by TeachThought Workers
So that you’re contemplating taking a educating job? Or at the very least interviewing?
What must you be asking to ensure it’s an excellent match for each you and the college?
Understanding The Level Of The A Instructor Job Interview
First, perceive that you’re interviewing the college and district as a lot as they’re interviewing you, and this isn’t an influence play of some form. The objective of a trainer placement ought to be a pairing between college (and directors from that faculty and district) and trainer that’s sustainable and serves college students.
We will speak extra about suggestions for trainer job interviews in a separate submit (together with researching the college and seeing your self as ‘a match’ or ‘not a match’ slightly than ‘certified’ or ‘not certified’/‘good trainer’ or ‘unhealthy trainer’). The objective of that submit can be that will help you ‘get the job’ for a place you’re already positive you need.
Clearly, you may’t merely take an inventory like this and begin studying them off to a principal or–effectively, you’re most likely not going to get the job (assuming they even allow you to end the interview). The purpose right here is to consider carefully about what you’re getting your self into–to discover the college and local weather and context from a number of angles past ‘job opening.’ To suppose previous the interview to the college 12 months forward with the intention to discover the job that permits you to develop as a trainer, which is clearly what greatest serves college students too.
Even in case you aren’t involved with the thought of ‘match’ and can take any job provided your means, questions like this will help show your thoughtfulness as knowledgeable educator to these you interview with–and assist enhance your interviewing abilities for future openings all through your profession.
I’ve separated them into two classes–sensible and pedagogical. The ‘sensible’ questions are extra in regards to the job itself–wage, insurance coverage, placement, and many others. I’ve most likely missed some apparent ones as a result of these sorts of questions fluctuate wildly from one place to the following. One thing completely essential in a single nation or state or district could also be far much less so in one other.
The second class focuses extra on the character of pedagogy itself, and whereas nonetheless relative, ought to be a bit extra common. For now, 30 inquiries to ask at your subsequent trainer job interview with a college or district.
Sensible Interview Questions For Academics
1. How can I assist? That’s, past ‘educating the category,’ what alternatives are there for me to help my colleagues and the scholars on this college?
2. When it comes to deliverables—seen outcomes—what is predicted of each trainer each day? What are the college and district ‘non-negotiables’? That’s, what are the issues—behaviors and basic expectations—which are in place for each trainer, each day universally and throughout the board with out negotiation or flexibility? (This appears like a bizarre query, however normally, it boils right down to how the college/district ‘does issues’, and might have a giant impact on the match between the trainer and the job being interviewed for.)
3. What are the lesson plan/curriculum necessities—when it comes to formatting, approval, collaboration, requirements, publishing, and many others.? That is just like #1 however is targeted completely on unit, lesson, and evaluation design and the college’s procedures therein. For instance, are the teachings scripted? If that’s the case, is there any flexibility? If not, what are the ‘expectations’ for collaboration between academics? Is there a pacing information? How is it used? How can and will knowledge affect pacing guides and curriculum maps and so forth?
4. What’s the college habits mannequin and plan? How do academics and employees work collectively to help each college students and academics to create a bodily and intellectually protected and loving and forward-thinking surroundings for studying?
5. What’s the attendance/sick day/snow day coverage for academics?
6. What’s the college and district coverage relating to COVID and associated protocols, how have they modified over time, and the way do you anticipate them to vary within the close to future? How are academics protected and supported as they navigate the challenges of educating through the COVID epidemic?
7. How a lot will I earn? What’s the pay scale and the way does it change yearly? What insurance coverage and associated advantages are there for academics? How usually are academics paid? Is direct deposit out there? What a couple of cafeteria plan?
8. What are the extra-curricular alternatives and necessities for academics?
9. What committees are there on this college, and the way efficient have they been in reaching their function? How can I contribute to their continued development over time?
10. How is that this college/district totally different than it was ten years in the past? What knowledge is there to help that? (Cautious asking the second half, however know for positive {that a} college or district wouldn’t suppose twice earlier than asking a trainer one thing comparable.)
11. What compelling alternatives are there for me to enhance my craft on this college or district?
12. How robust is the college/district IT division? Are they well-staffed and sufficiently funded? What in regards to the district web filter—is that designed to help pupil studying?
13. What function does this librarian/media specialist play within the common classroom each day? (This may be telling in various methods.)
14. Is there an educational coach or curriculum skilled that may assist me develop? Or are they used punitively to ‘catch me doing it flawed’? (Don’t ask the second half.)
15. How do I do know that I’m protected right here—bodily, professionally, emotionally, and in any other case?
Pedagogical Interview Questions For Academics
16. How is pupil achievement outlined and measured?
17. What studying fashions are used on this college/district? Which have been discovered the simplest? How may I contribute to that transferring ahead?
18. How is expertise used to help college students and their households? How is it used to personalize studying?
19. Would this place encourage me to give attention to pupil strengths or weaknesses?
20. What’s the college mission, and the way do the curriculum, college students, and employees match collectively to assist notice it?
21. How is knowledge used to help academics and college students? How correct are the measurements instruments used to extract that knowledge?
22. Do college students like going to highschool right here?
23. Do academics like educating right here? What sorts of collaboration between academics are ‘required’? Inspired? Supported?
24. Do dad and mom really feel welcome right here?
25. What have this college’s biggest successes been just lately? Traditionally?
26. Does the college have a ‘development mindset‘? The district? Or is it stress, stress, say good and well-intentioned issues, stress, stress?
27. How do totally different evaluation types and knowledge sources work collectively to enhance outcomes for college kids? How is that this knowledge made accessible to academics? How has that accessibility and knowledge high quality improved during the last 5 years?
28. How do superintendents, assistant superintendents, and different comparable roles help college students and academics and the way can I help their work in my place?
29. Are the humanities valued right here? Humanities normally?
30. How do curriculum, curriculum maps, pacing guides, models, classes, and any district/state degree assessments work collectively? Is every versatile sufficient to take action?
31. How do innovation and custom work collectively to serve college students?
32. The place do academics have autonomy? How is the capability of academics nurtured and grown all year long?
33. How probably is it {that a} pupil would possibly ‘graduate’ from this college (having carried out effectively academically) and nonetheless have little or no hope for their very own future? Put one other means, how does the training right here truly enhance the lives and arcs of scholars’ lives? How do we all know?
34. Is it ‘protected’ to show right here? That’s, is it protected for me professionally, psychologically, and bodily?
35. Is there a trainer’s union? Is it obligatory? What’s the historical past of the connection between any trainer’s union and the college/district?
Bonus: On this place, would I train content material or train thought?
