One of the most critical aspects of any teaching interview is your philosophical approach to education. Any administrator wants to know what you believe and why you believe as you do. That's critical, because she or he wants to make sure your philosophy is in line with the philosophy of the school. As a result, plan on being asked one or two questions related to that philosophy. A good response here can often tip the scales in your favor - particularly when there is a lot of competition for a single position. Here's a typical question:
What do you think is the most difficult aspect of being a teacher?
A: Patience.
One of the toughest lessons I learned is that change does not come about
overnight. Just because I put together a
dynamite lesson plan doesn’t necessarily mean that every student will “get it”
the first time around. Just because I
make a sincere effort to involve parents in the affairs of my class doesn’t
mean that every parent will come on board.
And just because I reprimand a student for some inappropriate behavior
doesn’t mean that he will change right away.
I have to always keep in mind that good teaching, like good gardening,
always involves a large measure of patience.
A gardener doesn’t expect all his seeds to sprout at the same time;
neither should a good teacher. I think
that if I can keep that concept in mind then I’ll be successful in this
profession.
Here’s an opportunity for a large dose of humility and an
equally large dose of reality. Show that
you’ve done some self-evaluation and demonstrate that you’ve learned something
in the process. You’ll win a lot of fans
that way.
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