Interview Themes - Part II

     In the last post I shared the first two interview themes that are part of every teacher interview.  In this posting you'll discover the next two significant themes - Likeability and Student Orientation.  These themes are equally significant in setting you apart from many candidates and will help establish you as a future teacher of promise, commitment, and dedication.  Yes, they are THAT important!



3.  Likeability

            Here’s a basic truth you may find difficult to believe.  The most important factor every interviewer is looking for in a candidate is NOT the breadth and depth of her or his skills, education, or talents.  It’s likeability!  In a recent review of more than 100,000 face-to-face interviews there was not one candidate hired who wasn’t, at first, liked by the people doing the interviewing and hiring.  You might think that one’s personality would be of less value than their teaching prowess, but such is not the case.  Simply put, people get hired because they are liked.

            What are your three greatest strengths?  What are some of your hobbies or free time activities?  How do you handle criticism?  How did you handle disagreements with your college supervisor?  What makes you the best teacher for this position?  Who is the greatest influence on your life?  What is the biggest mistake you’ve ever made?  Interestingly, hiring decisions are based more on personality factors than they are on skill factors.  You may be the best qualified candidate, but if you aren’t the best liked, then the position will probably go to someone else. 

4.  Student Orientation

            Several years ago I was part of a team of people interviewing several candidates for a teaching position.  I distinctly remember one young man who spent the entire 45-minute interview talking about his accomplishments, his resume, his background, and his prowess in writing exciting lesson plans.  After he left, I remarked to my colleagues that not once, in those 45 minutes, did he ever refer to students.  Not once did he ever use the word “students.”  It was apparent that he was more interested in presenting himself than he was in teaching students.  Candidates without a strong student orientation are candidates that don’t make it any further in the hiring process.  Without that orientation, without that commitment to student life, and without that desire to work hand-in-hand with youngsters nobody ever gets hired as a classroom teacher.

            How do you motivate an unmotivated student?  How do you assess students?  Tell us about your toughest student – how did you handle him/her?  How do you address cultural diversity in your classroom?  What do you enjoy most about working with kids?  What are some challenges you’ve had in working with kids?  Besides student teaching, what other work have you done with youngsters?  Come to an interview with a strong and sincere student orientation and you may well walk away with a job offer.

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