Getting ready for the interview

  1. Dress professionally-
  • Business attire is recommended for interviews

-Males: clean, well-pressed trousers, shirt, tie, sport jacket or business suit, dress shoes (no running shoes, flip flops or casual shoes); no after shave/cologne, limited jewellery

-Females: business-style dress, skirt or dress pants with blouse (long sleeve or short sleeve, no tank top or spaghetti strings) or sweater, dress shoes (no running shoes, flip flops, or casual shoes); modest amounts of jewellery/make-up, no perfume , limit piercings to ear lobes (not nose, lip, tongue etc)

  • Conservative, professional appearance- make sure that the 4 B’s (boobs, butts, bellies and body art) are covered well.
  • Make sure your teeth are clean and your breath is fresh.
  1. What to bring:

a)Take a briefcase or satchel (not a backpack) and have the following as ready references (you might not need them, but they are good to have just in case)

  • A copy of your resume and cover letter
  • A copy of your practicum evaluation
  • Copies of letters of reference
  • Optional: Samples of your planning (e.g. unit overviews) and student work samples or photos that showcases your skills, your philosophy, your vision for teaching

b)Bring a clipboard and pen to write notes during the interview

c)Prepare some questions for the interviewers – For example: questions about the school background (how it was established, demographics of the pupils, relationship between the school and the BC Ministry of Education); questions about the school year (school start/finish dates etc.); information about staff orientation and staff community building opportunities; questions about technology or extracurricular opportunities.

  1. Preparing for the Interview Questions:

Key considerations re: context:

Be familiar with the goals, vision, mission and learning priorities in the school district. Be prepared to describe how your skills, knowledge, experience and personal qualities make you well-suited be adaptable, innovative, proactive, solutions-oriented/opportunistic, and committed to being part of a collaborative, collegial professional learning community.

  • Know your work experience/teaching experience in chronological order
  • Listen to and understand what the question is asking
  • Stay on topic- answer the question without rambling. There are basically two types of interviews- Traditional Q&A and Behavioral. In the Behavioral interview, candidates are often given prompts that are prefaced with “Describe an incident in which you...”

For example:

“Tell me of a time when your coursework has been applied to your lesson design and instruction.”

“Describe what you did to establish a positive and productive learning environment in your practicum classroom”

One format that is used in Behavioral Interviews is the STAR format:

-Provide a Situation or Task that relates to the question

-Describe the Action that was applied to the situation

-Explain the Result of your action as it relates to the initial question

  • Don’t fake it: If you are asked a question that you are unsure of or haven’t had much experience with, simply admit this and indicate that you are keen to learn more about it as you develop your teaching practice.

Here are some basic traditional interview questions: (you can ‘convert’ them into more ‘behavioral’ questions)

  • Tell me something about yourself
  • Why do you want to teach?
  • What are the key qualities of an effective teacher?
  • How is your working philosophy of teaching and learning evident in your daily teaching?
  • If I walked into your classroom, what would it look like? Sound like? What would your students be doing? What would you be doing?
  • Describe a time when you responded to a range of abilities in your classroom?
  • How would you foster a team approach – with parents, with colleagues?
  • What are some key elements of a healthy, productive class or school community?
  • How are you a team player?
  • What are your long term professional goals?
  • If you are unsure of how to handle a situation, how would you handle it?
  • If you are having a disagreement with a parent or a colleague, how would you handle it?
  • What are the essential characteristics of a good school?

Within a day or two after the interview:

A thank you email (or card) to the interviewers is strongly advised.