Question:i'm going to start interviewing in public schools this summer i hope anyway i havn't got any calls yet. i taught in private school last year and i'm hoping having a year complete will help me. any advice how to ace an interview?
Answers:
A few tips--
1. Have a portfolio. Many principals won't ask for it, but it will give you an edge. It will allow you to show examples of student work, photos, etc during the interview. It makes the interview more interactive and interesting.
2. When they ask you how you WOULD do something, tell them ways you have ALREADY done it. This will make you seem more experienced.
3. Practice common teacher interview questions beforehand. Most interview questions are similar at all teacher interviews-- think about what you'll say beforehand so you're not caught offguard.
4. Don't emphasize you're weaknesses. Don't complain about anybody-- parents, difficult students, etc.
5. EMphasize your classroom management skills. While principals ask all kinds of things, classroom management and behavior is typically one of the most important skills to them. They want low-maintenance teachers that they won't have a lot of problems with.
6. They'll most definietly ask you about parent communication. Have a copy of a parent newsletter handy. If you don't have any, make up a sample and be ready to show the interviewer how a parent newsletter might look.
7. THere's a good eBook that has lots of advice, tips, and information about teaching interviews. It even has 50 common interview questions and answers. It's "Guide to Getting a Teaching Job" http://www.iwantateachingjob.com... Maybe the book can help you.
Best of luck!
When the interview board asks you questions about different situations, such as discipline or dealing with various situations, don't answer with "What I would do is...", answer with a anecdote or a story about when you were in that situation and you solved it. This way, you show you are on the ball with the methods, you relay your experience, and you seem student-centered if you remember the situations.
They'll be much more impressed with what you've done instead of hearing what you could possibly do.
This is a link to sample interview questions. I read them before my interview and a lot of them were asked! http://resumes-for-teachers.com/news/edu...
I am a recently retired elem teacher and I hate to give you the truth, but I have sat in on interview committtees, been interviewed and the whole 9 yards and I find that most principals want to hire someone who will make them and their school look good, so make sure you don't act smarter than the principal because truly the principal doesn't want this. It isn't the best teacher that gets the job but the best principal kissbutt. Not too many will be so honest, but watch what you say and kind of play off the principals attitude, try to stay a bit neutral until you see how the principal is acting
you need to get an interview first. unfortunately, you may have missed a lot of the "big" job fairs at the colleges. go online, and check what's left. sign up online for teachers-teachers.com. make sure to put your app everywhere, and also, at this point you may need to go directly to "end of school year" district job fairs. research the school districts.
for the first round interviews, I found that the interviews were very basic *for examples see other peoples answers.
for the second round, they may interview you with curriculum, and ask you specific things about your subject area, so be prepared for which one you will be doing.
by the way, I just signed a contract, so there's hope for ya.
Before you do anything, CALL THE SCHOOLS! You could worry yourself sick waiting around for them to call you. If no one's called by now, it's time for you to get proactive.
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