The Education Interview

Interviewing for any job can be very stressful. Personally I have only ever had one interview. I was applying for a lifeguard position at Northern Lights Palace Pool in Melfort, Saskatchewan and since I knew they needed lifeguards and I had all of my qualifications I was not very nervous about the whole interview process. Applying for a job in education however I think will be a little tougher than that. I may believe that I am a shoe in for the position but the interviewing party will not know that yet and it will be during the interview process that I will show them and try to convince them that I am the person for this job. At the same time it's important to keep in mind during the interview process that although that interview panel is there to interview you, I believe you are somewhat there to interview them as well. It is important to get a feel for the people you will be working with and for, get to know each other and ask any questions that you may have.

Once you have applied for a job and have been called for an interview it's important to do a couple of things to prepare yourself for the interview. One would be to try and find out what the employer is looking for. You may not always have an inside edge on this but if you know one of the members on the interview panel or you know someone who has worked in that school or school division ask them what might give you an advantage with the employer. Another highly important suggestion I would have is to anticipate some important points and find ways to focus on them. Before the job interview take some time to ponder and prepare answers to common interview questions which can readily and easily be found online. Some of the very common ones are:

• What is your personal educational philosophy?
• If you could design the ideal classroom for the elementary grades what would it look like?
• Which subject area do you believe is your strength, which is your weakest? What steps will you take to improve in this area?
• What methods do you use for classroom management? Describe one difficult incident with a student, and how you handled it. 
•  What methods have you used or would you use to assess student learning? 
•  Give me an example of a rule or procedure in your classroom? 
• What are the most important or worthwhile qualifications of a good teacher?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses as a teacher?
• Describe your student teaching successes and failures?
• Describe a good lesson, explain why it was good.
• How would you go about planning a lesson?

You can even write out your answers and study them, so that the language and explanations come naturally to you during your time under the interview spotlight.They won`t know that you have done this beforehand but it will make you look really good when put on the spot.It's also a good idea to brainstorm possible questions related to your specific situation. Think of everything now, so that your brain can be on automatic pilot in the interview.

Preparing yourself by completing this exercise and familiarizing yourself with common questions and expectations will help you to feel confident and as relaxed as possible when looking for your first teaching job.Also it's important to keep in mind during your first interview that sometimes in life you find yourself in a place that you thought you would never be but that place could very well be exactly where you are supposed to be. I mean look at me, who ever thought that little Raisa Rybinski from Kinistino, Saskatchewan would end up playing CIS basketball in Brandon, Manitoba. I certainly never would have thought, but am quite glad that this is where life has taken me!