What’s the best way to prepare?
We have completed one-to-one interview training with candidates for classroom teachers, Deputy Principals and Principals and, as you would expect – they do their homework! This means that prior to the interview training session they usually send us a list of questions they have heard through the grapevine may “come up” in the interview. The problem with this list is that it usually runs to over 100 different questions. There is NO WAY you can prepare effective answers to that amount of questions and you shouldn’t even try. You will more than likely get overwhelmed and forget half of what you thought you knew as soon as you enter the interview room.
So, what’s the best way to prepare for your teaching job interview?
To make your interview preparation manageable and productive we recommend you identify interview themes or areas to target and then think of questions that test each theme. We have identified six main areas to focus on and included a few questions for each theme to get you started.
1. Communication / Classroom Management
Typical Questions
What are your strategies for discipline?
What experience do you have of working with SNAs?
2. Teamwork
Typical Questions
Tell me about a time when you successfully contributed to a team
What would you do if you were not getting along with another member of staff?
3. Organisation and Planning
Typical Questions
How do you plan your work?
What system do you have in place for assessing and recording a students work and progress?
4. Self Awareness
Typical Questions
How do you evaluate your own teaching performance?
How would you describe your teaching style?
5. Initiative
Typical Questions
Tell me about a time when you showed initiative to improve a process
6. Commitment to the role and to the school ethos
Typical Questions
How would you contribute to overall positive staff relations and a good team spirit in our school?
What can you offer to the overall strategic development and planning of this school?
How would you uphold the ethos in the school?
Use the STAR method to structure your answers and remember that an interview panel will want examples of events that actually happened, not hypothetical ones.
Hilt works with candidates preparing for interviews for teacher, Deputy School Principal and School Principal roles. Contact us to discuss how we can help you excel at interview.
