Welcome to“How to Wow Employers with Your Interview and Portfolio”

Led byMary C. Clement, Professor of Teacher Education,

Berry College, Mount Berry, Ga.

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How to Wow Employers with Your

Interview and PortfolioMary C. Clement

Berry College, Ga.

Today we will …

Help you get your interview portfolio ready

Prepare you for preliminary interviews

Provide you with state-of-the art interview techniques

An interview portfolio is not:

The huge binder you prepared during student teaching

ElectronicSomething that an employer will ask to seeSo why do it?

An interview portfolio is:

A ½-inch to 1-inch binder A portfolio with 6-8 itemsSomething you show to interviewers at

preliminary and on-site interviewsYour visual aid to use as you answer questions

What are the items I need?

1. One or two lesson plans2. A classroom management plan3. A parent letter4. One or two pages of a unit or curriculum map

You may add the following:

1. A sample quiz or test that you made2. A sample grading scale3. Evidence of student achievement (names

removed)4. A few (3-4) pictures of how you organized a

classroom (no student pictures)

How do I use the portfolio?

When asked a question about planning, management, grading, student achievement, or parent communication, you turn to that item in your portfolio and discuss it to answer the question.

Use it at preliminary and on-site interviews.

Preliminary interviews

Preliminary interviews sort the candidates who will get final interviews.

They are conducted by telephone, online, and at job fairs.

Job fairs are held on campus and in districts.

A preliminary interview:

Is 10 to 30 minutes longMay only have three to six questionsMust make you stand out from the crowdHINT: Have a 60-second commercial about

yourself ready to say. (Professional profile)

One to two lines highlight your preparation

“Having just completed a year-long student teaching experience that included work in grades 2 and 5, I have learned how to organize and manage a classroom. My 12 semester hours of reading instruction help me to meet the needs of all learners, recognizing that reading is the key to student achievement.”

Another professional profile

“Studying a semester in Sevilla, Spain, improved my fluency in Spanish, which made my student teaching experience a great one. My teacher and I used as much Spanish as possible in every lesson, making about 90 to 95% of the classes in the language. We had at-risk students speaking the language and earning B’s, which were grades above what they were earning in English classes.”

Preliminary interview questions

Tell us about your best teaching experience.How have you organized a classroom for strong

management and discipline?What is your experience teaching _________ ?Describe a lesson that went well and why.

What is unique about you?

Why do you want to work in our district?What special skills or experience do you bring to

teaching?Tell me the most important item on your

résumé.

BBI-style interviews

Behavior-based interviewing Past experience is the best predictor of future

success.Tell me about …Describe how you have …Explain how you …

You will be asked questions about …

CurriculumPlanningManagement/disciplineDifferentiation of instructionData analysis and assessmentParent communication and professionalism

Answer with:

PAR – Problem, Action, ResultSTAR – Situation, Task, Action, ResultPractice answers in front of a mirror and with

another person.

Tell about your best teaching experience.

“I was working with my cooperating teacher in a 4th grade with several special needs children (S). We were preparing students for the state’s standardized states (T) and I prepared a series of review lessons that emphasized reading and math together in story problems (A). I learned that students can be prepared for tests without stress and fear by having engaging lessons where they gain confidence (R).”

Tell about an experience with management.

“In student teaching, I had trouble getting my 7th graders not to shout out answers when I was teaching (P). My teacher suggested using more think/pair/share strategies to get all students to think of the answer (A). It worked. My students learned to think of the answer, share it with a partner or write it down, and then we shared aloud (R).”

What employers really want

A teacher who can organize and manage a classroom (No discipline problems)A teacher who can raise student achievementA teacher who can work with ALL studentsA teacher who gets along with other faculty

What else do employers want?

Energetic, enthused teachersPeople who work for improvement and don’t

complainStrong interpersonal skills, ability to speak well,

good grammar

Now, let’s answer these

Tell us about your best teaching experience.How have you organized a classroom for strong

management and discipline?What is your experience teaching _________ ?Describe a lesson that went well and why.

More sample questions

Elementary:1. Describe reading strategies that you have used. 2. How have you worked to raise student

achievement/test scores?3. Describe an interesting activity that is

developmentally appropriate for grade _____ .

Middle Grades

1. Describe your experience with team teaching.2. Explain the maturity levels of 7th graders.3. How have you raised achievement scores in

math?4. How have you worked with a student who

refuses to do work?

High School

1. How have you encouraged students to stay in school and graduate?

2. What are two important methods or strategies for teaching your content?

3. Explain your grading scale to me as if I were a 9th grader.

You will be asked questions about …

CurriculumPlanningManagement/disciplineDifferentiation of instructionData analysis and assessmentParent communication and professionalism

Hot Questions

Be prepared to talk about how you have differentiated instruction.

How have you used student data to inform your lesson planning? Your assessments?

How have you raised student achievement?

Illegal Questions

You can not be asked about family, children, religion, native language, or disabilities.

Do not volunteer this information either, unless it helps your résumé.

If asked, what do I say?

“I know what parents need to know from the teacher, because I am a parent.”

Give a positive example. Talk about teaching.Only you can decide how to answer. Some say,

“Time is limited and I want to talk about my great first year of teaching.”

Crazy questions

If you were an ice cream flavor, which one would you be, and why?

Write a poem about yourself.

Your QuestionsAt the end, you may be asked:What else do you want us to know about you?

- sell your teaching expertise

What are your questions for me?- induction, mentoring, professional

development

Keys to Winning a Job

1. Practice answering job interview questions.2. Know what you bring to the table. What sets

you apart? If asked, “Why should I hire you instead of the other 345 applicants?” you need an answer.

3. Radiate enthusiasm, energy, and a positive attitude.

Do not forget:

Wear career clothes – this means a suit.Make sure your hair, jewelry, etc. are

professional.Practice a strong handshake.Make eye contact.

Final hints

No matter the question, answer with a behavior-based answer. (PAR and STAR)

Sell your experience.Be professional. Be positive.Do your homework and know the district and

schools in the district.

Good interviewing:

Is teaching someone one-on-one.Use your portfolio.Smile.Get the job!Stay in your professional organizations – PLT.

This webinar was brought to you by Educational Horizons, the official magazine of Pi Lambda Theta.

Questions? Email edhorizons@pdkintl.org.