Reality Check

FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK:      “It is not always the most qualified candidate who gets the job.  It is, quite often, the best prepared candidate who gets the job.”

            Let’s face it – teaching is tough and teaching interviews are also tough.  Don’t, for a minute, think that an interview is a casual walk through the park.  Far from it!  Under the best of circumstances it is a time when two individuals meet – one is trying to sell something, the other is trying to decide if she/he wants to buy it.  And the stakes are enormous.

·      The cost of hiring a brand new teacher is estimated to be approximately $75,000 - a figure that includes salary, benefits, training, health insurance, retirement fund and other “extras” for one year

·      An average teacher will earn approximately $4.2 million dollars (in salary alone) over the course of a 35-year career.  That’s quite an investment for a school district.  As you might imagine, they want to be sure they get their money’s worth.

When you are buying a new product (a new TV, a new car, a new computer) there are typically three things you want to know:

1.      Will I like it?

2.      Will it work properly?

3.      How long will it last?

Guess what, those are the same three questions an administrator want to know about every candidate who interviews for a teaching position (Will I like her/him?  Will she/he do an outstanding job?  Does she/he have specific strengths that address our educational goals for the long term?).  Answer all three questions to the satisfaction of the interviewer and, guess what, you have a job!  Fail to answer any one of them and you’ll probably find yourself in an endless series of interviews.

First Impressions

            Your mother was absolutely right when she told you, “You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.”

INSIDER TIP:      There is a considerable bank of research studies which proves that interviewers form an opinion about a job candidate in the first 15 to 20 seconds of an interview.  Yes, you read that right – the first 15 to 20 seconds!

Suffice it to say it is vital…no, it is critical…that you establish a good first impression as soon as you walk in the door (even before).  The clothes you wear, the style of your hair, the amount of perfume you have on, the condition of your shoes, the firmness of your handshake, and the excitement in your voice will all (collectively) send a powerful message to an interviewer about who you are.  Mess up on any one of those initial “contacts” and you will probably mess up the crucial first impression you want an interviewer to have.

            It is quite possible you can overcome a poor first impression with a stellar interview, but why put yourself at a disadvantage the moment you walk through the door?  Give yourself every advantage, every “brownie point” you can.  Knowing that your shoes are shined, that you are making direct eye contact, that your suit was recently dry-cleaned, and that you removed that humongous nose ring from your face will give you the extra confidence you want to do an outstanding interview.

§   Be absolutely certain you are dressed professionally.  Don’t wear your “college clothes” – wear the clothes of a professional educator.  For men that means a coat and tie; for women it means a classic blouse and skirt.  Your attire should be on the conservative side, your shoes should be shined to a brilliant gloss, and your jewelry should be at a minimum.  Oh, cover those tattoos.

§   Keep a close eye on your body language.  Give the interviewer a firm handshake and look him or her in the eye in responding to every question.  Make sure your feet are planted firmly on the floor and you hands are not stuck in your pockets or smoothing back your hair.  Sit up straight in the chair and lean slightly forward.

§   Practice your delivery.  Don’t speak in a monotone - your voice delivery should be enthusiastic and confident.  Be sure to enunciate all your words and please stay away from any slang (“Yeah, my college supervisor was a totally awesome dude!”).

Performance Interviews

          These situations are less about the interview and more about the performance.  Typically you are not asked any questions (although a few follow-up questions may be posed), rather you are asked to demonstrate your teaching expertise in a classroom-type or school-related environment.  Administrators want to see if you can put your knowledge into practice – can you teach, can you handle the ancillary duties that go along with teaching, and can you take your textbook knowledge and demonstrate how it works in practice.

            Keep in mind that the situations you may face in these kinds of interviews are artificial (you frequently won’t be doing them in a real classroom with real students); nevertheless you will need to demonstrate the same behaviors, skills, and talents that would be expected of a teacher on a day-to-day basis.  The teaching environment may be contrived, but this opportunity to put theory into practice must never be.  Don’t try to fake your way through one of these experiences – your lack of knowledge or insincerity will come through loud and clear.  Think of this as just one more element – one more day - in your student teaching experience and you’ll be surprised at how well you actually do.

·      Teaching a Lesson – Many schools and districts are asking teacher candidates to teach a demonstration lesson as part of the interview process.  In some cases you may get to select the lesson to be taught; in others a subject or specific set of objectives are presented to you in order to craft a unique lesson.  Often you’ll be asked to teach a full lesson (perhaps 45 minutes in length).  At other times you may be asked to teach a mini-lesson (an abbreviated form of a standard lesson).  In most cases the lesson will not be taught in a regular classroom, but will be presented in a board room, seminar room, or other location in the administrative offices or a special school location.  The audience may include a selection of district administrators and, quite possibly, a few classroom teachers.

Quite often, you will be told to imagine that the assembled administrators and teachers are a class full of students and that you should teach your sample lesson as though you were teaching it to elementary or high school students.  One of my former students was asked to teach a specific music lesson to a group of about six administrators.  She said the sight of a half-dozen administrators singing and dancing around a conference room was one she will never forget.  Another one of my students was asked to teach a life science lesson incorporating two specific science standards.  She developed a “hands-on” lesson using earthworms and still fondly remembers the superintendent getting very ill when asked to handle some of the critters (in spite of that [or because of it], she did get the job).

Who's the Toughest Professor You've Ever had?

Q:  Who’s the toughest professor you’ve ever had, and why?

A:  There’s no question – that would be Dr. Sutherland.  I took three methods courses from him and he always asked hard questions.  He never asked the easy questions…the factual questions…he always pushed me mentally, always made me think outside the box.  He was never satisfied with a simple answer – he always wanted an explanation, a reason, a personal opinion.  I probably thought more in his classes than in all my other classes combined.  But you know what?  I became a better question-asker with my students as a result of his probing and pushing.  Yes, he was tough – but he was also a good model!

            Here’s a delightful opportunity to put a positive spin on one of your challenges.  Don’t make the mistake of tearing someone down – of “bad-mouthing” someone.  You’ll never win a friend with the interviewer if you do.  Use this question as a chance to show how you are continuing to grow as both a teacher and as a person.

FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK:      One candidate made the mistake of badmouthing a particular professor who (according to the candidate) “…wouldn’t even let us text message during his godawful boring lectures!”  What the candidate didn’t realize was that the professor was the principal’s brother.

What are your goals in education?

Q:   What are your goals in education?  Where do you see yourself five years from now?  How does this position fit into your career plans?

A:   First, I want to be the best teacher possible.  To do that, I’ve set three primary goals for myself.  I’d like a position that challenges me; one where I can continue to grow and develop as a teacher.  Second, I’d like to be a positive influence in the lives of children at both the cognitive and affective level.  Third, I’d like to include the community in the total education of children.  Based on what I have learned so far, I believe Running Brook Elementary School offers me the best opportunity to accomplish those goals.  I would hope to be here for many years – growing, learning, and contributing right alongside my students.

            You can always count on being asked this question in an interview.  The interviewer wants some assurance that you plan to stay in the school/district for an extended period of time.  This is also a great opportunity to answer the always unasked question (see "The Most Important Question" in an earlier post) since your permanence in the school/district will relieve the principal of one more responsibility – hiring another teacher.  In short, the principal wants to know if you plan to stay in the position over the long haul and if you’ve given thought to the future beyond your first year of teaching.