Interview Questions - Help Needed
Interview Questions - Help Needed
Hello folks, having been employed in the ME for the past 10 years, I have now decided to leave and try something new. I have a couple of interviews set up in Malaysia, with two schools I know nothing about yet. One of the recruitment companies has advised me to research the school and to think about questions I'd like to ask during the interview. I have quite considerable teaching experience internationally and domestically but I am very rusty on interview techniques, having only one short telephone interview 5 years ago. So, can anyone of you experienced people give me a heads up on the type of general questions that will seen as appropriate and insightful by the administration during an interview (maybe 4 or 5)? Both schools employ the Cambridge International Curriculum (IGCSE). If it's helpful I can supply the names of the schools.
Re: Interview Questions - Help Needed
hi OP,
I would first start looking into the school's website and learning more about the schools before you interview. My next move would be decide what my special features are... or in other words, what makes me better than the average teacher?
We are all certified educators on here, so all of us (hopefully) can teach, but if you want a school to hire you, you need to play on the skills that make you a valuable asset to the school.
These skills can range from a variety of things. Allow me to please be slightly self indulgent in order to illustrate my ideas more clearly. For me, I like to sell my Mandarin ability, programming skills (which are all self taught) which allows me to run after school "programs" focusing on game development, my journalism skills (I have developed a school wide newspaper which was published every month), and my ability and familiarity with gradebook and other educational related tech. I've also ran pro-d's on most of the programs mentioned above. I've also done all of these things while still fulfilling my professional duties as an educator.
At the end of the day, even back home in the public district, schools are still businesses. An employer wants to see WHAT YOU CAN DO so that you can make HER LOOK GOOD. So ultimately, I'd reckon you flex your special skills in an interview: what makes you better than the average Joe teacher?
As for some of the most difficult questions I've been asked in the past:
"describe the water cycle to me like I am in grade 5. Now describe it to me like I am in grade 11."
"Grab two topics from this envelop. You now have 2 minutes to present the body of your lesson for one of the selected topics. After you teach the topic, we will then discuss how you would run a full lesson based on the topic given." The two topics I got were "why do spiders leg's not stick to webbing, and why do parrots always reside on pirates shoulders." I selected the pirate topic and talked about how the parrot and pirate make a symbolic relationship. Ultimately, this school just wanted to see that I had the ability to present and think on my feet...
Good luck and please let me know if I can be of further assistance!
I would first start looking into the school's website and learning more about the schools before you interview. My next move would be decide what my special features are... or in other words, what makes me better than the average teacher?
We are all certified educators on here, so all of us (hopefully) can teach, but if you want a school to hire you, you need to play on the skills that make you a valuable asset to the school.
These skills can range from a variety of things. Allow me to please be slightly self indulgent in order to illustrate my ideas more clearly. For me, I like to sell my Mandarin ability, programming skills (which are all self taught) which allows me to run after school "programs" focusing on game development, my journalism skills (I have developed a school wide newspaper which was published every month), and my ability and familiarity with gradebook and other educational related tech. I've also ran pro-d's on most of the programs mentioned above. I've also done all of these things while still fulfilling my professional duties as an educator.
At the end of the day, even back home in the public district, schools are still businesses. An employer wants to see WHAT YOU CAN DO so that you can make HER LOOK GOOD. So ultimately, I'd reckon you flex your special skills in an interview: what makes you better than the average Joe teacher?
As for some of the most difficult questions I've been asked in the past:
"describe the water cycle to me like I am in grade 5. Now describe it to me like I am in grade 11."
"Grab two topics from this envelop. You now have 2 minutes to present the body of your lesson for one of the selected topics. After you teach the topic, we will then discuss how you would run a full lesson based on the topic given." The two topics I got were "why do spiders leg's not stick to webbing, and why do parrots always reside on pirates shoulders." I selected the pirate topic and talked about how the parrot and pirate make a symbolic relationship. Ultimately, this school just wanted to see that I had the ability to present and think on my feet...
Good luck and please let me know if I can be of further assistance!
Re: Interview Questions - Help Needed
Many thanks WhoamI, very helpful. I will have a look at the school websites to see what springs to mind. I hope they don't ask me about parrots or spiders though!
Response
I strongly advise reviewing the IS website, but at a certain early point they arent very informative.
ASPs have minimal marketability, everyone does ASPs and they have to be marketable to the IS or a genuine need to provide any utility in your resume.
ISs are not looking for good/excellent teachers, they already know you can teach, what they are looking for are good employees. The goal of any interview is being able to direct the interview yourself. They shouldn't have to ask you any questions, you should be answering them already in your narrative, and many of the interview questions are very predictable. During your interview take notice of what type of questions they ask you, then ask them those same questions as framed from your perspective. If they ask what your teaching or classroom management style is, ask them what their leadership approach is. If they ask how you differentiate instruction in the classroom, ask them their guidance towards learning support. The reason is that the questions they ask signify what they value and what they need, your response demonstartes your investment in those same areas.
ASPs have minimal marketability, everyone does ASPs and they have to be marketable to the IS or a genuine need to provide any utility in your resume.
ISs are not looking for good/excellent teachers, they already know you can teach, what they are looking for are good employees. The goal of any interview is being able to direct the interview yourself. They shouldn't have to ask you any questions, you should be answering them already in your narrative, and many of the interview questions are very predictable. During your interview take notice of what type of questions they ask you, then ask them those same questions as framed from your perspective. If they ask what your teaching or classroom management style is, ask them what their leadership approach is. If they ask how you differentiate instruction in the classroom, ask them their guidance towards learning support. The reason is that the questions they ask signify what they value and what they need, your response demonstartes your investment in those same areas.