A guide to teaching job interviews

JOBSHOP

A guide to teaching Job Interviews Introduction Getting an invitation to an interview means you have already made a good impression and possess the skills required to do the job. You now need to demonstrate those skills. It is important to be prepared, confident, to dress appropriately and make sure you are polite and friendly to all staff and other candidates you meet. Remember the interview starts when you walk through the door and will not finish until you leave the building. You may also find the Guide to Job Interviews (factsheet) helpful.

Preparation Action Point Ø Note the date, time and place of the interview ensuring you are able to attend. Confirm as soon as possible saying you will be pleased to attend the interview. Your preparation Ø

You can prepare a number of examples for each of the competencies found in the person specification. Also take a look at the possible questions in this factsheet and write down how you would answer these questions.

It is a good idea to keep a copy of these examples, which you can update as you go through your career.

In the interview you will need to expand on information given in your application form.

The interviewers are looking for evidence that your skills match the job requirements. It is essential that you communicate effectively demonstrating with examples how you are able to fulfil all the key skills.

To show that you are the best candidate for the post you will need to prepare examples in advance, the following points should help with this preparation.

According to Graduate Prospects a useful strategy for answering questions concisely is to use the STAR technique: •

Situation - briefly describe the where/when/who;

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Task - outline the task or objective (what you hoped to achieve).

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Action - describe what you did - focus on your role and your input.

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Result - what the outcome was and what skills you developed.

Page |2 Interviewer expectations The interviewers will be looking for:

Advanced communication skills

Sound subject knowledge. You will need to be able to enter a discussion

An ability to analyse, compare, make critical appraisals and see possibilities

A personal belief about learning and visions for the future of education. (You will not be expected to have developed a philosophy about learning but you will need to demonstrate a commitment to learning)

You will need to show how you have benefited from the professional experience of a school placement. You should be able to assess the curriculum of your placement school, you can draw on your experience of observing pupils behaviour and development. You can also draw on knowledge gained through studying the variety of roles of the teacher.

Action Points

Refer back to the original job advertisement. Carefully read the Job / person specification and your completed application form.

Make a list of your key skills and match them with the required skills of the post.

Ensure you have a positive example of each skill the employer is looking for - use the STAR technique

Is there further experience or achievements that you did not have room for on the application form which would support your suitability for the job.

Make a list of your strengths and weaknesses.

Consider likely questions and your possible responses.

Think about the weak areas of your application; how you can positively answer questions relating to them.

If not already done so, find out about the school.

Consider your achievements and how these can be related positively to the job requirements.

Try a mock interview with a friend so that you can practice your answers out loud.

Preparing your portfolio Action Points

If you have photographs or materials from your schools experience you could use these to illustrate aspects of your work. This could be assessments, examples of children’s work, photographs of displays etc. These will need to be selected carefully, well presented with a brief description under each picture.

It is very important to plan carefully what is included in the portfolio, be clear what you are trying to illustrate in each picture and ensure you are able to answer further questions.

Have pictures and pages prepared to specifically evidence points you have prepared

Remember also that there is a limited time in an interview so ensure you are aware of this and make good use of the time.

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About The Interview The interview usually lasts for half, or a whole day and will often comprise of: Informal talks Usually with a member of staff, perhaps a senior teacher or head of department who will often be on the interview panel. It is important to make a good impression here. Ask questions, show an interest in that particular school and its’ teaching policy. Tour of the School This may also include school lunch. Again it is important to make a good impression so look interested, ask intelligent questions and talk to the children, without disturbing them too much. Panel Interview The size of the panel can vary. Primary Schools will usually have a small panel of two or three people including the head teacher and a school governor. Secondary Schools can be larger with heads of departments included. It is possible children from the school will be present whose observations could be crucial. Group Interview You may be expected to take part in a discussion with other candidates while being observed by a selector. Here the candidates are assessed on: knowledge, summarising, consideration for others, keeping to the topic, discussion, flexibility, body language, sharing ideas, sense of humour, encouraging others, and listening. Taking part of a lesson You could be asked to prepare and teach a lesson for 15 – 20 minutes. You will be given a year group and a subject. Afterwards you will also be expected to explain your objectives and evaluate how it went. Short presentation This could be to the interview panel or to other staff members. Again you will need to be prepared to answer questions about your objectives and evaluate how it went. You should also be aware of other possible areas of assessment:

Presentation or discussion of your portfolio

Playing an instrument

Making up a story based on an item or topic

Mock letter to parents

Second interview

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Interview day Action Points

Dress smartly, appropriately and comfortably

Information to take with you

A Map – to ensure you don’t get lost. Use an A-Z or go online at http://uk.multimap.com/ or google maps to search by postcode. You could do a practice run before the day to ensure you are confident in finding the school.

Interview letter - this should have a contact telephone number and the address, it should also have the instructions of where you need to go when you arrive and the names of the interviewer(S).

A copy of your application form/CV/portfolio if applicable

A note of the questions you wish to ask

Any prepared lessons/presentations etc

Sometimes you are requested to take proof of your qualifications, ensure the certificates are well presented

Take money for the phone/taxi or your mobile phone, but remember to switch it off before you arrive.

On arrival

Follow the instructions on the letter, remember the name of the contact person you need to ask for

First Impressions You are judged within the first four minutes of being met, so try and create a good first impression. Try and look relaxed, remember to smile warmly, shake hands firmly and maintain eye contact. Study suggests first impression are made up of 55% visual impact i.e. dress, facial expressions and body language, 38% tone of voice, 7% from what you actually say. The panel interview Some of the advice in this section is relevant for the whole interview process as well as the panel interview. If an interviewer is inexperienced they may be nervous themselves and unable to draw out the appropriate information from you, so try and remember to give them all the information they require. Body language

Sit upright indicating an interest in what is being asked. Try not to use too much hand movement and be aware of not crossing your arms as this can be seen as being defensive

Eye contact. This shows you are interested in what is being said and will help you see the interviewers’ reaction to what you are saying. With panel interviews it is best to answer the person who has asked the question glancing at the other interviewers.

Voice. Try not to talk too fast and keep an even tone

Try and appear confident, smile and establish rapport with your interviewer

Page |5 The Questions Listen carefully to the question as it is easy to misunderstand what is being asked.

Give full answers. Avoid Yes/No answers, be prepared to expand but do not waffle. Take your cue from the interviewer and if you do not think you have given enough information, ask if the interviewer would like you to continue

Seek Clarification If you do not understand a question or if you need to think about a question you can take a sip of water, if available, to give yourself thinking space. Do not be afraid to ask for the question to be re-phrased.

Be familiar with your application form/CV/application letter. Interview questions will normally be based around the information in your application, so be ready to repeat and expand on information already given.

Give Varied Examples. Show your knowledge and experience from different areas of your life rather than concentrating on one aspect.

Personal. Be prepared to talk about your personal experiences, attitudes, ideas and interests as well as teaching skills. The interviewers are interested in you as a person as well as a teacher.

Balanced view. Be positive about your experience and skills but do not praise yourself excessively or criticise yourself.

National Curriculum / New Ideas. Be prepared to answer questions on the National Curriculum, latest thinking / research in learning.

Positive. When giving examples of your knowledge and skills always express them positively. Remember, the interviewers do not know you so it is up to you to tell them how good you are, but remember to be honest.

Honesty. If you have been dishonest in an interview which is discovered at a later stage you could be dismissed. If there is anything in your personal or work history which could be considered a problem present it in a positive light i.e. indicating what you have learnt.

Questions may include those about: Your course, yourself, personal considerations, why you want to work at that school, professional issues, behaviour management, pastoral considerations, issues concerning parents, working with colleagues, career development.

Questions You Should Not Be Asked Decline to answer any questions which are personal - these can be linked to race, gender, religion (in a nondenominational School) or disability or any questions which are not relevant to the job.

Page |6 Don’t be unprepared for obvious questions In teaching, like many other sectors there are going to be obvious questions that you need to have prepared or thought about, there could include: Ø

What do you know about the school? For this you need to have researched the school, its vision and mission statement, strategy and Ofsted report for example).

Why do you want to work for us? – Try and align your personality with their philosophy and ethos.

Safeguarding – “What would you do if…” You may be presented with a scenario. Ensure you are up to date with safeguarding legislation.

What impressed you about our school and its work? – Again this relies on you having researched the school and knowing their current status/project/aims and future plans.

Tell me about a lesson that went well – Have an example prepared giving a brief overview of the lesson, what went well, what was the outcome, what did you learn and what would you do differently.

What can you offer the wider community and school? – Think about what extra activities you have been involved in – lunch time clubs, after school projects etc.).

Hard or difficult questions Sometimes you will get asked difficult questions that you may find harder to answer, these could include: Ø

What are your weaknesses? – It is important that you have thought about this question. You can rephrase this question by replying “My area for development is…” The key is to evidence that you are already working towards improving on this. Do not try and position yourself as the finished article, but that you are a lifelong learner and always looking to develop.

What is your ideal year group/subject? – As a primary school teacher you will be covering all of the subjects and as both a primary and secondary teacher you will teach a range of year groups so it is important to not show a dislike for any subject or year group. Instead think about the merits of each age group and subject and portray these in your answer. You need to show you are adaptable!

Your questions

There is usually an opportunity at the end of the interview for you to ask questions. These should include the ones you have already noted when you were preparing for the interview.

If all your questions have been answered in the interview, inform the interviewer they have answered all your questions and reiterate your enthusiasm for the job.

If you are not given the chance to ask questions you can politely assert yourself asking if this is the appropriate time to raise some points.

You can ask about induction arrangements, specific responsibilities etc

Even if you do not feel the interview went well, end it on a positive note, smile and remember to keep you body language open.

After the interview make a note of any difficult questions so that you can be better prepared for next time.

Page |7 The Job offer You will normally be contacted the same day with a job offer, occasionally you may be asked to wait after the interview for the panel to make their decision. It is possible for you to ask if you can let them know in a few days’ time, perhaps because you have another job interview however it is not advisable to do this. It can be viewed an unprofessional so be prepared for the school to reject this and appoint another candidate instead. It is important that you are very sure you want the job before you attend the final interview and are clear about issues such as salary. Once you accept the position, not only is it unprofessional to accept an offer only to reject it later, it is regarded as binding. If you feel the job isn’t for you, it is ok to say no. The interview is as much about you finding out about the school as it is them finding out about you. After a verbal acceptance of an offer you should receive written confirmation of appointment. This should also confirm your starting salary point. You should then reply in writing accepting the offer. You should ask if you can have some contact with the school again before you take up your post so that you can make some advance preparations. Feedback If you are not offered the position it is a good idea to ask for some feedback on your performance, which may be given to you over the telephone after the interview date. This should help you be better prepared for the next interview and ensure success in the future. Pool interviews These are usually for Local Education Authorities or for a consortium of schools. These interviews are typically short, about 20 – 30 minutes. The small interview panel of two or three people may comprise of a local head teacher, an inspector/advisor and possibly a school governor. You will often be asked which area or type of school you would prefer to work. The result of the interview is usually given a few days later. The applicant will often be given a letter of intent and will only issue a contract after the candidate has been interviewed and accepted by a school. Induction When you take up your first teaching post as a Newly Qualified teacher (NQT) you are required to complete an induction programme of one academic year to ensure you continue to meet the standards of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). •

See the Department for Education website for further details: http://tinyurl.com/p6jsgjr

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For more information on induction arrangements in Wales see: www.learning.wales.gov.uk where you can access the National Assembly for Wales Circular 18/03 ‘Induction for Newly Qualified Teachers in Wales’.

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For information on probation and induction in Scotland visit: www.scotland.gov.uk and www.gtcs.org.uk/home/home.aspx

Page |8 Useful websites www.teachersunion.org.uk (NASUWT) http://www.teachers.org.uk/ (NUT) www.atl.org.uk (ATL) (http://www.new2teaching.org.uk/tzone/jobs/interviews.asp) www.epm.co.uk (go to CV service then click on Your first teaching post) www.eteach.com https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/ www.teach.gov.uk www.prospects.ac.uk

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