How to Prepare for Your Teacher Interview
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In last week’s episode, we talked about reflective teaching. I want all of you to make a commitment to reflective teaching for the remainder of this school year and the upcoming school year. Simply set aside some time and spend five minutes reflecting on your teaching practices. The benefit of this is the growth that you will see as an educator!
It is that time of the year. I know test season is upon us, but some of you all are preparing for teaching interviews. Whether you currently have a teaching position or if you are a new teacher looking for one, preparing for interviews can be overwhelming. This week I want to share my personal story in finding an ESL position and what I have learned from being on interview panels.
When I transitioned into ESL, I was coming from a career in a non-education background. I was working at a company that supports people with their retirement options, so I had no clue on how to prepare for a teaching interview. I spent time researching on LinkedIn and Glassdoor but nothing prepared me for what was to come in the upcoming months of interviewing for positions. Before I get into my personal story, I want you to know not to give up. It can be difficult, but keep going and don’t settle.
My first interview I had was at an elementary school and it was a panel interview of teachers. I remember pulling up in the parking lot and everything being a blur. All I can remember was sitting down at the end of the table and being in my car. Needless to say, I did not get that job.
I received a second interview and this one really stood out to me and put a fire under me in a sense. I was interviewed at another elementary school. It was a panel interview (I hope you all are noticing this trend) and I am pretty sure I was being watched behind a one-way glass mirror. The teachers in this interview were firing off questions to me and I was trying my best to answer. It was in the middle of the interview that I realized that they were talking in “teacher language”. I call teacher language all the terms we use in education that everyday people are not used to hearing. I can remember thinking to myself “The Praxis did not prepare me for these questions.” When I got in the car, I wrote down every question they asked me that I remembered so I could research some answers. I did not get that job either, but I learned a lot from that interview.
The third interview I had was actually at the school I am currently at now, but I did not get the job on the initial interview. I went into the interview with my prepared questions from the last interview. It was another panel interview and the panel that interviewed me didn’t think I was a good fit for the position. At this point, I was getting really discouraged. I was under this impression that it would be really easy to get a teaching job.
After the third interview, I tried some networking sessions and those did not work out either. I had an upcoming fourth interview at another elementary school. By this time, I had a clearer understanding of the interview process. Surprisingly this time it was a one-on-one interview. She showed me around the school and was really excited to have me there. She did inform me after the interview that they had gone with a more experienced candidate.
The following week, I had two more interviews. I decided to reapply at the current school I am at now and another middle school. The fifth interview I had at the other middle school was one of the worst interviews I have ever been on in my life. I could tell from the interview it was a place that I would not have been happy at during my teaching career. After the fifth interview, I said to myself that this next interview has to be it.
I interviewed again at my current school with a different panel. I went into the interview honest, open, and vulnerable. If I didn’t know the answer, I was truthful. I did let them know that I was open and willing to learn. The next day I got a notification that they offered me the job.
I wanted to share those experiences because I wish I would have heard some teacher interview stories myself. If I heard stories about other educators’ experiences it would have me be better prepared during the interview process.
I promised you some strategies and tips that I have learned from being interviewed by teacher panels and being on teacher interview panels. First, get yourself familiar with teacher language. What I mean is learn the buzzwords of education. There is also a guide called “The Education Week Guide to K-12 Terminology” This is an amazing guide and will help you with those education terms that often pop up on interviews. The above is an affiliate link so thank you for supporting.
The second tip is to research interview questions that are commonly asked. I usually do this through Glassdoor. Glassdoor is a goldmine for interview questions and is a great way to help you feel prepared for your upcoming teaching interview.
The third tip is walk in expecting a panel interview. This means you need to get prepared for a group of people asking you questions. You should also print off more than one copy of your resume just in case the panel interview had not printed them off. I would suggest printing 5-7 extra copies.
My fourth tip is to research the schools that you are going to interview. Learn about their demographics, neighborhood, and whatever information you can find on the website. This will give you an idea about the activities and the people at the school.
Finally, create a list of questions that you want to ask the panel of interviewers. They want to hear your questions. Also, remember you are interviewing them as well. So create that list of questions. You can ask about the work environment, what activities they offer, and how do they support new and returning teachers.
Whether you are looking for a new position or gearing up to start interviewing as a new teacher, I hope my story and these strategies helped you out.
How do you prepare for interviews? Share your answer in our private Facebook community “My Adventures in ESL”. Don’t forget to download The Ultimate ESL Teacher Guide. This guide will prepare you for the upcoming year as an ESL teacher.
