There's nothing worse than leaving an interview feeling like it didn't go as well as you had hoped. Here are 6 mistakes you're making in an interview - and how to avoid them!
Mistake #1 - you aren't giving examples in your answers.
Think about it - you have about 20 minutes to show whoever is interviewing you who you are as a teacher and what your classroom is like. You have to take advantage of every opportunity to give as much insight as you can so you walk out of the interview leaving no doubt you are the right teacher for that school.
Example Question: Do you believe students should be actively involved in their learning?
Answer with an example: “Yes I believe students should be actively involved in their learning because then they are able to form personal connections to the material, which deepens their understanding. For example, when I teach about the industrial revolution, we learn how businesses switched to methods of mass production and used assembly lines to crank out products as fast and efficiently as they could. So, in class, we then break into two groups to create our own assembly lines. Students get to choose which role they have and then we have a competition to see who can make the most sellable snowflakes in a certain amount of time. Not only is this a ton of fun for me and the students, but they walk away with a clear understanding of how the assembly line works and why businesses used it because they were actively involved with their learning.
You can see how that answer really gives you insight into my teaching style and what my classroom is going to look like because I answered the question with an example! For more practice, check out the Interview Prep Plus+ Package.
Mistake #2 - feeling like you have to answer immediately so you’re not taking the time to think about your answer.
I’m sure you’ve heard this advice before, but I’m here to remind you that it is OK to pause for a few seconds and think about what you want to say before answering. Sometimes you might get a question that throws you off or you’re asked a multi-part question and need to mentally plan out your response. If you’re thrown off by a question, then take 10 seconds and relax, think about what they’re really asking you, then think about your experience. For example, if you’re asked, "how do you use data to make informed decisions about instruction?" What they’re really asking is do you use pre-tests, what formative assessments are you using, and things like that. Then, think about what you do! Exit tickets? Kahoots? Pre and post-tests? A lot of times the questions that throw you off are things you know how to answer, you just have to break it down.
Same thing with a multi-part question, take 10 seconds to think ok this is going to be my point 1 and this is going to be my point 2. You could even write those down very quickly to remind yourself as you’re talking. Just tell the interview committee, “I know I’m going to get excited answering this question and don’t want to forget to answer the second part!” It’s way better to take those 10 seconds and go through the process to give a 10/10 answer, than feeling like you have to answer immediately and give a 5/10 answer.
Mistake #3 - you're not looking over your resume and cover letter in the car before you go into your interview
Looking over your resume and cover letter is going to remind you of how you advertised yourself to the school, what their values are, and your experiences. This refresher can help you avoid the previous mistakes we talked about!
If you are thinking , “I don’t know if my resume and cover letter are really going to help me prepare for interviews”, then you need to check out Easy Ed's Modules Package. In the Modules Package there are two modules dedicated specifically to resumes and cover letters. In the modules, you can see example resumes and cover letters, you’ll learn how to lay each of them out with downloadable blueprints, what to include, how you should present your experience, and how to tailor them to the school you’re applying to!
Mistake #4 - not writing down the questions you were asked post-interview.
This is a prep tool you can create yourself! Now, I don't expect anyone to remember every question you were asked in an interview, but jotting them down as soon as you get to your car or back to your home is when they will be the most fresh in your mind.
This is going to be good practice for future interviews because you will likely hear similar questions. You can also spend time reflecting on what you discussed in an interview and if you would want to change anything in your answer if you were asked that question again.
If you find yourself not satisfied with how you answered questions in an interview, get more practice with Easy Ed's Interview Prep Plus+ Package. We go through 30 real questions asked in interviews (straight from hiring principals!) and how to answer them - with principals feedback in mind.
Mistake #5 - not sending a thank you note
In this day and age, an email is fine. Realistically, a mailed thank you note will not get to the hiring committee before they make their decision. It may seem old fashioned, but I know someone who didn't get the job BECAUSE he didn't send a thank you note! All you need to do is send an email thanking the person for their time, expressing that the interview/information you learned has made you more excited for the position, and something personal to the interview.
You need to write down the peoples names as they introduce themselves so that you can look them up on the school's website to get their email. Or, ask someone in the front office for the names and emails of who was in the interview.
We cover thank-you notes and more interview etiquette and preparation in The Modules Package - module interview HQ.
Mistake #6 - you aren't preparing for every scenario.
Schools all have very different interview processes and questions. If you aren't preparing for what these could be, you are setting yourself up for failure.
For example, I had no idea a school may hand me a list of possible topics to teach, ask me to pick one, and walk them through a unit plan and types of activities I would do. When I was asked to do that, I froze and bombed the question. Of course, when I reflected upon it later I came up with a great answer. Had I known to possibly expect that, I would have nailed the interview!
You can avoid this mistake by listening to the Easy Ed Podcast on Spotify In the podcast, I interview hiring principals, teachers on hiring committees, and newly hired teachers so you can hear about all the ways schools are hiring teachers and the questions asked in interviews!
Comments