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Teacher Interview – Secret to Secure a Teaching Job Offer

teacher interview secret to secure a teaching job offer

Teacher interview tips, strategies, and help to fully prepare and succeed. Landing a teaching job offer is your ultimate goal. Don’t miss preparing to WIN.

After putting lots of energy and time into your teaching job hunt, the phone is finally ringing with an invitation to an interview for the teaching position of your dreams.

School principals are interested in you (based on the excellent teaching resume showcasing the top-notch credentials and value you can offer).

Now is the opportunity to WOW the interviewer in person!

Things to Do Before Your Teacher Interview

One of the keys to successfully landing an education job is acing the job interview. If you can sell yourself, your teaching style, and your teaching experience, you have an excellent chance to secure a job offer.

The interview process is where many teaching candidates feel enormous pressure to perform. Have you ever walked out of an interview saying to yourself, “I should have mentioned this?” or “Oh, I could have explained that better.” Rest assured, you are not alone.

Most job seekers suffer from some degree of interview anxiety. It’s because we all know how much is at stake.

As with anything that is stress-inducing, it’s always better to be well prepared and practiced to alleviate interviewing jitters at your next teaching interview.

The art of completing a successful teacher interview lies in solid preparation, knowing yourself and your related success stories, and effectively communicating how you will perform in a particular teaching position.

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Practice & Investigate Before Interview Day

After you finish some research on the school district, it’s time to examine what you have learned.

Investigate the school’s mandate, vision, key personnel, mission statement, demographics, and educational priorities. Research to discover what the school administration expects from you as a new teacher, what experience is required to perform the work involved, and the characteristics the school district is seeking.

Find out if a test of your teaching skills or a written assignment will be a component of the teacher interview process. For instance, maybe you will need to present a demo lesson plan. Try to determine if the teacher interview will be one-on-one or an interview panel discussion. It wouldn’t be pleasant if you prepared to speak with just one person and end up fielding questions from a whole table of interviewers.

Dress Appropriately

What you wear to an interview will give the interview panel an impression of what you are like as an educational professional. Look the part of a professional educator. You have one opportunity to make an excellent first impression. Choose an interviewing outfit that is tidy, clean, ironed, and not too revealing. If possible, try and learn how teachers dress at school. But, when in doubt, some form of business suit usually works best. Due to allergies and sensitivity to smells in the workplace, it is wise to leave the perfume, cologne, or aftershave at home.

What to Bring to the Teacher Interview

It is a good idea to bring additional copies of your resume and cover letter just if an interview panel member does not have a copy. Also, bring copies of your professional reference list. Ensure your reference list is current and each person on the list is aware you listed them as a reference. Obtaining your references’ approval is paramount. Make certain they will provide an excellent reference. Don’t forget to bring copies of letters of recommendation and include them with your reference page.

Bring a Teaching Portfolio

Lastly, if you have a teaching portfolio, bring it along with you. The interviewer(s) may not wish or may not have time to review it, but at least you have it available. An organized teaching portfolio is an excellent tool to show the interviewers examples of your work and your students’ work and important documents like your transcripts, certifications, teaching philosophy statement, and other valuable items.

Don’t forget to act like yourself, remain calm, and maintain good eye contact with every person in the interview room. Be accurate and truthful in the responses you give to each interview question. If you don’t understand an interview question, it is better to clarify an interview question than to provide an answer that is totally wrong or off-topic.

Closing the Teaching Interview

At the end of your interview, the interviewer will ask if you have any questions regarding the teaching position or school community. Don’t miss this chance to ask questions. The research and preparation you did before the interview will make a big difference in the questions you should ask.

Have a few questions ready to show that you are genuinely interested in the position. Just remember, this is not the time to negotiate wages or time off!

If you would like more information on the interview process, we have an abundance of interviewing tips in our website’s interview section.