Mistakes You Can't Afford!

Presenting a poor appearance

          Your mother was right - You don't get a second chance to make a first impression!  What's the first impression any interviewer gets?  That's right - how you look...your clothing...your demeanor...your appearance.  You can score major points here or you can absolutely blow the entire interview.

     So, here’s your basic list:  Don’t wear clothing inappropriate for an interview (tank tops, Crocs, and the T-shirt from Spring Break 2003 are definitely out), get rid of any body jewelry (the lip ring is cute, but you won’t impress any principal with it), cover up any and all tattoos, don’t use an excess of perfume or after shave lotion, take a bath or shower (with real soap) the morning of the interview, use a deodorant, go light with the jewelry and the makeup (save the fake eyelashes for Saturday night), get a haircut or a hair styling, trim your nails (fluorescent blue nail polish is out), brush your teeth and use a mouthwash (Oh, please use a mouthwash), ditch the gum and cigarettes, and put on your best smile.  One more thing: don’t drink any alcohol before an interview.  You definitely won’t be doing yourself any favors.

FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK:      In the course of my research for this book I interviewed scores of principals from every part of the country.  When I asked each of them for the #1 most common mistake teacher candidates make, over 90% of them replied, “Unprofessional dress or appearance.”

Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make - Part II

The previous blog provided you with some of the most common mistakes candidates make during an interview.  This post will include an additional 21 "boo-boo's" that often show up in teacher interviews.  Take a look at these and decide which ones might be problematic for you.  As with the previous posting, you will notice that all of these are under your direct control - all of these can be eliminated or reduced by you!  Let's take a look:
23. Not knowing current educational issues ("Response to Intervention...never heard of it!")
24. Know-it-alls
25. No knowledge of the school or district
26. Asking inappropriate questions ("Hey, dude, how much am I going to get paid for this job?")
27. Telling the interviewer what you think she/he wants to know
28. You believe your methods and philosophies are the only (or best) ones ("Differentiated instruction is a crock - I know how to whip all those kids into shape!")
29. Inflexibility
30. Negative body language
31. Demonstrates poor listening skills
32. Unwilling (or unable) to accept responsibility ("My professors obviously didn't know what they were talking about.")
33. No sense of direction
34. Lacks confidence and self-esteem ("Whatever you think.")
35. Is discourteous, ill-mannered, and disrespectful
36. "Not my job" syndrome ("Hey, you're not going to make me take some silly bus duty, are you?")
37. Blaming students ("I got that 'B' in student teaching 'cause I had some really stupid kids.')
38. Lack of passion
39. Engages in inappropriate behaviors
40. Volunteers inappropriate information ("My boyfriend is in jail for about the next six years.")
41. Is dishonest or deceptive
42. Is self-centered
43. Doesn't follow up ("Thank you notes are only for girlie types...and I'm not a girlie type")

     Later in this blog we'll address each one of these common mistakes in greater detail.  You'll learn why these behaviors can doom your interview and what (specifically) you can do to prevent them from ever happening.  Stay tuned!

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.

What is the Purpose of Assessment?

     Q:  What is the purpose of assessment?

     A:   Good assessment is multi-disciplinary and multi-faceted.  It should be designed to address four major concerns of every teacher.  One, it should provide meaningful feedback; that is to say, are students learning what I’m teaching?  Two, it should be used to effectively measure instruction; in other words, is the instruction tailored to the individual needs of students.  Three, assessment is used to assess and evaluate progress – are students progressing in a satisfactory manner.  And, four, assessment must inform instruction.  That is to say, it must be used to help develop appropriate activities that will ensure student success throughout a course or topic.  In adhering to these four basic concepts of assessment, I use tools such as projects, demonstrations, portfolios, rubrics, and writing samples to help me effectively gauge each student’s progress and performance in a lesson.

            Count on it!  You will be asked a question about assessment and its value in a lesson or unit.  Prepare yourself well for this query because it will come up in one form or another.  Review those notes you took a few semesters ago or get a copy of that old textbook on assessment and evaluation.  Know that this is a critical question and one that every good teacher – both elementary and secondary - should be prepared to answer.  Count on it!