How To Do Well In A Teaching Job Interview

This is the climax of several years of hard work. You've completed college. You're through with your student teaching and you've passed all of your teacher certification examinations. The applications, resumes, and cover letters have been sent out to every local school district.

All you can do now is sit around the house and wait for the phone to ring, right? Wrong! You should be preparing for your interview!
I've been to the interview table several times as a candidate and many more times as an interviewer. If there are any tricks, secrets, or shortcuts to success in the interviewing process, I haven't discovered them. My only sound advice for prospects is to come to the interview prepared.
You should have your teaching portfolio in-hand and you should be ready to talk about anything and everything that relates to you, your background, and your philosophies on education. The best prospects know how to teach, they know how to articulate their teaching beliefs, and most of the time, they already know what types of questions will be asked before the interview even begins.
It's easy for an interviewer to spot an unprepared candidate. Prospects who have not practiced basic interview questions beforehand are unnaturally nervous. They shift in their seats more. They begin most answers with the word, "uhhhhh." There are long pauses while interviewers wait for the candidate to process the question and think up an reply. They get confused by basic educational jargon that they learned in college.
Almost every teaching interview includes similar, common questions. In order to be a prepared candidate, all you have to do is practice answering the most common questions before you go to the interview. If you prepare beforehand, the interview questions will seem routine and familiar. There are no tricks or shortcuts; if you do your homework you'll perform well.
At the interview, be confident, but not cocky. Greet the people interviewing you with a smile and a nod. Firmly shake the hand of the principal and other interviewers that are within easy reach. When you take your seat, sit up straight with your feet on the floor and your hands in a relaxed position on the desk.
Prepare to make some humorous small talk when you are greeted. For example, if a principal shakes your hand and asks how you are, it's okay to say, "A nervous wreck!" A whimsical introduction can break the ice. Be sure your sense of humor is clean and appropriate for an interview.
Have a teaching portfolio ready. Your portfolio should contain extra copies of your resume, a copy of your teaching certificate, sample lesson plans, samples of student work, and any other evidence that shows you are a qualified candidate for a teaching position. It should be bound in a neat, professional-looking leather binder. Place the portfolio in front of you when you sit down at the interview table.
Don't wait for anyone to mention the portfolio. Instead, you should use it as a instrument to describe your teaching experiences. For example, if you are asked to describe a lesson that involves teaching writing, you might say, "Yes, I can show you! I have a sample of student work that shows how I teach the writing process."
The first question at almost every interview will be: "Tell us about yourself." You should already know what you're going to say. Keep your reply reasonably brief. Always be positive. Try not to say, "I don't know." Avoid saying, "I'm not really good at…" Don't say, "That's one of my weak points." Always tell the truth, but you don't want to suggest that you're not a confident, successful, qualified teacher. If you honestly don't know the reply to a question, you might ask the interviewer to restate it in a different way, or you might want to give the best reply you can based on your knowledge and experiences.
Use lots of examples when you reply questions. When they ask how you would do something, tell them how you have already done it. This will make you seem more experienced. For example, if an interviewer asks, "How would you you use creative problem-solving in your lessons?" You might reply with, "When I was student teaching, I did a great creative problem-solving lesson when…" When you use specific examples, you're convincing the interviewers that you're more than just hypothetical talk.
The final question of your interview will most likely be, "Do you have any questions for us?" Be prepared with a thoughtful question ahead of time. Rather than replying with, "Not really," you should ask something philosophical or complimentary. You might ask the interviewer why they are proud of their school or what the people you'll be working with are like. Since your interviewers will probably be meeting with lots of prospects, you should use the opportunity to ask a question and make yourself stand out. And, think about it: You've been on the hot seat answering their questions for 45 minutes. You've earned the right to turn the table, even if it is just for a moment.
They'll be filling out little forms rating your experience, qualifications, communication skills, and personality. At the end of the day, they will have about a dozen of these forms sitting on the desk. They'll look through them all and the chosen prospects will be the ones who were the most memorable, most qualified, and most prepared for the meeting. With some time and effort, that candidate can be you.
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