Know Your Themes - Part III

     We've been talking about the essential themes that show up in every interview.  Knowing those themes ahead of time can put you ahead of the competition and establish you as a teacher candidate worthy of serious consideration.
     Consider these next two themes as critical ones - they can, in many ways, make or break your interview.
 

5.  Professionalism

            You’re about to get a college education.  Great!  But, that doesn’t mean your learning has ended.  The field of education is changing rapidly – new technology, new standards, new curricula – lots of new stuff.  Your willingness and eagerness to continue your education is a key factor in your “hireability.”  Candidates who assume that just because they have a degree their education is over are those who never succeed in an interview.  Any principal or administrator wants to know that you are a constant learner – that you are willing to keep learning through graduate courses, in-service programs, on-line seminars and webinars, membership in professional organizations, books, magazines and journals, and a host of other professional opportunities that signal your eagerness to keep your education moving forward.
            Where do you see yourself five years from now?  What are your plans for graduate school?  In what area of teaching do you still need some improvement?  Tell me about a book you’ve read recently.  What are the essential traits of a good teacher?  Do you belong to any professional organizations?  One of my lifelong mantras as a teacher has always been: “The best teachers are those who have as much to learn as they do to teach.”  Be prepared to demonstrate how you might embrace this quotation in your everyday activities.

6.  Management and Discipline
            You’ve probably seen classrooms in which students were orderly, work was productive, and a sense of purpose and direction filled the room.  You might also have seen classrooms that were chaotic, disruptive, and seemingly out of control.  Maybe you were even a student in one or both of those classrooms at some time in your educational career.  Principals are vitally interested in how you plan to manage your classroom.  Your management skills and discipline policy will be vitally important in the decision to hire you.  Know that you will be asked more than one question in this area.  Read, research, and review everything you can – your success here will frequently be a major deciding point.
            To establish a positive classroom environment, share what you will do the first few weeks of school with your students.  How do you create and maintain positive rapport with your students?  How would you deal with a student who was always late to class?  Describe your discipline policy in detail.  Describe some classroom rules you would use.  To many administrators nothing is more important than a well-crafted discipline policy and a well-articulated management plan.  Be prepared to share your thoughts on both.

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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INTERVIEW THEMES

    Every principal or hiring authority wants to know several things about any teacher candidate.  As a result, most teacher interviews revolve around eight basic themes.  Your success in an interview will be based in large measure on how you fulfill each (and all) of these eight themes.  The following two themes head our list:

1.  A Passion for Teaching

            When I interviewed elementary and secondary principals and asked them to identify the single-most important characteristic in a quality teacher candidate, guess what they all told me?  You guessed it – “A Passion for Teaching!”
            Do you have a passion for teaching?  How do you demonstrate that passion?  What activities, projects, or assignments have you engaged in that demonstrate your passion for teaching?  What have you done that shows you are willing to go the extra mile for students?  What have you done that demonstrates your sincere commitment to teaching?  Where have you gone above and beyond?  Did you do something in student teaching beyond the ordinary?  Did you do something during your pre-service years that went above and beyond your college’s requirements for teacher certification?  What truly excites you about teaching?  What “floats your boat”?

 

2.  Skills and Experience

            One of the first things you need to do in any interview is to establish your ability to do the job.  In a nutshell – Can you teach and can you teach effectively?  In most interviews these will be the initial set of questions you’ll be asked.  Many of these questions will be factual in nature and will provide you with an opportunity to highlight your skills and talents and how they will be used in a classroom setting.  This is when you must offer specific information rather than generalities.  It is also the time to be completely objective about yourself – with confidence and assurance.
           How do you put together a lesson plan?  What do you do when a lesson isn’t working?  Describe one of your best lessons?  What will you bring to the teaching profession?  Why should we hire you?  Why do you want to be a teacher?  What did you learn in student teaching?  Please don’t make the mistake of assuming that these are easy questions – they are not!  They are often asked near the beginning of the interview because they help “set up” the rest of the interview.  Positive answers to these questions help ensure the success of the entire interview.

Five More Mistakes

You Don't Want to Make

 

     In the last posting I talked about some of the big mistakes that can doom your interview.  If you go back and read that list you will note that all of those errors are under your control - that is, you have the power to stop them from ever happening.  What you will see below is an additional set of mistakes that teacher candidates often make.  Think about how you might control these, too.  By thinking about these errors well in advance of any interview you can prevent them from ever sinking your chances of a successful job offer.

1.  Has No Questions for the Interviewer

     You may be surprised to learn that many professional interviewers believe that asking questions in an interview is much more important than answering them.  By asking your own questions you are demonstrating an interest in that particular school or district.  Don’t make the fatal mistake, when asked if you have any questions, of saying, “No, not really.  I think we’ve covered pretty much everything.”

2.  Has a Negative Attitude

     Listening to someone with a negative attitude is always a drain – emotionally, psychologically, and personally.  The same holds true for someone who is always badmouthing other people.  Principals don’t hire “bad attitudes” – they want people with a positive outlook, a good sense of humor, a sunny disposition, and an engaging personality.

3.  Is Unprepared

     Principals will know, within the first 2-3 minutes, if you haven’t prepared for the interview.  Simple solution: Be prepared!

4.  Doesn’t Know Current Educational Issues

     Are you up-to-date on the most current educational trends, issues, and concerns?  Do you know what’s “hot” in the field of teaching?  Are you reading a variety of educational journals and professional publications?  Are you aware of any current or pending educational legislation in your state?  If you can’t answer “Yes” to all of those questions, then you have some homework ahead of you. 

5.  Displays No Knowledge of the School or District

     Give yourself an advantage.  Do your homework (many will not) and conduct some research on the school or district.  What is their overall philosophy?  How many schools do they have and where are they located?  Do most of the teachers have master’s degrees?  How much does the local community support the school/district?  How many students are in the school/district? 



Don’t Mess Up!

Top Ten Interview Mistakes

You Can’t Afford to Make

            I want to provide you with the most practical information on how to have a successful interview.  I also wanted to let you know about some of the mistakes teacher candidates typically made – mistakes that often doomed their chances, cost them the job, or derailed their chances for employment.  These are the mistakes that pop up often enough that they deserve your special attention.  These events happen so frequently and in so many interviews across the country, that they seem to be persistent – a virus that far too often sneaks its way into an interview and “contaminates” any chance you have of getting hired.  Following are the biggest “boo-boo’s” teacher candidates make in their interviews:

      1.  Uses a Cell Phone

      Here’s a fact of life: your cell phone will not help you get a job, but it does have the potential to make sure you never do get a job.  Here’s the best piece of advice I can give you, and I know it will be painful for some: leave your cell phone in your car.  DO NOT take it into the school, DO NOT take it into the interview, DO NOT even think about it.  If you spend any time on your cell phone while in the school or in the interview you will be sending a very powerful (negative) message to the interviewer: my business is more important than your business.

      2.  Is Tardy

     First impressions count!  Get to the interview late and you will make one of the worst impressions ever.  It makes no difference what your reasons are or what kinds of excuses you use (one of my favorites - “Your secretary gave me really lousy directions.”).  If you are late, you are out!  In case you think this is not a common occurrence, one recent research report showed that 50 percent (yes, 50 percent) of job candidates were tardy for their interviews.  If you really want the job, then you’ll really be on time.  Don’t be rude, be punctual!

      3.  Presents a Poor Appearance

      O.K. here’s your basic list:  Don’t wear clothing inappropriate for an interview, get rid of any body jewelry, 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, get a haircut or a hair styling, trim your nails, brush your teeth and 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.

      4.  Lacks confidence

      If you don’t walk into the school or into an interview room with a degree of self-confidence you will be putting yourself at a disadvantage.  Practice all the tips, ideas, and strategies in Ace Your Teacher Interview and you’ll have the confidence you need to impress an interviewer and do well in the actual interview.

 

      5.  Is Not Focused

      Jumping around from topic to topic, not completing an answer, losing your focus, stopping and starting several times when responding to a question, and a plethora of incoherent or incomprehensible thoughts will surely doom any interview.  Trust me, it happens – more than you might imagine – and if it continues, it is a sure sign that the interview will probably end prematurely.

(Next Posting: Five More Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make)