Sample Teaching Philosophy College
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.
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!
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. 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.
Body language can show whether you’re a confident, qualified teacher or an unsure one. At the interview, be confident, but not cocky. Smile when you walk in. 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.
Have a mild sense of humor. 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.
Usually, the people interviewing you will not ask to see your portfolio. Don’t wait for anyone to mention the portfolio. Instead, you should use it as a instrument to describe your teaching experiences. 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. You can talk about the college you attended and provide an overview of your teaching experience.
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. While this is probably not the most important question of the interview, it is your last chance to leave a positive impression. 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. 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.
To get even more info, make sure you vist
About the Author
Tom Mason grew up in San Diego, California. He attended the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) graduating with a double major in Anthropology and History (Honors in History) After a year spent in Japan studying martial arts he returned to work as an ESL instructor in a public school kindergarten. He then went on to complete the teacher credential program at California State University at San Marcos.
Taryn has been teaching elementary school for Thirteen years. His first
|
|
What Does it Mean to Be Well Educated? And Other Essays on Standards, Grading, and Other Follies $7.73 Few writers ask us to question our fundamental assumptions about education as provocatively as Alfie Kohn. Time magazine has called him’perhaps the country’s most outspoken critic of education’s fixation on grades [and] test scores.’ And the Washington Post says he is ‘the most energetic and charismatic figure standing in the way of a major federal effort to make standardized curriculums and tests… |
|
|
Problem-Solving Strategies (Problem Books in Mathematics) $62.38 A unique collection of competition problems from over twenty major national and international mathematical competitions for high school students. Written for trainers and participants of contests of all levels up to the highest level, this will appeal to high school teachers conducting a mathematics club who need a range of simple to complex problems and to those instructors wishing to pose a “pro… |
|
|
Ready-to-Use Conflict-Resolution Activities for Elementary Students $28.95 For K-6 teachers and counselors, here are over 100 step-by-step lessons, role-play activities, Bully Busters! (antibullying activities), a TLC poster, and more to help children learn how to solve conflicts peacefully. The activities first develop students’ self-esteem and understanding, then focus on the empathy and skills they need to work out differences with others in any setting…. |
