1. Have your elevator speech ready to go. Typically the first question in an interview is a "tell me a bit about yourself". This is an opportunity to control that first impression in a compact 60 second elevator speech. Remember that the interviewer already has your resume so this 60 second speech serves two functions: it tells the interviewers what to focus on and communicates what you find important. This is the opportunity to infuse the faces with the story. Your elevator speech should leave a strong sense of what you value be it life-long learning, servant leadership, overcoming obstacles, etc.
2. Determine what 3 anecdotes or examples you want to bring up in the interview. Practice telling them succinctly. Was there a particular student who you worked with in order to meet their needs? Perhaps there was a particularly poignant lesson that made a lasting impact. Know these three and then look for opportunities to use these in the interview. Which leads me to the next one....
3. Answer your questions with examples to support. Anyone can say they differentiate or collaborate well with peers, but if you answer textbook answers, it shows you know the correct answer on a test, not anything about you and how you fit in the school culture. Savvy principals are
4. Avoid anything and everything that sounds like criticism. Don't criticize bosses, coworkers, parents, students, or even yourself. Negativity can be caustic on a campus and impact peers, so principals tend to avoid any potential employee who seem critical of others. This doesn't mean you can't show reflective thinking. In fact, acknowledging that after students were not successful you reflected upon your own practices, sought out resources to improve, and enacted a plan to make students successful is exactly what good educators do. But there is a line between reflection and criticism.
5. Practice, practice, practice. Pull up a list of potential interview questions from a number of sources and practice the answers. This will help you sound more confident when speaking. Don't try to memorize the exact phrases. you don't want to sound rehearsed, but you also don't want to fumble your way through a question. It is okay to stop and think before answering a few questions, but to it on every question and you may come off ill-prepared or a slow thinker.
Bonus: The dreaded "What is your greatest weakness?" Personally, I hate this question because people have to prepare for it which makes the responses usually canned and I'm not convinced it does the interview committee any favors. So think instead what is the purpose of this question. Is it really to find out someones weakness? Probably not. At best it can show reflective practices and areas of growth. I feel it is better to highlight a past area that needed growth and how you sought out resources and monitored your growth. Then connect to a hypothetical area that will be the weakness and how you would expect yourself to work just as hard on making strides so it isn't a weakness. For example, if you are going to a new District, the area for growth would be learning the procedures and policies of that District. Explain that will be something you focus on and outline how you expect to grow in that regard. Or it may be a new school with a new team. A new grade level or content area. If trying to gain a higher position on your current campus, it will be learning the components of that position while still serving well.
What interview questions have you stumped? What's some good advice you've heard? Comment below!
Your answer about areas of growth is perfect. Having interviewed hundreds of teacher candidates, it is always, always, always an area of strength couched as a weakness (work too hard, care too much, focus on details too much). Your suggested answer would really stand out to an interviewer (unless too many people read your post).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great post on your blog, it really gives me an insight on this topic.
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Hi Sara, thanks so much for your posts! I came across a lesson you created on Commonsense Media, and I wanted to ask if I could have your release to include it in my forthcoming book with Teachers College Press. You can reach me at youngwhan.choi@gmail.com
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