Get the Job! {How to Ace a Teaching Interview - Part 2}

I fully realize that had I given this second blog post to myself as a homework assignment, the results would be less than... impressive.  But, it IS summer and that means we teachers are busy with housework, family time, and gearing up for next year! So I have a really good excuse.

A few weeks ago, I posted some strategies for acing a teaching interview!  As promised, here are two more to help you prepare for those end-of-summer-last-minute interviews! 

Tip #3: Know your 'stuff '

You've read articles.  You've read books.  You've read professors' dirty looks.  And now you, little bird, are flying from the nest.

So in the interview, make sure you know what you're talking about.  You can't fake it when you're in room with six seasoned professionals staring at you.  As the questions roll in, you're going to want to have the right information to draw from.  No one wants to hear you use a buzz word out of context!

You'll have to sift through all that information in your brain to make sense of what they're asking you -- and you'll need to consider what your education and experience has led you to believe about them.  Basically, have a solid knowledge base AND an opinion about important topics.

Some common interview topics:
- inclusion
- strategies for English Learners
- classroom management styles
- parental involvement
- planning and using assessments
- using assessments and data to guide instruction
- managing small group instruction
- integrating technology
- interventions for Reading and English Language Arts

But don't forget! School districts can ask you about anything they feel is important to their school culture and climate (See Tip #1).

Tip #4: Showcase that you LOVE teaching

Teachers work long and hard and long and hard and long... and hard.  And Lord knows we don't do it for the annual bonuses.  You have to love it, or you'll burn out and end up changing careers.  If you really don't love it, you're probably not interviewing past a couple of rejections.  But if you do love it, and I think most of us do, you really need to show it in the interview!


When you are in the interview, be enthusiastic. Be positive about teaching and students. Get excited to share successful lessons and units that you've taught.  Discuss how your student teaching experiences have really made you passionate about student learning (and they should have!) Talk about the great ideas you have - ideas you'd love to implement... if only you had your own classroom!

Your excitement and enthusiasm should be contagious. Get the interviewers excited about working with you.  Make them feel like you'd be invaluable on their team.

I should also mention that Jenny from Luckeyfrog's Lilypad commented on my last blog post that an interviewee should also be ready to discuss a few recent books he/she has read about teaching.   I think that's another GREAT idea! 

So, fellow bloggers, any great books you can recommend? Any other interview topics to help our future teammates? 

4 comments

  1. The Book Whisperer! An easy read in the summer that gets you excited about reading (and getting students to love reading, too!). One of the few books I got from the library and decided to actually buy, I liked it so much!

    Thanks for the shout-out! I've job-searched twice in the past 3 years, and you had some GREAT tips, so I was happy to pitch in! :)

    Jenny
    Luckeyfrog's Lilypad

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  2. I love the pictures with your post! What a great post for those just starting out! Interviewing can be very intimidating! Great tips!

    Simply Kinder

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  3. Great tips for beginning teachers or those who experienced teachers who are interviewing!! :) Love it!
    ~Jen
    Hello Mrs Sykes

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  4. Thank you so much for these tips! I have my interview this week and was confused as what to take and expect. There is SO much information out there but your tips make a lot of sense. I recently read the CAFE and Daily 5 books, and I think all teachers should read CAFE esp new teachers like myself. It makes teaching reading so much simpler and easy to understand. Thanks!

    missdanielsadventures.blogspot.com

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