Any teachers here?? Help on some questions? I have an interview coming up.?

Question

I applied at a high school and will have an interview coming up with the principal.

What are some of the harder questions that they usually ask at interviews for teachers?? I know from job fairs they usually ask about ways i'd assess my students.

Also, if you are a teacher, what do you say when they ask you "how would you teach a child who doesn't want to do anything in your class?"

Answer 1

I think that's a good question for you to weigh and consider.  It's not about giving out the right answers to the interviewer, it's about being honest with yourself and sharing what you feel, think and believe would be the best pedagogical practices you could offer to the students you serve.  Had you done any student teaching?  How had/did you deal with children that had no interest in learning?

Answer 2

Once upon a time, there was a student named Albert whose teacher tried to get him expelled because all he ever did was sit in the back of the room and smile. The student's last name was Einstein, by the way. He didn't perform very well in post-secondary education, either, but he was pretty good at doing his own research in his spare time, it turned out.

I used to have a seat in the corner for students who knew they were having a bad day, and I imagine I avoided some potentially career-ending confrontations by having that out for them. Looking back, I should have sought outside help for any student who spent more than a week there, but most of them were already getting outside help.

In my experience, these students usually have quite a history before they walk in your door, and you certainly shouldn't take it personally. Most students that are reluctant to do work can usually be talked into it with the right approach. For the ones who could not be talked into passing,  the school usually had a thick file with a great deal of background information on known issues.

You should definitely talk about trying to get to the root of the student's problem before coming up with a course of action.  Once you are clear in your own mind what the concern is, your next step is to gather data. Read the cumulative and confidential files if your school policy allows it (yes, they all should, but it doesn't mean they do).

Does she have an Individualized Educational Program, Modification Plan, Behavior Support Plan, or other plan already in place? If so, does the plan address the area of concern? If it doesn't, you should talk to the person in charge of coordinating that plan. If there is no plan, follow your school's procedure for convening a team to develop one.

Once you have implemented the plan for several weeks, you may find that the plan works and there is no need for further action. If the plan doesn't work, it's time to convene a team and tweak it, or seek further assistance. There are a number of programs specifically designed for such students in school districts across the country, but they go by different names.

Answer 3

1.  Tell me about your class room management style.

2.  Parents -  How will you keep lines of communication open with them?  Tell me about an experience you had with a difficult parent.  How did you deal with it?

3.  Flexibility - Are you certified in more than one subject area?  Would you be willing to change subjects or grade level?  Are you willing to teach multiple courses with only one prep period?  Will you sponsor a club or team, help out with afterschool dances, tutoring, etc.?

4. Why would a student say you were a great teacher?

Children who don't want to do anything can't be lumped together. Some can't do the work, so they exert no effort to avoid embarassment.  Others have problems at home that make doing homework seem trivial.  Therefore, you have to figure out why the kid isn't doing the work in the first place before coming up with a strategy to change the behavior.  In many situations, doing partner work helps.  Weak students are usually better at talking than writing, and they get assistance from a peer in a way that doesn't draw negative attention.