Are You Up To Date?

When interviewed, principals want to know if you are well-versed in the current events pertaining to education.  Do you know what is "hot" right Now?  Are you well-versed on current issues?  Do you have a position about the role of education in American society?  Your ability to answer questions like those will often determine if you really "know your stuff."  Here's a typical query that gets asked in many interviews:

     What is the most exciting initiative happening in education today?

     A:   For me, the most exciting initiative is the emphasis on Differentiated Instruction.  I know that DI is a way of teaching that relies on a toolbox robust enough to provide different learning pathways to a wide range of learners.  I cannot say, for example, “I taught it, so they must have gotten it.”  What is critical for me is knowing the essential curriculum and the individual learners; plus developing the wisdom to know which developmentally appropriate strategy to use with whom.  The challenge for me is to learn, and be able to use, a repertoire of strategies that will make a difference in each and every student’s learning.

Talk to your former professors.  Read the latest journals.  Consult with area teachers.  Know what is happening in education…not yesterday, but today.  And then, show how you will address that initiative in your own classroom.