A Teacher’s Interview

This is a guest post from Jonna, a 40 year old college graduate who describes what she expected, and what she got during her recent interviews for teacher jobs. 

I had told myself that I would graduate by the time I was forty if it killed me.  Being a full time student and mom wasn’t easy but I graduated as planned and had to begin the daunting task of looking for a job.  I thought it would be easy because, as a student, we had been told that there was a high demand for teacher.  Well, not so much, I quickly learned.  In my city, one of the steps you have to go through in order to be placed in the “new teacher pool” from which all principals hire was a one-on-one interview.  I have not interviewed for a job since I was 21 and going to work at IHOP.  I worried about what questions would be asked.  How many terms should I throw out at them?  Would I make any sense while speaking? (I tend to ramble when nervous)

Turns out, the interview consisted of classroom scenarios to which the candidate would offer solutions.  It was a breeze.  Here are two scenarios I was required to respond to.

1. You notice a child is a bit reserved and keeps to himself.  You suspect that he may be being bullied by another classmate.  What do you do?  I suggested that I would observe closely for a while and then find a non-threatening way to ask the child if he/she was being bullied.
2. How do you alter your lesson plans to accommodate students who do not attain the lesson plan objectives?  I responded that, depending on which lessons the learner was struggling with, it may be appropriate to allow them to use manipulatives with math problems, draw a picture instead of writing a story or it may be as simple as giving them more time.  Some students have what is called an individualized education plan (IEP), which also aids teachers in understanding the best way to reach those students.

I got along great with my interviewer and made it into the “new teacher pool.”  No one from my city has fished me out of that pool yet.  I have, however, landed a job in a small town in Missouri.  I interviewed for that job as well and it also consisted of classroom scenarios. 

I was hoping to use some of the theorists I studied or the Bloom’s taxonomy that I went into debt learning about.  Instead, I was asked some pretty common sense questions.  Anyway, I’m off to Missouri.

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