Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make - Part I

     In conducting the research for the book - Ace Your Teacher Interview - I contacted elementary and secondary principals around the United States.  One of the questions I asked them was, 'What are some of the most common mistakes teacher candidates make in their interviews?"  The responses I received were quite revealing; but even more amazing was the fact that these mistakes keep showing up in interview after interview, and year after year.  Here are some of the most common ones (the ones that tend to have a most negative impact on any interviewer and the ones that will - most certainly - doom your chances of getting a teaching position).
1.  Answering your cell phone during the interview ("Hey, hold on a minute, it's my boyfriend!")
2.  Being late to the interview ("Your secretary gave me lousy directions!")
3.  Making a bad impression in the waiting area ("Mind if I smoke?")
4.  Poor social skills
5.  Presenting a poor appearance ("Would you like to see my really cool dragon tattoo?")
6.  Unable to maintain eye contact
7.  Offering a limp or overly firm handshake
8.  Lacking confidence ("No, I don't think I would want to try that.")
9.  Poor communication of ideas
10. Poor grammar ("Hey dude, it's like, you know, it's like, what teachers do.")
11. Inarticulate
12. Talking too much
13. Arguing with the interviewer ("You can't be serious?  I can't believe you said that!")
14. Giving canned answers
15. A much too relaxed attitude
16. Providing unfocused responses ("You know, teaching is just an awesome job!")
17. Giving defensive or aggressive answers
18. Arrogance ("Hey, I got my degree from High Intelligence College - now I know it all!")
19. Having no questions for the interviewer
20. Having a negative attitude ("What a lousy season - yeah, your football team really sucks!")
21. Giving short, vague, or incomplete answers
22. Being unprepared ("Can I send you my resume sometime next week?")

As you look over these typical and common "boo-boo's" you will note that they all have one thing in common - they can all be controlled by you!  That's right - each of these interview mistakes is under your control, your supervision, and your influence.
     We'll take a look at an additional 21 interview mistakes as reported by building principals.  That list will be in the next blog.  Stay tuned!

What are the Broad Responsibilities of a Classroom Teacher?

     Q:   What would you say are the broad responsibilities of a classroom teacher?

     A:   A classroom teacher has to be many things, have multiple skills, and often be in two places at the same time.  From my student teaching experience I know that teachers have to be good classroom managers and have a consistent and fair classroom discipline policy.  They must also be up to date on assessment and evaluation protocols and how to effectively integrate those into the overall curriculum.  They must know how to motivate students, particularly reluctant learners, and develop relationships with a wide range of individuals – administrators, parents, and other teachers.  They need to be able to respond to the individual needs of every student in a classroom and be able to plan their time in an efficient manner.  There’s no doubt that teachers have to wear many hats and have many talents.  I believe I can bring that array of skills to the Physics position here at Lost Creek High School.

            You should plan on being asked this question in one form or another.  It’s designed to see if you have a realistic picture of the teaching profession or whether you have a “glamorized” view (e.g. “Well, I think teachers should be really nice people and should help all students.”).  The question should be answered with specific details and knowledge about the multiple tasks and duties teachers face every day.  The interviewer wants to know that you have not unfairly “romanticed” teaching, but are keenly aware of the day-to-day responsibilities of teachers.