by TeachThought Workers
So that you’re contemplating taking a educating job? Or no less than interviewing?
What do you have to be asking to ensure it’s a very good match for each you and the college?
Understanding The Level Of The A Instructor Job Interview
First, perceive that you’re interviewing the college and district as a lot as they’re interviewing you, and this isn’t an influence play of some sort. The objective of a instructor placement must be a pairing between faculty (and directors from that faculty and district) and instructor that’s sustainable and serves college students.
We will discuss extra about suggestions for instructor job interviews in a separate put up (together with researching the college and seeing your self as ‘a match’ or ‘not a match’ relatively than ‘certified’ or ‘not certified’/‘good instructor’ or ‘dangerous instructor’). The objective of that put up can be that can assist you ‘get the job’ for a place you’re already certain you need.
Clearly, you possibly can’t merely take a listing like this and begin studying them off to a principal or–nicely, you’re in all probability not going to get the job (assuming they even allow you to end the interview). The purpose right here is to think twice about what you’re getting your self into–to discover the college and local weather and context from a number of angles past ‘job opening.’ To assume previous the interview to the college yr forward in an effort to discover the job that means that you can develop as a instructor, which is clearly what finest serves college students too.
Even in case you aren’t involved with the concept of ‘match’ and can take any job provided your means, questions like this will help exhibit your thoughtfulness as knowledgeable educator to these you interview with–and assist enhance your interviewing abilities for future openings all through your profession.
I’ve separated them into two classes–sensible and pedagogical. The ‘sensible’ questions are extra concerning the job itself–wage, insurance coverage, placement, and so forth. I’ve in all probability missed some apparent ones as a result of these sorts of questions differ wildly from one place to the following. One thing completely essential in a single nation or state or district could also be far much less so in one other.
The second class focuses extra on the character of pedagogy itself, and whereas nonetheless relative, must be a bit extra common. For now, 30 inquiries to ask at your subsequent instructor job interview with a faculty or district.
Sensible Interview Questions For Academics
1. How can I assist? That’s, past ‘educating the category,’ what alternatives are there for me to help my colleagues and the scholars on this faculty?
2. By way of deliverables—seen outcomes—what is predicted of each instructor daily? What are the college and district ‘non-negotiables’? That’s, what are the issues—behaviors and basic expectations—which might be in place for each instructor, daily universally and throughout the board with out negotiation or flexibility? (This feels like a bizarre query, however basically, it boils right down to how the college/district ‘does issues’, and might have a giant impact on the match between the instructor and the job being interviewed for.)
3. What are the lesson plan/curriculum necessities—by way of formatting, approval, collaboration, requirements, publishing, and so forth.? That is just like #1 however is targeted solely on unit, lesson, and evaluation design and the college’s procedures therein. For instance, are the teachings scripted? If that’s the case, is there any flexibility? If not, what are the ‘expectations’ for collaboration between lecturers? Is there a pacing information? How is it used? How can and may knowledge impression pacing guides and curriculum maps and so forth?
4. What’s the faculty habits mannequin and plan? How do lecturers and employees work collectively to help each college students and lecturers to create a bodily and intellectually protected and loving and forward-thinking surroundings for studying?
5. What’s the attendance/sick day/snow day coverage for lecturers?
6. What’s the faculty and district coverage concerning COVID and associated protocols, how have they modified over time, and the way do you anticipate them to vary within the close to future? How are lecturers protected and supported as they navigate the challenges of educating throughout the COVID epidemic?
7. How a lot will I earn? What’s the pay scale and the way does it change yearly? What insurance coverage and associated advantages are there for lecturers? How typically are lecturers paid? Is direct deposit out there? What a few cafeteria plan?
8. What are the extra-curricular alternatives and necessities for lecturers?
9. What committees are there on this faculty, and the way efficient have they been in reaching their function? How can I contribute to their continued development over time?
10. How is that this faculty/district totally different than it was ten years in the past? What knowledge is there to help that? (Cautious asking the second half, however know for certain {that a} faculty or district wouldn’t assume twice earlier than asking a instructor one thing related.)
11. What compelling alternatives are there for me to enhance my craft on this faculty or district?
12. How robust is the college/district IT division? Are they well-staffed and sufficiently funded? What concerning the district web filter—is that designed to help pupil studying?
13. What function does this librarian/media specialist play within the common classroom each day? (This may be telling in quite a lot of methods.)
14. Is there an educational coach or curriculum skilled that may assist me develop? Or are they used punitively to ‘catch me doing it incorrect’? (Don’t ask the second half.)
15. How do I do know that I’m protected right here—bodily, professionally, emotionally, and in any other case?
Pedagogical Interview Questions For Academics
16. How is pupil achievement outlined and measured?
17. What studying fashions are used on this faculty/district? Which have been discovered the best? How might I contribute to that transferring ahead?
18. How is know-how used to help college students and their households? How is it used to personalize studying?
19. Would this place encourage me to give attention to pupil strengths or weaknesses?
20. What’s the faculty mission, and the way do the curriculum, college students, and employees match collectively to assist notice it?
21. How is knowledge used to help lecturers and college students? How correct are the measurements instruments used to extract that knowledge?
22. Do college students like going to high school right here?
23. Do lecturers like educating right here? What sorts of collaboration between lecturers are ‘required’? Inspired? Supported?
24. Do mother and father really feel welcome right here?
25. What have this faculty’s best successes been lately? Traditionally?
26. Does the college have a ‘development mindset‘? The district? Or is it strain, strain, say good and well-intentioned issues, strain, strain?
27. How do totally different evaluation types and knowledge sources work collectively to enhance outcomes for college kids? How is that this knowledge made accessible to lecturers? How has that accessibility and knowledge high quality improved over the past 5 years?
28. How do superintendents, assistant superintendents, and different related roles help college students and lecturers and the way can I help their work in my place?
29. Are the humanities valued right here? Humanities basically?
30. How do curriculum, curriculum maps, pacing guides, items, classes, and any district/state stage assessments work collectively? Is every versatile sufficient to take action?
31. How do innovation and custom work collectively to serve college students?
32. The place do lecturers have autonomy? How is the capability of lecturers nurtured and grown all year long?
33. How doubtless is it {that a} pupil may ‘graduate’ from this faculty (having carried out nicely academically) and nonetheless have little or no hope for their very own future? Put one other means, how does the educational right here truly enhance the lives and arcs of scholars’ lives? How do we all know?
34. Is it ‘protected’ to show right here? That’s, is it protected for me professionally, psychologically, and bodily?
35. Is there a instructor’s union? Is it necessary? What’s the historical past of the connection between any instructor’s union and the college/district?
Bonus: On this place, would I educate content material or educate thought?
