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Interview
2 [1 ~" d5 `2 a# k! F So what have they taught you at college about interviews? Some courses go t o town on it, others do very little. You may get conflicting advice. Only one th ing is certain: the key to success is preparation.
7 U+ z% k1 F# j5 r1 G h$ t7 b% o8 W There follow some useful suggestions from a teacher training course co-ordi nator, a head of department and a headteacher. As they appear to be in complete harmony with one another despite never having met, we may take their advice seri ously.
. O: p4 U& Z+ k# C* o Oxford Brookes University’s approach to the business of application and in t erview focuses on research and rehearsal. Training course co-ordinator Brenda St evens speaks of the value of getting students “to deconstruct the advertisement , see what they can offer to that school, and that situation, and then write the letter, do their CVs and criticize each other’s.” Finally, they role play inte rviewer and interviewee.( x8 i* X7 N o& ^# J2 Q
This is sterling stuff, and Brookes students spend a couple of weeks on it. “The better prepared students won’t be thrown by nerves on the day, ”says Ms St evens. “They’ll have their strategies and questions worked out. ” She also sa ys, a trifle disconcertingly, “the better the student, the worse the interviewee. ” She believes the most capable students are less able to put themselves forward. Even if this were tree, says Ms Stevens, you must still make your own case.
) X0 W/ u0 I$ \8 P& E “Beware of infernality,” she advises. One aspirant teacher, now a head of d epartment at a smart secondary school, failed his first job interview because he took his jacket off while waiting for his appointment. It was hot and everyone in the staffroom was in shirtsleeves but at the end of the day they criticized h is casual attitude, which they had deduced from the fact that he took his jacket off in the staffroom, even though he put it back on for the interview./ B; H x9 \. _3 v6 r* h
Incidentally, men really do have to wear a suit to the interview and women really cannot wear jeans, even if men never wear the suit again and women teach most days in jeans. Panels respond instantly to these indicators. But beware: it will not please them any better if you are too smart.7 ^7 h' a$ N' s# |# S" e' q" K5 g6 y& |
Find out about the people who will talk to you. In the early meetings they are likely to be heads of departments or heads of year. Often they may be concer ned with pastoral matters. It makes sense to know their priorities and let them hear the things about you that they want to hear.
/ F6 f: n3 ]* Z" c/ T; j! x During preliminary meetings you may be seen in groups with two or three oth er applicants and you must demonstrate that you know your stuff without putting your companions down. The interviewers will be watching how you work with a team
- q& d) C# B9 o$ f; ], G# @; f) T; { But remember the warning about informality: however friendly and co-operat ive the other participants are, do not give way to the idea that you are there j ust to be friends.
2 o3 Z4 |: P0 g/ l# I. V$ Q5 j Routine questions can be rehearsed, but “don’t go on too long,” advises th e department head. They may well ask: “What have been your worst/best moments w h en teaching?”, or want you to “talk about some good teaching you have done. ” The experts agree you should recognize your weaknesses and offer a strategy for over coming them. “I know I’ve got to work on classroom management — I would hope fo r some help,” perhaps. No one expects a new teacher to know it all, but they ho pe for an objective appraisal of capabilities.
5 ?4 m/ }% C S; \: X8 g& T# Z Be warned against inexpert questioning. You may be asked questions in such a way that it seems impossible to present your best features. Some questions may be plain silly, asked perhaps by people on the panel who are from outside the s ituation. Do not be thrown, have ways of circumnavigating it, and never, ever le t them see that you think they have said something foolish.
0 m8 a4 N2 V4 K+ F# f You will almost certainly be asked how you see the future and it is import ant to have a good answer prepared. Some people are put off by being asked what they expect to be doing in five or ten years’ time. On your preliminary visit, s ays the department head, be sure to give them a bit of an interview of your own, to see the direction the department is going and what you could contribute to i t. |