Getting a teaching job in a high school, college, or university is a very serious business resulting from the fact that the future of your students has been placed in your hands. School management takes this matter very seriously and as such, meticulously analyzes every detail of the applicants’ resumes, making it a point of duty to pick the most suitable candidate.
Many teaching jobs are not given without a demo lesson presentation. This is done to evaluate the competence of the teacher and attempt to match the character and nature of the person in real life to the claims made in the resume. It is very crucial that you put your best foot forward while presenting your demo lesson to the interview panel. The following is a short list of what the panel will be watching out for:
- Charisma. Your ability to keep the class engaged and focused is very important during your demo lesson presentation and the panel is watching. It is a fact that if a class is bored, students learn less and if possible stay away from the class altogether.
- Master Your Field. The interview panel will evaluate you on how well you use and apply subject related concepts and vocabulary. This shows that you truly know what you are doing and are capable of expressing it.
- Confidence. How often you make eye contact with the panel is also crucial; no school will employ a teacher they perceive as shy and lacking in confidence to control the class. So display some maturity and control over the proceedings.
- Time Management. This is one aspect many prospective teachers fail to take cognizance of. If you are allocated 20 minutes for your presentation for instance, you have to be able to allocate the time and use it properly. Present all your facts and explanations and still leave room for questions and answers. Being brief and succinct is an important characteristic of a good teacher.
- Use and Management of Teaching Aids. How well you use the available teaching aids will tell how experienced you are in the teaching field. Board and marker usage, slide presentations, and other available aids must be used to enhance your presentation as best as you can.
- Eloquence. It is quite rare to see a teacher that stutters; eloquence and clarity in your sentences is one of the major qualities of a good teacher. The panel will also watch out for how well you can project your voice so that every student in the class can hear you clearly.
- Grammar. Schools pay a lot of attention to how well you construct your language usage. Not over doing it, yet making sure you are completely understood is a good attribute the panel will be watching out for. The shorter your sentences, the better they are grasped and understood.
If you keep all of these points in mind, and incorporate them into your demo lesson plan, you should ace this part of your interview and leave a lasting impression on your interviewers.
Join over 47,000 subscribers that receive job search, resume writing and interview tips delivered to their inbox every week. Plus, immediately download 20 education specific job interview questions and answers now!
