Week #4:
The End is Only the Beginning –
Unit Planning, Job Interviews, Subbing, 1st Year
Teaching, and Being a Professional

Critical Evidence for the Week & Beyond
 Midterm Exam and Synthesis Paper (Today)
 Course Participation Rubric and Self
Reflection Email with portfolio link (Thursday)
 Letter to my Future Self (Thursday)
 Integrated Unit Showcase (Thursday)
 Exit Job Interview (Feb 4th or 5th)
 Integrated Unit (due Friday, Feb. 8th)
 Practicum Final Evaluation
 TQS and Interim Teacher Certificate
 Teaching Degree

Are you ready…..for change?
Are you ready…..to change? Again?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjJg9NfTXos

Table Discussions:
Coming down from the balcony
 Why do you REALLY want to be a teacher?
 How have you changed in the last two years?
 What else do YOU need to do to become a
professional?
 What else do WE need to do to truly become a
Professional Learning Community?
 Who has influenced you to be the teacher you
are today?
 Doing: Write a letter to me from your “future self”
ten years in the future. Who are you now?

Let the Job Hunt Begin

Interviewers Want to Know...
 …how well you meet the
requirements of the teaching
profession.
 ...how interested you are in
teaching.
 ...how well you will “fit” within the
school culture.
 ...what the advantages are of hiring
you over someone else.

Interviewees Want to Know...
 …how well the position and school
board suit their needs and goals.
 …what the employer has to offer
them.
 …what the advantages are of
working for this school board as
opposed to others.

Success in an interview depends
upon…
 …your knowledge about yourself,
especially your skills and interests
related to teaching.
 …your knowledge of the position
and school board.
 …your understanding of why you
are suited to the teaching position.
 …your interview skills.

Some Skills Required for Teaching
 Communication  Patience and
 Conflict resolution understanding
 Evaluation  Problem solving
 Group facilitation  Program planning
 Interpersonal  Public speaking
 Motivation  Record keeping
 Organization  Supervision

Preparing for the Interview
 Start with a self-assessment
 Learn as much as you can about the position
 responsibilities
 skills and qualifications required
 Learn as much as you can about the
school/school board

Researching School Boards
Find out:
 The size and location of the school district.
 The mission/vision statement, goals and
objectives of the school board.
 Unique features of the school district and the
specific schools within the district.
 Regulations and policies within the district.
 Any major challenges/issues the school district
currently may face.
 Other information?

Researching School Boards
Where/How?
 CaPS Resource Centre
 Discipline-Specific Section - Education
 Education Career Fair
 hosted by CaPS annually
 Alberta Teacher Association Website
 Provincial departments of education
 Call the school board and ask for information
 Internet

More Interview Preparation Tips
 Compare what you know about yourself with what
you know about the position and organization
 Prepare some questions to ask
 Practice, practice, practice
 Find out as much as you can about the interviewers
and interview process
 Review the application you submitted for the position
and your teaching portfolio

Still More Interview Preparation Tips
 Get your “interview kit” ready
 Teaching Portfolio
 Pad of paper and a pen/pencil
 Name and phone number of the interviewer
 in case you’re delayed
 List of questions to ask the interviewer
 Copy of your application documents
 List of references and copies of reference
letters to give at the interview.
 Get a good night’s sleep and eat
something about an hour before the
interview

Stages of the Interview
Stage 1
 Opening the Interview
Stage 2
 Exchange of Information
Stage 3
 Closing the Interview

Stage 1:
Opening the Interview
 Introductions
 Establishing rapport
 Setting the agenda

Making a Favourable First Impression
 Dress appropriately.
 Look clean and well groomed.
 Be punctual.
 Greet the interviewer(s) with enthusiasm.
 Smile and be friendly to everyone.
 Make eye contact.
 Don’t be afraid to make small talk.
Dress for Success: What not to wear? What to
wear for men ? And women?

Stage 2:
Exchange of Information
 Be prepared to ask questions as
well as provide answers to the
interviewers’ questions
 Sit comfortably
 Be aware of non-verbal
communication
 What does your body language and voice
tell the interviewer?
 What does the interviewers’ body
language tell you?

Some Sure Signs the Interviewer’s
Attention is Wandering
 shuffling papers sighing
 finger tapping legs repeatedly changing
 hands playing with position
things picking lint off clothes
 eyes down or glazed
picking lint off your
over
clothes (do something
 looking at watch/clock
quick!!)
 scratching head
 lying back in chair
(Source: The Student Guide to Job
Hunting by Francois Cote)

Interview Questions
 Structured format
 questions are pre-determined
 all applicants are asked the same
questions
 questions tend to be specific
 Unstructured format
 each applicant may be asked different
questions depending on the direction
of the interview which is not pre-
determined
 questions tend to be broad, general

Directive Interview Question
 The interviewer determines the
focus of your answer.
“What principles do you use to motivate
students?”
“What additional subjects, apart from
your area of specialization, would
you feel confident to teach and at
what level?”

Non-Directive Interview Question
 You determine the focus of your answer.
“Tell me about yourself.”

Hypothetical Interview Question
 The interviewer describes a situation
and asks how you WOULD react if in
a similar situation.
“Suppose you are meeting with a parent
who is very upset about his/her son’s marks.
How would you handle this situation?”
“What would you do if you found that your
ideas and those of your principal differed?

Behaviour Descriptive Interview
(BDI) Question
 The interviewer asks what you DID do in a
specific type of situation.
“Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with a
student with behavioral problems. How did you help
to resolve it? What did you learn?”

Stress Interview Question
 The interviewer intentionally introduces stress
into the interview to see how well you react
under pressure.
“If you could be any animal, what animal would you
be and why?”

Answering Interview Questions
 Think first, answer second
 Ask for clarification if necessary
 Focus on your skills and
achievements
 Provide specific examples.
 Draw on work and non-work related
experiences
 Turn negatives into positives
 Demonstrate good communication
skills

Stage 3
Closing the Interview
 Ask questions you have prepared that were
not answered during the course of the
interview
 Summarize you most relevant skills and
qualities
 Find out what happens next
 Thank the interviewer(s)

Leaving a Positive
Lasting Impression
 If invited to ask questions, do so but
refrain from asking questions
 that have already been answered
 that could be answered with a little
research
 about salary and benefits
 Summarize your relevant skills and
qualities
 Remain upbeat from beginning to end
 Drop off a thank you card or note the
day after the interview

If two applicants were equal in
education and experience, what traits
would influence you to hire one over
the other?
44% Ability to get along with others
42% Communication Skills
29% Confidence
28% Motivation/Ambition
18% Leadership Ability
15% Enthusiasm
11% Maturity
10% Learning Ability

Negative Factors Leading to Rejection
 Poor personal appearance
 Limp, fishy hand-shake
 Overbearing, overaggressive, conceited
 Indecision
 Inability to express oneself clearly
 Unhappy personal life
 Lack of planning/vision for career
 Friction with other people
 Lack of interest and enthusiasm, passive
 Sloppy application form
 Lack of confident and poise, nervousness
 Cover letter/resume with errors
 Failure to participate in activities
 Merely shopping around attitude
 Overemphasis on money
 Picky – wants job only for a short time
 Poor scholastic record
 Little sense of humor
 Unwilling to start at the bottom
 Long winded
 Makes excuses
 Impatient, doesn’t want as directed
 Lack of tact
 Arrives late or “just on time”
 Lack of maturity
 Bad breath (e.g. smokers beware)
 Lack of courtesy, poor manners
 Multiple piercings, tatoos
 Condemnation of past employers
 etc. etc.
 Dislike for school work
 Fails to look interviewer in the eye

Mock Interviews