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4.) DURING THE INTERVIEW, HIT THE FOLLOWING KEY POINTS:

  • Provide enough copies of your materials for everyone at the interview – Six mini-portfolios you can leave behind will serve you better than a massive one that you’re taking with you.
  • While they’re perusing your materials, ask for everyone’s name at the interview, and them write them down in a seating chart format.
  • Bring the lesson you were most proud of as well as the one you were least proud of, and be prepared to discuss how you learned from both.
  • Showcase some of your students’ previous work – Not just your top-notch students, but students who’ve had some major progression throughout the year.
  • Cite specific methods you’ve used in the middle school setting to defray issues such as bullying, swearing, cheating, and other infractions of the typical ‘tween.
  • Be unorthodox – we hired a reading teacher at our school because she brought a beach ball to the interview and began the interview by using it as an icebreaker for us. She then controlled the rest of the interview. How cool is that?
  • Speak about how you’ve empowered students; principals want someone who maxes out the potential in every student.
  • Bring your biggest heartwarming story – there are three students who are now history teachers, they claim, because of me. I’m so proud of that!
  • Mention how you handle discipline within your own classroom, and not in the office. Your principal will thank you in advance for that.
  • Discuss your experience with standardized testing – it’s the elephant in the room; what do you bring to the table to make my school better?
  • Indicate you’re a team player for after-school activities, and then support with details. Do you coach? Will you help with student council? Yearbook?
  • Show a principal that you’re going to teach everyday like it’s your last, because you never know when it’s going to be the one that changes a student’s life.

5.) TALK ABOUT YOU, THEN THEM

  • While every principal wants an all-star teacher in their ranks, they don’t want one who someone who is married solely to this profession. Talk about what is special in your life other than teaching. Principals need to know you won’t burn out your first year.
  • Begin to make connections in your life to the people at the interview.
  • Write down sincere questions you have for them – I don’t think you should end an interview without any questions.
  • Always ask, “What are you looking for in the perfect candidate for the position?” Then prove to them you’re the perfect candidate.

6.) RETURN TO SENDER

  • Call the school where you interviewed, and thank whomever was in charge of the interview, whether it was the principal or the department chair.
  • Write a handwritten letter to the staff members who were at the interview. I used to suggest an email, but you’d be surprised how few and far between educators receive meaningful snail mail. Hopefully you wrote down their names. Just mention something that made you standout during the interview (“Jake, the guy with the beach ball”) and thank them for their time.

7.) REPEAT!

  • Don’t get down on yourself if you don’t receive your dream position. It’s very competitive right now in the education world.
  • Remain optimistic!
  • Go forth and find more opportunities.

 

 

Mr. Jake Miller is the 2016 National History Day Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, a 2017 NEA Global...

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