Who Am I To Give Advice?

I've been on 12 job interviews during my teaching career:  I was offered every position except two on the spot.  An uninformed person might conclude that I'm just that good: but the truth is, I'm fortunate to have sought positions during extreme teacher shortages.   It's kind of like getting excited about selling your house in 2 days...in a seller's market.  Who would have expected anything less?  If teachers are the 'buyers', then it's definitely been a buyer's market where I've lived in Washington, D.C. and south Florida.  Teacher turnover is extremely high and the colleges aren't producing enough graduates to fill the positions.  Therefore, rather than having to 'sell myself', principals have always spent the majority of the interview trying to 'sell' me their school.  My advice on this page comes from that perspective, so I'm really not the best person to advise you on landing a position that 50 (or more) other teachers are vying for.  At the bottom of the page, I'll recommend some more resources to help you.  But, even if you're in a tight job market, it's still important to think about what YOU want and need in a work environment, and I hope my ideas will remind you to consider that, as well.  :-)

What To Wear

My personal opinion is that a prospective teacher should dress more formally for an interview than for the actual job itself.   A pants or dress suit for women almost always makes a good impression.  If you are a creative person, it can pay off to express that a little bit in your clothing through jewelry or unusual prints or fabrics, as it can set you apart from other candidates.  The overall look, though, should be conservative and not a distraction from what you are saying.  Clothing is a very personal preference, and I believe you should wear something you feel like yourself in and that will make you feel comfortable during the interview.  Show a few people what you plan to wear and get their opinions, as well- if they just can't picture you walking out in public in the oufit you had planned, it might not be the best choice to represent who you really are. (Side story for your amusement- I wore distressed denim jeans to interview for the school I'm at now. I had flown up north for a funeral and was heading back. I checked my messages during the layover and the principal had left a message saying she needed to make a hiring decision that day.  I called her as I boarded the plane for the last leg of the flight and scheduled the interview for 30 minutes after I would land in Florida.  I had no time to change clothes because the appointment was already at 4:45, well after school hours, and of course the flight was delayed.  I sped into the parking lot and ran into the office, sweating and panting, wearing acid-blast gray fitted jeans and a leather jacket (of course it was 85 degrees in Florida).  I looked ridiculous and was absolutely mortified at how unprofessional I appeared... but I got the job. :-)  See, now, you couldn't possibly wear anything worse than that, right?)

Often-Asked Interview Questions

There are thousands of questions a prospective employer might ask, but I would suggest thinking out your responses to the following, as variations of them are used often.  Interview questions usually fall into the following categories, with at least one asked from each section.  Click on a category to read ideas for sample responses.

Philosophy of Education

-What is your philosophy of education?

-What are the components of a lesson?

-What is your approach to reading instruction?

Instructional Strategies

-How would you help a struggling reader?

-Do you use centers, and if so, how?

-What are some strategies you would use to teach math?

Classroom Management

-What kind of classroom discipline plan would you use?

-What would you do for a constantly disruptive student?

Assessment

-How do you check to see if each student understands the material you are teaching?

-What kind of assessment methods would you use in your classroom?

Technology

-How would you incorporate technology into your lessons?

-How would you describe your own technological skills- beginner, intermediate, or advanced?

-What computer programs are you familiar with?

Team Collaboration

-How would you utilize your team member’s experience to benefit your students?

-What is your philosophy about team teaching?

Professional Development

-Where do you see yourself 20 years from now, professionally speaking?

-What committees have you served on, or are you interested in serving on?

-What role would you like to play in school improvement?

Special Needs Students

-What experience have you had with special needs students?

-How comfortable would you be with special needs students in a general needs setting?

-What would you do to help a child with ADHD in your classroom?

Classroom Scenarios

-What would you do if you had planned a lesson but the students just weren’t understanding what you were teaching and were not ready to move on to the next activity?

-What would you do to help a child who was unable to finish work on time/ stay focused during your lessons/ refrain from hitting other students?

Parent Involvement

-What would you do to encourage parents to be more involved in their child’s education?

-How do you establish a good report with parents?

Personal Questions

-What are your two biggest strengths and weaknesses?

-Why would you like to teach at this school?

-What is your grade level preference, and why?

-Why do you think you would be a good match for this school/ what can you offer us that no other candidate can?

Tips For Answering Interview Questions

1.  Smile, smile, smile!  Good teachers are friendly and warm with their students, and you want to convey that during your interview. 

2.  Be a good listener.  Pay close attention to what the principal is saying.  Maintain eye contact and don’t be afraid to ask questions- it shows you are interested.

3.  Pause to think before answering.  Don’t feel rushed to say anything that comes into your head.  Give yourself a moment or two to reflect on the question, take a breath, and then reply.

4.  Don’t be afraid to admit when you don’t know how to answer.  You can laugh good-naturedly and say, “Wow, that’s a tough one.  Let me think about that for a moment…”.  If you still feel unable to come up with a satisfactory answer, say something to the effect of, “I think my actions would depend on the specific situation and child involved.  I might ___, or maybe even ____”.  If you’re really stumped, you could explain, “I would really try to utilize the experience of my co-workers on this one.  I would confide in an experienced and trusted team member and ask for his or her advice and support.  I’m not afraid to admit that I don’t have all the answers, and if asking for help would bring the most benefit to the students, I wouldn’t hesitate to do so”.  Or, you could say, “I would need to give this situation a lot of time and thought so I could make the best decision for my students.  I would research the issue a little more by talking to the parents/ my co-workers/ principal/ going on the internet before deciding on any actions."

5.  Read this short article on answering tough interview questions from the Education Oasis.

Key Phrases to Integrate (And Which Ones Not To) 

Find out what the “buzzwords” are for the district you are applying to.  Buzzwords are the latest educational jargon for the techniques that are really being pushed in school systems, and are often very regional.  Buzzwords for your area might include differentiation, balanced literacy, hands-on learning, cooperative learning (although this is falling out of favor in some schools), inclusion, print-rich environment, real world learning, pro-active discipline, standards-based learning, flexible grouping, and so on.

There may be certain teaching techniques or terms that have become outdated in local schools.  Consider carefully the terms round robin reading (replaced by popcorn reading or other techniques which don’t involve calling on students in order); individualizing (has been replaced by differentiation, a very different concept, in many places); emotionally handicapped or severely emotionally disturbed (now called emotionally involved- actually I think they've changed it again) etc. 

Spend some time talking to teachers in the district you are applying to, or at least spend some time on the district website.  While buzzwords may not make or break an interview, being up to date on current trends in the school system can only be an asset for you.

Portfolio Or No? (And how are you supposed to use those things, anyway?)

Short answer:  If you have the time to make one, do it.  It can’t hurt!  If you don’t have time, don’t worry.  I’ve gotten job offers with and without a portfolio, and there are plenty of employed teachers who have never created portfolios in their lives.

In my opinion, the purpose of a portfolio is to support your interview answers.  In other words, if the principal asks what kind of centers you do, you should have pictures of them to show.  If s/he wants to know how you involve parents, take out the monthly activities you created for families to do together.  Very rarely does a principal have the time to sit and read a portfolio, and personally, I don’t think most of them are interested in the things that colleges require teachers to include, such as philosophies of education, evaluations, and research papers done for courses.  I think a principal would much rather hear you describe those things with ‘props’ than read a five page paper. 

So, what should you include? 

-worksheets and activities you created

-photos of your classroom, centers, special projects, and events

-examples of completed student work on a project you designed

-evidence of something creative you’ve done in the classroom (a postcard exchange, Mystery Reader program, program for parents, etc.)

-lesson plans that you can use to help you as you describe what you did and what the objective was (not for you to hand to the principal to read)

Organize your portfolio in a way that makes sense to you.  You want to be able to flip to the item you’re looking for quickly, so use simple section headings that you’ll remember how to navigate.   You could use the categories of interview questions I listed above (Philosophy of Education, Instructional Strategies, Classroom Management, etc.) so you are prepared with evidence for any type of question.   If you had to create a portfolio in college but hated the sections they made you use, you don't have to make a new portfolio, just rearrange things so you can easily find them.

Now many teachers have online portfolios in which interviewers can read your resume, see photos of activities you've done, view lesson ideas and your philosophy of teaching, etc. before they even meet with you.  This sounds like an incredible asset to me and definitely worth doing, especially in a tight job market.

Do Your Research BEFORE You Interview!

Go to the school system's website.  You want to know as much as possible about the school as you can BEFORE you agree to spend the next year working there.  Find out about test scores, ESOL population (English learners), Title I populations (low income), racial backgrounds of students, average class size (not always indicated accurately on the website), school boundaries (so you know which neighborhoods the kids come from), the feeder schools (which middle/high schools the kids will eventually go to), etc.  If you're not familiar with the school district, look up statistics on them, as well, including how many schools there are, where the higher-achieving schools are located, how test scores have compared over recent years, etc.  Ask other teachers what they've heard, as well: schools and administrations have reputations that may not be accurate, but are worth hearing about, especially if you get multiple opinions.  You want to combine as much information as you can.

If you love data analysis like I do, you won't have a problem.  But if just reading the above paragraph has bored you to tears, let me explain:  the more you know about the school you're interviewing at, the more knowledgable you'll sound while interviewing.  And, the more intelligent and informed questions you'll be able to ask, and the more you'll be able to tell if the school is a good fit for you.  If most of your kids won't speak English as a first language, wouldn't you want to know that up front?  Don't depend on the principal to disclose this information!  If you discover that half of your students come from a mobile home community and half come from single family homes that start at 600K, you'll be prepared when the principal asks how you would address the needs of families from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.  Being informed may set you apart from other candidates who walk in blindly with no knowledge of the community or school's history: it shows you are interested in the job as well as the families and students you'll be working with.

Knowledgable Questions to ASK Your Potential Supervisor (Don’t Skip This Step!!!)

A lot of new teachers make the mistake of thinking they are the ones being interviewed.  This is only partially true.  Even if the job market is very competitive in your area, you are still interviewing the principal to see if the job is right for you.  It would be better to have to substitute for awhile or work out of your field than to sign a year-long contract working with the boss from hell at the school from hell.    Do your research before accepting any positions!

1. Why is the teacher in the position I am interviewing for leaving?  (Answers you want to hear: relocating out of area; transferring to another school closer to home; maternity leave; staying in the school but moving to another grade level.  Answers you don’t want to hear:  Transferring to another school in the same district for any reason other than commute length; leaving the profession).
2. How does your average teacher turnover compare with the rest of the school district?  (Turnover of less than 15% is good, in my opinion.  If turnover is higher at this school than the district average, there could be a reason why the school can’t retain teachers.  You might be able to research this on the internet, preferably before the interview. Hearing a principal explain turnover can give you a different perspective, though).
3. What have the school’s standardized test scores been like in recent years?  (Improvement is more important than high scores, expecially with at-risk student populations.  The principal’s reaction to this question is often more telling than the scores themselves- if s/he gets nervous, defensive, or agitated, that might be a sign that the tests are a sore subject and cause a lot of tension in the building).
4. Do you require written lesson plans to be turned in?  (I would not advise working for a principal who does.  Not only is it a sign of micro-management and a lack of trust, but it takes too much of your time away from the students.  It is reasonable for a principal to expect you to have written documentation of what you’re teaching for the day (ie, a lesson plan book written in a format that works for you and is written for your own use), but typed lesson plans and plans posted on the internet indicate a focus on things other than the students, in my opinion.
5. How much planning time do teachers receive?
6. What’s the average class size?
7. What’s the ESOL population at the school?  How will I be equipped to meet their needs?
8. Will special needs students be mainstreamed into my room?  What resources will be available for me to use with them?
9. What kind of support systems will I have as a new teacher?
10. How many years of experience does my grade-level team have?  (You want at least one veteran teacher at your level for support).

IMPORTANT NOTE: It's hard to convey tone on a computer.  Let me be clear: ask these questions humbly, smiling, genuinely listening to the responses. This is not the Spanish Inquisition, and you're not trying to trick or trap the person interviewing you into revealing a fatal flaw about the school.  If their answers are vague and unhelpful, I would still nod and accept the response.  Use your judgement about what's appropriate to ask and which questions would be pushing over the edge of enthusiastic and inquisitive into the realm of presumptuous and pushy.  

Things To Look For When You Tour The School

If at all possible, try to tour when school is still in session.  Being able to see the students for yourself, and the way the staff interacts with them, will tell you more than any questions you could ask.  Remember that things are more laid-back at the end of the school year.  Spend as much time at the school as possible, and try to talk to any teachers you see.

Cleanliness- Is there trash on the ground? (In urban areas you might notice some outside on school grounds, which is more a reflection of the community than the students.  Determine whether this will bother you or not). Are the floors waxed and carpets generally clean?  How do the bathrooms smell?  (Expect some mess and odor in the children's bathrooms but overall sanitiation with plenty of paper towels, soap, toilet paper.  This may sound obvious, but I once taught in a school in which the doors to the bathroom stalls were hanging off and they refused to give the kids soap or paper towels because they claim the kids made too much of a mess).  How does the school smell?  (Remember, you'll have to live with that smell 40+ hours a week!).

Orderliness- If classes are in session, are kids loitering in the hallway?  Do they walk or run?  Do they have passes or are they roaming freely?  Are the classes in the hall walking in straight quiet lines or doing whatever they want?

Classroom Management- Are teachers yelling at students?  Are there kids standing or sitting in the hallway as a punishment?  Are the kids basically on task or is there a sense of chaos in the room?  Is the noise level reasonable?  (Remember, you’ll be able to hear through the walls in most cases).   Are the teachers teaching or sitting at their desks?

Attractiveness- (Again, this area will be compromised during the summer time- and you won’t be able to tell).  Are there bulletin board displays in the halls?  Are teacher’s rooms organized and clean?  Are posters and student work displayed?  Are the furniture arrangements conducive to learning?  These things matter because they are indications of good teaching.  You want to be surrounded by co-workers who know what they’re doing and are providing a top-notch education to their kids.   Also notice whether you will have four solid walls, windows, a door, or a carpeted area.   These things are not neccesarily a given.

Friendliness- Do the faculty and staff smile and greet you?  Are you given an extensive tour and introduced to key school workers?  How do people react when they find out you’re a prospective teacher? At one school in which I interviewed, the staff seemed either indifferent, as if I was just another teacher in an ever-revolving door, or seemed so desperate for good teachers I was scared off. 

Interactions- How does the administration respond to others?  When in the presence of students, does s/he greet them (sometimes by name), ignore them, or bark orders?  When passing parents, does s/he speak to them?  (During one tour, I actually had a parent and the principal get into a yelling match and a near physical confrontation in which the parent said he was going to whip her you-know-what and the principal, a woman, said bring it on!  I swear, I could not make this stuff up if I tried).  How does s/he handle the concerns of staff when approached- does s/he take the time to answer or arrange for a time to meet with them later, or blow them off?  Is his/her tone accepting or critical?

Perks- Look for benefits specific to the school in which you are interviewing.  Examples include parking within close proximity to your classroom; unlimited use of copier, paper, and lamination; copier close to your classroom; new furniture; and bathroom/sink/water fountain in the classroom.  These are details you’ll want to keep in mind when deciding between two job offers that you really like.  They may sound like small things, but trust me, they will impact you on a daily basis!