Once you have secured an interview (which can sometimes be the hardest bit so congratulations!) it is now time to prepare. Good interview preparation can be the key to ensuring that you get offered the job over another teacher. Whether you are a graduate teacher, or have twenty years experience, preparing well is critical.

  1. Be punctual
    Always map out your route to get to the interview location and plan to arrive 20 minutes before it is due to start. Being early will allow you to be as relaxed as possible and being late may leave a “sour taste” in the panel’s mouth.
  2. Be specific when answering a question about a situation
    When asked questions during the interview, it is important to be as specific as possible. Particularly if you are talking about a situation in the past. Don’t just talk generally about a class in the past, be specific. Be precise in talking about a situation, talking the panel through step by step. Using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method will help simplify your answer and give you some structure.For example:
    “I was teaching a class of year 9 students at X High School. There was a group of students being particularly disruptive (Situation).In order to defuse the situation, I quickly identified which students were the ringleaders and decided to act (Task).I spoke with the 3 students in particular who were being disruptive, and devised a seating plan to separate the students (Action).

    As a result, the other members of the class were no longer distracted, and the 3 students who were being disruptive gained focus and continued with their classwork (Result).

  3. Ask questions at the end of the interview
    It is important to prepare some questions ahead of time to ask at the end of the interview. You may want to ask questions about the interviewees themselves, the culture of the school and staff or  perhaps some questions about the class you will be working with if successful.
  4. Be positive and be yourself!
    The most important aspect of the interview is to be yourself. If you have been invited for an interview, it is fair to assume you are of the right calibre to work with them. The interview is to find out the finer details and if it’s going to be not only a good fit for the school, but for you!