.  Think about the questions you might be asked and possible answers before the interview.  Interviews can make people nervous and anxious.  It helps if you have thought about questions beforehand, so you're not caught off guard.  The next few points are some common questions you might be asked.

a.  What does your behavior management plan look like?

b.  How would you structure your literacy block?

c.  How would you motivate an unmotivated student?

d.  How do you communicate with parents?

e.  How do you incorporate technology in your teaching?

4.  Make eye contact with all the people on your interview committee.  Even if the questions are coming from one person, remember the other people on the committee will probably have input into the hiring decision.

5.  Talk about the standards and experiences you have had in the past teaching, interacting with students, and communicating with parents.  Even if you only have student teaching experience, you have things you can talk about that make it more personal.

This website has a forum for people looking for teaching jobs.  The first link at the top has different posts from all over the country that list the types of questions the poster was asked in their interview.  This can give you a good idea of the different kinds of questions asked and lets you think about how you would answer the questions.  Click here to check it out.

Good luck to all of those searching for jobs!  



16 comments:

  1. Great tips!
    Blessings,

    Jessica Stanford
    Mrs. Stanford's Class
    I could use your help! Check out my latest post ♥

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, so I am a 50 year old returning to the work force after 16 years of child rearing. I kindof of thought they were going to apologize for the job and all the work they are making me do for the salary...I am also supposed to worry? Thanks for the heads up!!

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  3. Thank you so much for sharing this Angelia! My fiance and I are both finishing the last year of our Bachelor of Education degrees and this is an amazing resource for us.

    You've helped out a lot!
    Miss L
    Miss L's Whole Brain Teaching

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for sharing such great tips and for the job seekers resource :)

    Heidi
    My (Not So) Elementary Life

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  5. Thanks for the tips! I am definitely in the job-searching boat. My problem is that I sometimes stutter, and my mind tends to go blank, so I don't do so well in interviews. I wish I could fill out written responses to the questions instead. I am so much more articulate that way!

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  6. Thanks for the great tips - I know we're going to be moving back to the mainland (from Hawaii) in a year or two, so I'm trying to get my employment portfolio up to snuff. Your example questions/answers gave me some great ideas for what kinds of things I want to create visually (using classroom pics) to include in my portfolio.

    Thanks again!
    Lisa

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    Replies
    1. Lisa - What island are you living on now? My family is so excited about moving. The kids use Google Earth to look at Hawaii all the time. They try to find their school and the volcanos. I think this is going to be an amazing experience for us. I just hope I can find a job!

      Angelia

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  7. Wonderful tips (even for those who currently have a position)

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  8. These tips are great!! Those questions were spot on to the interviews that I've been to in the last couple of weeks! Also don't forget to be yourself!!

    Amanda

    Surviving the First Year

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great tips. I think we all need refreshers on these things. You never know. This year my district laid off several teachers. Teachers that had taught for 15-20 years. So these are good things to have on hand. You just never know if it might be you next.
    ஐRikki
    The Hive

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  10. Thank you for sharing these tips! I am looking for a new job, in a new district, because I am relocating. I'm super nervous about this and am hoping that I get called for an interview soon!

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  11. It's so pretty! I add your blog feed to my Google reader list... Really very useful tips. Thanks for sharing!
    Teacher Resume

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  12. Number 3 questions were great one to think about and have an answer prepared. Hi I'm Shanell your newest follower. Please hop over and visit my blog Calling Plays in 2nd Grade.

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  13. Good luck with your move! I've always wanted to visit Hawaii.

    I gave your blog the One Lovely Blog award!

    Teachin' First

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