Most/best/weirdest questions at job interviews
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Thames Pirate
- Posts: 1150
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Re: Most/best/weirdest questions at job interviews
For once PsyGuy and I agree. It's a stupid question. But that's how things are done, so at least make sure you know what is really being asked and how to answer it.
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Heliotrope
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Re: Discussion
I'd say it's perfectly normal for an IB school to want to know how you translate IB-theory into classroom practice.
I wouldn't necessarily agree with @Thames Pirate that the real objective of the question would always be to find out if you know all of them (if it is, then it is indeed a douchey question), but rather how you use these IB values/approaches, and that's a relevant question for a school that wants their teachers to teach IB in a proper way.
Terminology/jargon can be used just to communicate quicker and/or more effectively, just like jargon is used in other professions, and obviously you'll hear IB terms being used at an IB school. And when someone talks about IB curriculum a lot, it's not hard to imagine they might forget that not everyone is as familiar with the terms as they are – the same happens on this forums where some members use way too many acronyms that not everyone is familiar with.
But when someone uses it (IB terminology or acronyms) to 'impress' others, then they're being pricks. If not, they're just communicating, or at least trying to with no ill intend.
I wouldn't necessarily agree with @Thames Pirate that the real objective of the question would always be to find out if you know all of them (if it is, then it is indeed a douchey question), but rather how you use these IB values/approaches, and that's a relevant question for a school that wants their teachers to teach IB in a proper way.
Terminology/jargon can be used just to communicate quicker and/or more effectively, just like jargon is used in other professions, and obviously you'll hear IB terms being used at an IB school. And when someone talks about IB curriculum a lot, it's not hard to imagine they might forget that not everyone is as familiar with the terms as they are – the same happens on this forums where some members use way too many acronyms that not everyone is familiar with.
But when someone uses it (IB terminology or acronyms) to 'impress' others, then they're being pricks. If not, they're just communicating, or at least trying to with no ill intend.
Reply
@Heliotrope
Yes, it is "perfectly normal for an IB school to want to know how you translate IB-theory into classroom practice". Totally off the top of my head, without any inspiration, just shooting into the darkness at the hip, an example of a non-douchey question to do that, may, just reflexively putting it out there, might be: 'Give us an example how you might translate IB-theory into classroom practice', (just a random example(, and then as the recruiter/leadership pay attention to the candidates use of and inclusion of IB terminology. That would be a far better and more useful and non-douchey approach to determining how many ATLs and LP traits the IT can recite from memory.
Thats not to say that douchey questions dont get asked or that ITs dont have to answer them, of course it happens, but theyre still douchey questions by a recruiter who wants to know if the candidates level of IB Koolaid consumption is similar to theirs.
Yes, it is "perfectly normal for an IB school to want to know how you translate IB-theory into classroom practice". Totally off the top of my head, without any inspiration, just shooting into the darkness at the hip, an example of a non-douchey question to do that, may, just reflexively putting it out there, might be: 'Give us an example how you might translate IB-theory into classroom practice', (just a random example(, and then as the recruiter/leadership pay attention to the candidates use of and inclusion of IB terminology. That would be a far better and more useful and non-douchey approach to determining how many ATLs and LP traits the IT can recite from memory.
Thats not to say that douchey questions dont get asked or that ITs dont have to answer them, of course it happens, but theyre still douchey questions by a recruiter who wants to know if the candidates level of IB Koolaid consumption is similar to theirs.
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Heliotrope
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Re: Most/best/weirdest questions at job interviews
'ATLs' and 'IB learner profile traits' are such basic IB-terms that only teachers with no IB-experience at all wouldn't know them (and the interviewer probably uses them so often they might not even realise anymore that these could be considered jargon), and since the candidate would have IB-experience, it's basically asking the same question as "Give us an example how you might translate IB-theory into classroom practice", just slightly more specific.
Furthermore, you can't assume anything about the interviewer's motives. I hope (and suspect) most won't be nearly as impressed by any candidate's use of IB terminology, as by their actual example of how they translation of IB-theory into classroom practice. My experience with interviewers is that they aren't, but perhaps you've had a few douchey interviewers in the past.
The question also isn't how many ATLs and LP traits the IT can recite from memory, as an answer will typically have two or three examples of how some are translated into classroom practice, just as the question 'Tell us about yourself' doesn't mean they want to hear every detail about your childhood traumas.
If the interviewer would follow your examples by asking to name the remaining ATLs/traits, yes, then they just want to hear you recite them (and they would indeed be bad interviewers), but we can't assume they will (or won't).
So it can simply be a valid question to determine if you're able to translate IB-theory into classroom practice. You can hardly fault them for using the (widely known) terms 'ATLs' and 'IB learner profile traits' to make the question slightly more specific.
Furthermore, you can't assume anything about the interviewer's motives. I hope (and suspect) most won't be nearly as impressed by any candidate's use of IB terminology, as by their actual example of how they translation of IB-theory into classroom practice. My experience with interviewers is that they aren't, but perhaps you've had a few douchey interviewers in the past.
The question also isn't how many ATLs and LP traits the IT can recite from memory, as an answer will typically have two or three examples of how some are translated into classroom practice, just as the question 'Tell us about yourself' doesn't mean they want to hear every detail about your childhood traumas.
If the interviewer would follow your examples by asking to name the remaining ATLs/traits, yes, then they just want to hear you recite them (and they would indeed be bad interviewers), but we can't assume they will (or won't).
So it can simply be a valid question to determine if you're able to translate IB-theory into classroom practice. You can hardly fault them for using the (widely known) terms 'ATLs' and 'IB learner profile traits' to make the question slightly more specific.
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Illiane_Blues
Re: Most/best/weirdest questions at job interviews
Heliotrope wrote:
> So it can simply be a valid question to determine if you're able to
> translate IB-theory into classroom practice. You can hardly fault them for
> using the (widely known) terms 'ATLs' and 'IB learner profile traits' to
> make the question slightly more specific.
100% agree.
> So it can simply be a valid question to determine if you're able to
> translate IB-theory into classroom practice. You can hardly fault them for
> using the (widely known) terms 'ATLs' and 'IB learner profile traits' to
> make the question slightly more specific.
100% agree.
Reply
@Heliotrope
Lots of IB ITs cant rattle off all the LPs, lots of MYP ITs barely know hat the MYP is much less what the ATLs are.
No its not slightly more specific, is substituting a non-douchey question that focuses on terminology for a douchey one that does.
You can assume anything about recruiters and leadership its why its called an assumption. The recruiter leadership that asks this douchey question is impressed by IB vocabulary.
Tell us about yourself is an intro question to get the conversation going and develop some momentum. The recruiter leadership doesnt care about your life story.
Yes I can fault them for that as its not a question thats a slight variation on a theme.
Lots of IB ITs cant rattle off all the LPs, lots of MYP ITs barely know hat the MYP is much less what the ATLs are.
No its not slightly more specific, is substituting a non-douchey question that focuses on terminology for a douchey one that does.
You can assume anything about recruiters and leadership its why its called an assumption. The recruiter leadership that asks this douchey question is impressed by IB vocabulary.
Tell us about yourself is an intro question to get the conversation going and develop some momentum. The recruiter leadership doesnt care about your life story.
Yes I can fault them for that as its not a question thats a slight variation on a theme.
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Thames Pirate
- Posts: 1150
- Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2013 8:06 am
Re: Most/best/weirdest questions at job interviews
Translating IB theory into the classroom is all great, but shouldn't you already be doing things like teaching communication skills or differentiating? Shouldn't you already encourage kids to be inquirers or knowledgeable or risk takers? Those things, while explicitly stated or codified in the IB theory, are also just solid practice and should have already come up at the interview (unless these were the lead-in questions). So yes, it's "do you buy IB theory," but since so much of that is just good teaching, it's not a question unique to IB beyond the jargon. The question is simply "are you actually familiar with the IB theory and language, and do you actually practice it" to weed out those who are drill-and-kill and those who are lying about their IB experience (or maybe taught IB at a school where the philosophy was so weak you could get by without the jargon).
Generally they don't expect you to name all of them (though it isn't hard if you have some IB experience to rattle off most of them)--just show you know what they are and that you are not a worksheet teacher. If you can't figure out how you have ever incorporated being open-minded or focused on conceptual understanding in your career, that's a red flag. Teaching research skills or using assessment to guide your planning? Encouraging students to be thinkers or open-minded? These aren't rocket science. If you know what the ATLs and profile traits are (even broadly) and are a halfway decent teacher, you can pull out an example or two relatively easily.
Again, it's a weeding question--do you know IB, do you more or less believe in IB, and are you more than a lecture-and-worksheet teacher? Your answer tells recruiters more about what they might see in your classroom on a typical day, saving them that stupid question, and it tells them more about your style and your values as a teacher. Use these questions to show that you both know IB and to showcase your best ideas, regardless of how well they worked in reality.
Generally they don't expect you to name all of them (though it isn't hard if you have some IB experience to rattle off most of them)--just show you know what they are and that you are not a worksheet teacher. If you can't figure out how you have ever incorporated being open-minded or focused on conceptual understanding in your career, that's a red flag. Teaching research skills or using assessment to guide your planning? Encouraging students to be thinkers or open-minded? These aren't rocket science. If you know what the ATLs and profile traits are (even broadly) and are a halfway decent teacher, you can pull out an example or two relatively easily.
Again, it's a weeding question--do you know IB, do you more or less believe in IB, and are you more than a lecture-and-worksheet teacher? Your answer tells recruiters more about what they might see in your classroom on a typical day, saving them that stupid question, and it tells them more about your style and your values as a teacher. Use these questions to show that you both know IB and to showcase your best ideas, regardless of how well they worked in reality.
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Heliotrope
- Posts: 1169
- Joined: Sun May 13, 2018 1:48 am
Re: Most/best/weirdest questions at job interviews
@PsyGuy
> Lots of IB ITs cant rattle off all the LPs, lots of MYP ITs barely know hat
> the MYP is much less what the ATLs are.
Most can, but if they can't list a few (you'd need about two to answer the question), why hire them at a serious IB school, as any teacher with IB experience and a brain would be able to list at least half of them, if not all? I don't think the question is meant to quiz the candidate to see if they can list them all, but if they don't know any, that would be a serious red flag if they say they worked at an IB school. That's not to say the question is meant to elicit both complete lists.
> No its not slightly more specific, is substituting a non-douchey question
> that focuses on terminology for a douchey one that does.
> You can assume anything about recruiters and leadership its why its called
> an assumption. The recruiter leadership that asks this douchey question is
> impressed by IB vocabulary.
Yes, you can assume, but that doesn't make it true. It's a valid question if there's no hidden intention like wanting the candidate listing all of ATLs and IB learner profile traits, and I'm simply judging the question based on what is actually asked, which is how they translate IB theory (ATLs, LP traits) in classroom practice (for their use of the IB-terms in their question: read my previous paragraph). Assuming the recruiter simply wants to hear IB jargon is a guess, and in my opinion and experience a poor one.
@Thames Pirate
> Those things, while explicitly stated or
> codified in the IB theory, are also just solid practice and should have
> already come up at the interview
Yes, but perhaps it hadn't, perhaps they were at the start of the interview, and perhaps they wanted to know more. We weren't at the interview, so can't say the question wouldn't produce any new information about the candidate that hasn't been covered already.
> So yes, it's "do you buy IB theory,"
Why? The candidate already teaches IB, so it's a normal question using terms the candidate is already familiar with (or should be). There would be better questions to find out how many IB terms the candidate knows, if that was their intend.
> is just good teaching, it's not a question unique to IB beyond the jargon.
Agreed, but it's also part of IB, so valid to ask about within IB-context.
> , and do you actually practice it"
Yes, that's the reason they ask the question, to see if you can bring IB theory into classroom practice. Relevant to know for an IB school.
> Lots of IB ITs cant rattle off all the LPs, lots of MYP ITs barely know hat
> the MYP is much less what the ATLs are.
Most can, but if they can't list a few (you'd need about two to answer the question), why hire them at a serious IB school, as any teacher with IB experience and a brain would be able to list at least half of them, if not all? I don't think the question is meant to quiz the candidate to see if they can list them all, but if they don't know any, that would be a serious red flag if they say they worked at an IB school. That's not to say the question is meant to elicit both complete lists.
> No its not slightly more specific, is substituting a non-douchey question
> that focuses on terminology for a douchey one that does.
> You can assume anything about recruiters and leadership its why its called
> an assumption. The recruiter leadership that asks this douchey question is
> impressed by IB vocabulary.
Yes, you can assume, but that doesn't make it true. It's a valid question if there's no hidden intention like wanting the candidate listing all of ATLs and IB learner profile traits, and I'm simply judging the question based on what is actually asked, which is how they translate IB theory (ATLs, LP traits) in classroom practice (for their use of the IB-terms in their question: read my previous paragraph). Assuming the recruiter simply wants to hear IB jargon is a guess, and in my opinion and experience a poor one.
@Thames Pirate
> Those things, while explicitly stated or
> codified in the IB theory, are also just solid practice and should have
> already come up at the interview
Yes, but perhaps it hadn't, perhaps they were at the start of the interview, and perhaps they wanted to know more. We weren't at the interview, so can't say the question wouldn't produce any new information about the candidate that hasn't been covered already.
> So yes, it's "do you buy IB theory,"
Why? The candidate already teaches IB, so it's a normal question using terms the candidate is already familiar with (or should be). There would be better questions to find out how many IB terms the candidate knows, if that was their intend.
> is just good teaching, it's not a question unique to IB beyond the jargon.
Agreed, but it's also part of IB, so valid to ask about within IB-context.
> , and do you actually practice it"
Yes, that's the reason they ask the question, to see if you can bring IB theory into classroom practice. Relevant to know for an IB school.
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applebutter
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Thu Nov 16, 2017 10:13 pm
Re: Most/best/weirdest questions at job interviews
Well in a strange interview recently I was told I was coming off too vanilla, and the interviewer asked what makes me angry. "I thought to myself you do you prick." Of course, I didn't say that in the interview, but what a weird question.
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Illiane_Blues
Re: Most/best/weirdest questions at job interviews
applebutter wrote:
> Well in a strange interview recently I was told I was coming off too
> vanilla, and the interviewer asked what makes me angry. "I thought to
> myself you do you prick." Of course, I didn't say that in the
> interview, but what a weird question.
Hahaha!
I wonder what his hires look like then. Go on the school's website and see if their staff's photos (if available) are less vanilla than yourself.
> Well in a strange interview recently I was told I was coming off too
> vanilla, and the interviewer asked what makes me angry. "I thought to
> myself you do you prick." Of course, I didn't say that in the
> interview, but what a weird question.
Hahaha!
I wonder what his hires look like then. Go on the school's website and see if their staff's photos (if available) are less vanilla than yourself.
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Illiane_Blues
Re: Most/best/weirdest questions at job interviews
Actually, I was once asked what would make me lose my cool in the classroom.
Not a bad question.
Can't remember what my answer was.
Guess the answer they wanted was 'nothing'.
Most interviewers I've sat across have been fairly good and most questions have been relevant. The most stupid question was about what kind of food I like. Was close to lunch time, maybe that was why, but I think he was just out of good questions or had made up his mind already.
Not a bad question.
Can't remember what my answer was.
Guess the answer they wanted was 'nothing'.
Most interviewers I've sat across have been fairly good and most questions have been relevant. The most stupid question was about what kind of food I like. Was close to lunch time, maybe that was why, but I think he was just out of good questions or had made up his mind already.
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Heliotrope
- Posts: 1169
- Joined: Sun May 13, 2018 1:48 am
Re: Most/best/weirdest questions at job interviews
I was once advised by a colleague to video some of my classes, to use in the hiring process, but I can't image recruiters taking the time to watch these videos. Or would they?
Any input?
Any input?
Reply
@Heliotrope
Why hire them because they cant recite the LP, because they get awesome asst scores. Its a douchey question intended to test recall by recitation.
No more than your claim that the two forms of questions we are debating are slightly more specific, because you say they are, which your assumptions are not self authenticating.
How does reciting an LP or ATL infer the candidates understanding of the IBO is "solid", a parrot can answer this question.
Again its just your claim that this is a normal question and non-douchey because you claim it to be so.
Class demonstration lessons or exhibits are becoming more popular as part of a digital portfolio. ITs are very indistinct from one another and while most often the deciding factor is the recruiters or leaderships definition of 'fit' often when candidates are equally scored on that anything little thing, even trivial ones like a portfolio or a teaching demo can make the difference.
@applebutter
My position on the anger issues is when theres a candidate who doesnt seem to have any outside interests or activities, and the concern is that all this person is gong to do after work is go to a pub or they have something in their personal life to hide. Too vanilla is recruiter speak for your personal and professional lives are too compartmentalized, what are you hiding?
@Illiane_Blues
The what would cause you to lose your cool in the classroom is usually reactionary to something the leadership recently experienced, and is an extension of the "how did you resolve a conflict or failure in your career" type of question.
Why hire them because they cant recite the LP, because they get awesome asst scores. Its a douchey question intended to test recall by recitation.
No more than your claim that the two forms of questions we are debating are slightly more specific, because you say they are, which your assumptions are not self authenticating.
How does reciting an LP or ATL infer the candidates understanding of the IBO is "solid", a parrot can answer this question.
Again its just your claim that this is a normal question and non-douchey because you claim it to be so.
Class demonstration lessons or exhibits are becoming more popular as part of a digital portfolio. ITs are very indistinct from one another and while most often the deciding factor is the recruiters or leaderships definition of 'fit' often when candidates are equally scored on that anything little thing, even trivial ones like a portfolio or a teaching demo can make the difference.
@applebutter
My position on the anger issues is when theres a candidate who doesnt seem to have any outside interests or activities, and the concern is that all this person is gong to do after work is go to a pub or they have something in their personal life to hide. Too vanilla is recruiter speak for your personal and professional lives are too compartmentalized, what are you hiding?
@Illiane_Blues
The what would cause you to lose your cool in the classroom is usually reactionary to something the leadership recently experienced, and is an extension of the "how did you resolve a conflict or failure in your career" type of question.
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Heliotrope
- Posts: 1169
- Joined: Sun May 13, 2018 1:48 am
Re: Reply
You say both:
> Why hire them because they cant recite the LP, because they get
And:
> a parrot can answer this question.
As an IB school interviewing a candidate that has taught IB, I'd like them to be slightly more intelligent than a parrot, so if they wouldn't know them it would be a red flag. Anyway, they only need to know a few to give examples and answer the question.
Also, if you have taught IB and can't use two ATLs or Learner Profile traits in an example of how you translate IB theory into classroom practice, you will probably get lost on your way to school.
> Again its just your claim that this is a normal question and non-douchey
> because you claim it to be so.
> which your assumptions are not self authenticating.
Hmmm, that's exactly what you're doing... You're just claiming the opposite "(it's a douchey question"), based all on assumptions and not facts.
> > No more than your claim that the two forms of questions we are debating are
> slightly more specific, because you say they are,
How is it not more specific?
One zooms in on ATLs rather than the whole IB theory, the other zooms in on Learner Profile traits. That makes it more specific.
If an IB schools wants to know how an experienced IB teachers translates IB theory into classroom practice, that's a very valid question.
Assuming they just want you to parrot list is not based in fact. If that is their true intention behind asking the question, then yes, they are douches, but then they could just ask you to list them all. Your hunch that the real question is a different one is merely a guess. I read the question as it is presented.
> Why hire them because they cant recite the LP, because they get
And:
> a parrot can answer this question.
As an IB school interviewing a candidate that has taught IB, I'd like them to be slightly more intelligent than a parrot, so if they wouldn't know them it would be a red flag. Anyway, they only need to know a few to give examples and answer the question.
Also, if you have taught IB and can't use two ATLs or Learner Profile traits in an example of how you translate IB theory into classroom practice, you will probably get lost on your way to school.
> Again its just your claim that this is a normal question and non-douchey
> because you claim it to be so.
> which your assumptions are not self authenticating.
Hmmm, that's exactly what you're doing... You're just claiming the opposite "(it's a douchey question"), based all on assumptions and not facts.
> > No more than your claim that the two forms of questions we are debating are
> slightly more specific, because you say they are,
How is it not more specific?
One zooms in on ATLs rather than the whole IB theory, the other zooms in on Learner Profile traits. That makes it more specific.
If an IB schools wants to know how an experienced IB teachers translates IB theory into classroom practice, that's a very valid question.
Assuming they just want you to parrot list is not based in fact. If that is their true intention behind asking the question, then yes, they are douches, but then they could just ask you to list them all. Your hunch that the real question is a different one is merely a guess. I read the question as it is presented.
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Illiane_Blues
Re: Reply
Sorry PsyGuy but Heliotrope makes a better point than you.
And "your assumptions are not self authenticating" and "its just your claim that this is ..."???
Wow Psyguy, as a recent member but a longtime lurker on this forum, this is really the pot calling the kettle black!!
Both things your throwing at him or her are almost your trademark when you're going back and forth with others on this forum given that you very often present your opinion as fact. I've read others accusing you of the same, so I'm not alone in this.
I value your many helpful contributions but you should judge yourself by the same standards as you use for others. Or not judge others.
Heliotrope, there's no point trying to persuade PsyGuy, he'll just keep trying to poke holes where there are none. It's a waste of time debating him if PsyGuy isn't open to the possibility of being wrong.
You two have yourselves a good day!
And "your assumptions are not self authenticating" and "its just your claim that this is ..."???
Wow Psyguy, as a recent member but a longtime lurker on this forum, this is really the pot calling the kettle black!!
Both things your throwing at him or her are almost your trademark when you're going back and forth with others on this forum given that you very often present your opinion as fact. I've read others accusing you of the same, so I'm not alone in this.
I value your many helpful contributions but you should judge yourself by the same standards as you use for others. Or not judge others.
Heliotrope, there's no point trying to persuade PsyGuy, he'll just keep trying to poke holes where there are none. It's a waste of time debating him if PsyGuy isn't open to the possibility of being wrong.
You two have yourselves a good day!