Teacher Interview Questions
What Makes a Great Teacher and What Are Your Teaching Strengths?
A great teacher is approachable, trustworthy, believes in you and has a passion for their subject that they wish to share. As a HPL associate these skills are embedded in the philosophy that every child can succeed. These are something that I demonstrate daily in practice. However these alone do not make a great teacher, a great teacher needs to constantly monito and track progress, intervene when is necessary. Provide personalize learning for all students and challenge all students. They need to be creative with how they deliver their lessons, use technology to be complement the learning. And provide meaningful feedback. With my class last year there were several underperforming, however with careful monitoring and feedback they were soon back on track and just under half of them made 3 grades progress and surpassed their aspirational targets.
What makes a successful school?
A happy one! one that students love to attend, they develop holistically they ahcieve acedmeically and they learn key skills beyond thier current enviroemtns and within. eg respect compassion, mindfullness. One with happy teachers who also love to learn. One that has a clear vision and is on a path to achieveing it.
What will students, parents and colleagues say are your strengths and areas for development?
Ability to reflect, ability to be objective about practice and development.
What is the role of a form tutor?
Academic monitoring, pastoral support and monitoring, preparation for school day / school work, Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development (SMSC), (in England British Values).
Tell me about yourself/ What is your teaching philosophy?
As an educator I believe in providing a platform with the required wrap around care to ensure all students can achieve highly. I look to engage with students to discover what their passions are as well as sharing mine with them. For example last week in class with my yr11s when we began discussing the idea of different sized infinities and how to count beyond infinity. I want to ensure all students can achieve their dreams, with some students get them to dream a little bigger and over the last number of years this is what excited me and drives me to work with young people. I find this job very enriching and rewarding and I absolute love it. In my current role with comp studies it has been very rewarding facilitating all their passions as well as getting them to discover other passions and grow as people. Having a focus on their holistic development is something is thoroughly enjoy doing. I love learning and love learning about new and exciting ways to deliver my lessons.
How would you support the ethos of this school?
As i said in my letter, i feel my philosophy of education is very much aligned, everyone can achieve their dreams. I believe this because of my manner within the classroom, the emphasis i place of students, not just their results. If this is done correctly the academics naturally follow. I love getting to know the students beyond the classroom.
What strategies do you use to make sure that vulnerable learners make progress and achieve well in your classes
Be able to identify and reflect on strategies that you have used to support named vulnerable groups of learners, such as students eligible for PP/ PDG, LAC, SEND, more able / HAP. Reference to research that you have applied (or conducted within your classroom) also welcomed.
If appointed, what would be the first thing you would do?
Build relationships is the first thing to achieve. Can't do anything without it Raise my profile within the college, with both staff and students. Another priority would be to review the curriculums that need teaching so that I know the content inside out.
If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would you meet and why?
David Attenbough - a hero and someone who has similar passions to me
What are some of the current issues in education? What Are the Top Issues in Education Today?
For me its technology and ensuring that through using this, which is good all students have the same access and the same starting point. And ensuring students are safe online. SAMR Model to evaluating current practice,
Which is more important, teaching or learning, and why?
For me they are both as important and it depends on the type of each. eg procedural learning vs conceptual learning or teaching that isn't clear as there are lots of extraneous distractors vs teaching that is clear and has prompted to support learning. Teaching needs to instruct, track, support, challenge. Learning needs knowledge comiting to long term memory and being able to retrieve this when required. Its more the type of learning that is important. Deep conceptual learning when students have learnt something.
Why do you want to work at.....?Why should we appoint you? What can you bring to the role that other candidates may not bring? What unique qualities can you bring to the school? What would we be missing out on by not appointing you? How can you improve the school? Why do you want to work in this school? Why do you want to work for our school? Why this job?
From reading all the literature on your website and from watching all the videos I get a real feel that my teaching philosophy is completely aligned with my view of education. That it is not all about academic excellence, but that when we do the wrap around care and support properly that naturally follows. From an Acorn, an oak. Teaching and learning - refining practice. Being an excellent practioner
In your opinion, what is the most important aspect of your subject and how do you make sure that you teach this well?
Having deep understanding of the basic concpets is key. Teaching students to delve deeper into any topic to improve their conceptual understanding is the most important aspect in my opinion and knowling how this relates to real life. I have recently been using depth of knowledge and open middle questions to move students from having a superfisical undernstadning to further understand a concnerp. In Dok there are 4 levels. Level 4 is real world examples.
What would you recommend an Oxbridge candidate to read?
How to Think like a Mathematician Kevin Houston. There is lots of good mathematics in this book (including many interesting exercises) as well as lots of good advice. How can you resist a book the first words of which are: ow many months have 28 days? Mathematician's answer: All of them. Or the story of Andrew Wiles proof of Fermat's Last Theorem. - the book reads almost as an exciting thriller and conveys true passion for the beauty of mathematics.
What are some methods you use to check for understanding as you're teaching? How do you assess students' progress? How do you evaluate your students?
I always prepare high qualiy lesson plans that have regular feedback points, exit tickets, check points, thumbs up etc. I love using whiteboards to assess students as well as working around the room to provide feedback. More recently in COVID times this has been more problematic so I have resorted to assessing students using desmos classroom, dr frost whiteboards. these are fantastic new ideas that are really benefiting teachers. I also include more formal approaches that follow the departmental schemes of work such as regular tests. One student, showed a strong grasp of concepts during in-class activities, but performed poorly during testing. Through working closely with him, I uncovered an undiagnosed vision problem. Terry got corrective lenses and his test scores rose to match his in-class comprehension. In my lesson, I will be assessing them at the beginning of class, and a several points throughout. The quiz will also provide feedback to students and demonstrate to me how they have achieved. share how you implement open communication with your students to discover what they need to succeed.
How would you raise a child's self-esteem and aspirations?
I did this with Kelly, the greatest student i have ever taught. Coaching, getting her to realise her achievements and looking at this from another person perspective. what do others in the YG think about your results? I have always found that coaching brings about the most powerful long term change in people.
How do you know you would be successful?
I don't, but in all that I have done before has allowed me to develop a diversified skill set that should allow me, with support from the team to meet the expectation I have of myself and what you expect from me. Learning on the job is what's going to make me successful and constantly questioning myself to reflect on what I have done and was there a better way to do it.
Tell us about a behaviour management strategy you have used to help engage an individual learner or group. What would you do if your strategies for behaviour management were not succeeding? What behaviour management strategies do you tend to employ in the classroom? 7. Give me an example of a classroom situation where the children have been challenging - what did you do to overcome this?
I ensure all my lessons are well planned and resourced. This has meant that I am prepared to respond to any disengagement quickly and efficiently. I have leant over many years the strategies that work best for me, pacing a lesson, providing individual learning, challenge and support. Regular checks to monitor and inform these. Use rewards to celebrate student successes. No matter what the situation I am equipped with the resources to respond in a professional and calm manner and get the learning back on track.
What Are Some Methods You Would Use to Engage a Distracted Classroom?
I ensure all my lessons are well planned and resourced. This has meant that I am prepared to respond to any disengagement quickly and efficiently. I have leant over many years the strategies that work best for me, pacing a lesson, providing individual learning, challenge and support. Regular checks to monitor and inform these. Use rewards to celebrate student successes. No matter what the situation I am equipped with the resources to respond in a professional and calm manner and get the learning back on track.
What do you find most frustrating about teaching?
I get very frustrated with bright kids who become overconfident and don't apply themselves. There's nothing sadder or more common than wasted potential. At my last position, I worked with several children who weren't trying. I implemented a research-based program to incorporate student ideas into the lesson plan. The addition of their thoughts created more complete engagement. Test scores went up 15% in just two months. I have to admit, I get frustrated by the kids who think they're too cool for school and who float through their day doing as little as possible and the teachers who play into that attitude. Rather than turn that frustration into anger or simply ignore them and wait for a slacker to drift through a year in my class, I turn that frustration into a challenge for both the student and myself. Most of the time those kids are too cool because of challenges they're facing outside of school and their attitude is a way for them to protect themselves. Sometimes all they need is to know someone else believes in them. By giving them a little extra attention and encouragement, I've seen some of the 'coolest kids' turn into students who are focused, driven and ready to turn themselves around.
How Do You Plan on Using Technology in the Classroom? How do you use technology in the classroom?
I have always endeavoured to be innovative in my daily practice. With the current situation in education, everyone has had to upskill themselves in a very short space of time. I have supported colleagues with strategies to successfully teach remotely. I use Meets for my lessons, various whiteboards, google forms to assess knowledge, padlet, desmos to collaborate, I use online games as exit tickets. Using technology is always something I have embraced throughout my career and I am very up to date with new tech. I also run robotics and have tried to incorporate VR/AR into my teaching although this didn't yield the expected results. SAMR model
Give an example of when you have improved teaching and learning in the classroom and how you knew you had been successful.
I have had lessons recorded and shared to share good practice, I have led PD on delivering outstanding lessons. I frequently support my colleagues with planning, ideas, and strategies that are useful in the classroom. In my role in the Sixth form I wrote in my letter about this, I worked with the business department and in a previous school the maths department. I have had measurable successes in driving improvement and improving the experiences of students.
What is good teaching and learning and how do you promote this in your classroom practice?
I have high expectations within the classroom and I am always mindful of how I instruct the learning so not to overload students. Good teaching is explaining things well, monitoring students throughout and supporting and challenging. Good learning is students having a conceptual understanding and not just a procedural understanding. So understanding the why and the how, not just the how we do it. Good learning for me is not just performance in tests, it is being able to retrieve information from their long term memories when required. I use various techniques such as spacing to under students committee their knowledge to their long term memories.
How would you manage a parent who is angry with their child's results?
I have seen the complaints policy on your website and would follow the guidance this provides. regardless of this I would respond in a professional and calm manner. I would listen and look to mediate their concerns and log and report the meeting. I have lots of experience in dealing with parents that are not satisfied and have built up very positive relations with them to best support their child's development.
How do you incorporate social-emotional learning in your lessons?/ wellbeing
I have seen their is a programme for this that is delivered by form tutors and I would be excited to be part of this. In my lessons element of this such as mindfulness, respect and the ways in which we interact will always be a part of all lessons.
If you overheard some colleagues talking about you, what would they say?
I have very good relationships with my colleagues. I am confident that they value and respect the way in which I work and any conversation would echo this. I would want to hear things like professional, has grit and determination, completes what he sets out to do. reflects and refines what he does
How far do children in your classroom direct their own learning?
I like to provide options and provide choice, however through close monitoring they are encouraged to ensre they are challenging themselves. with the upturn in tech in the lessons this is very empowering for students, I have put together a website to support my A Level students with Living their Education
How much do you want to know about your students in order to be most helpful to them?
I need to know a student's learning styles, passions, and challenges. One difficult student, Tim, was disruptive in class. I joined him on the playground on and off. It turned out he was being bullied after school by his brother's friends. I spoke with Tim's parents, and they had no idea. Tim became my star student, and as a result, my whole class got quieter and easier to teach.
What is the biggest mistake you have ever made?
I stayed too many years in a job that was stable but didn't offer me enough opportunities to develop my pedagogy. When I graduated from uni I genuinely thought I knew everything about maths. I wish I knew how common it was that no one knew anything about maths and this doesn't mean you are not clever or not good at the subject. This has led me to be better emphasise with students. I had a fixed mindset view that I knew everything I needed to know and that maths is maths and it isn't going to change. I had a fixed mindset that I know everything I needed to know to teach maths. I wish I had known that maths is something that evolves and that I will need to grow for the rest of my career.
What are your views on the value of homework?
I use homework for spacing, the idea that if you revist things 3 times that they are more likley to be commited to long term memeory than if you spend 3 times the time in one go.
How would you get your classroom ready for the first day of school?
I want my classroom to be welcoming and nurturing. I also make the ground rules obvious. A welcome sign and labeled desks help students feel at home from day one. Engaging posters and other visual aids help create a sense of excitement. Beyond fun, a large list of rules and consequences at the front of the room helps the class start on the right foot.
Describe a Lesson That Didn't Go Well and How You Resolved It/ Tell me about a series of lessons that you designed and taught. What went well and what would you change?
I was volun-told to record a lesson for college CPD. When you are being observed you pretend this is the way you always teach, but secretly you want this to be the best lesson ever. I picked a lesson on subtracting fractions. The lesson before students could do this easily. In Dubai there are count down signs on SZR that decrease in 1/4s. I took pictures of these and showed the class a sign with 1/2 and a sign with 1/4 on them. I asked how far apart are the signs. First student said 1/3. I asked why. Second student had added them. How could this be happening????? I really thought that students would be fine, but I didn't understand why this happened but I came to realise in the coming days is when you give students procedural problems but never give them the opportunity to apply them. they had no conceptual understanding of what the signs were. This is when I realised what I was doing just wasn't enough. I spent years trying to work out what happened and working out why it went wrong. The next day they could all do the problem.
Can you tell me about a time you've failed?
I was volun-told to record a lesson for college CPD. When you are being observed you pretend this is the way you always teach, but secretly you want this to be the best lesson ever. I picked a lesson on subtracting fractions. The lesson before students could do this easily. In Dubai there are count down signs on SZR that decrease in 1/4s. I took pictures of these and showed the class a sign with 1/2 and a sign with 1/4 on them. I asked how far apart are the signs. First student said 1/3. I asked why. Second student had added them. How could this be happening????? I really thought that students would be fine, but I didn't understand why this happened but I came to realise in the coming days is when you give students procedural problems but never give them the opportunity to apply them. they had no conceptual understanding of what the signs were. This is when I realised what I was doing just wasn't enough. I spent years trying to work out what happened and working out why it went wrong. The next day they could all do the problem.\
Describe the worst or best lesson you have given. What would you do differently? Say why it was successful or unsuccessful. 4. Tell me about a lesson that didn't go well and what you did about it
I was volun-told to record a lesson for college CPD. When you are being observed you pretend this is the way you always teach, but secretly you want this to be the best lesson ever. I picked a lesson on subtracting fractions. The lesson before students could do this easily. In Dubai there are count down signs on SZR that decrease in 1/4s. I took pictures of these and showed the class a sign with 1/2 and a sign with 1/4 on them. I asked how far apart are the signs. First student said 1/3. I asked why. Second student had added them. How could this be happening????? I really thought that students would be fine, but I didn't understand why this happened but I came to realise in the coming days is when you give students procedural problems but never give them the opportunity to apply them. they had no conceptual understanding of what the signs were. This is when I realised what I was doing just wasn't enough. I spent years trying to work out what happened and working out why it went wrong. The next day they could all do the problem.\
In your application you refer to high expectations, how do you go about achieving this?
I would communicate my high expectation to all stakeholders. In my current role, I discuss it with the tutors, then the students and then the parents. clear and transparent. After all I believe that in order to fully prepare our young people for the world we need to have high expectation of everything from attitude to uniform without letting them know what.
What would you do if a student/ parent complained about a member of staff?
I would follow the compliments and complaint policy. This states that: I would use my professional judgement when deciding if an issue, concern or query should be seen as a complaint. If uncertain, seek advice from the line manager. A complaint is defined as any express.Current example:ed dissatisfaction with a student's education, behaviour or welfare. This might be accompanied by a specific complaint about a member of staff. A complaint becomes formal when it is expressed in writing. All complaints should be treated as serious
A decision has been made that you are not on board about. A member of staff queries the decision with you. How do you deal with them? A decision has been made that you disagree with. A member of staff challenges it with you. How do you deal with it?
I would listen to their viewpoint, could I use the coaching model? Get them to explain why they felt it was inappropriate, I would initially speak to them to rationalise the decision in an attempt to get them on board, understanding the reasoning, is important to understanding the decision. I am also aware that this might not always work, or I might not be able to share the reasoning. If this was that case I could reinforce the decision and get them to fall in line. we want them to strive for I feel we are letting them down.
Why should we hire you to teach here?
I'm well aware of your new technology initiative. We were tasked with the same challenge at my last school. Thanks to my strong tech background, I was able to add online quizzes easily. The students loved them, and they cut administrative processing by 25%.
How can you help our school/students?
I've talked to several of your teachers and heard about their challenges with classroom management. My own classroom management skills are highly developed. I've taken 18 continuing education credits in class management from the University of Phoenix's online program. I was commended at my last school after fully engaging a class with over 25% disruptive students. I used a mix of nonverbal cues, transition cues, timeouts, and several other kernel-based strategies. I believe I can be just as effective here.
Describe your classroom management structure.
If you're a veteran teacher, discuss how you handled your classroom in the past. Give specific examples of things that worked the best and why. If you're new, then explain what you learned as a student teacher and how you'll map out a plan to run your first classroom. No matter how long you've been teaching, familiarize yourself with the school district's philosophies on classroom management and discipline. Mention how you'll incorporate their philosophy and stay true to your own. If you're unable to find out much about the school's policies beforehand, ask the interviewer to explain.
What is your biggest success?
Implementing changes in the sixth form that led to better outcomes for all students, staff and HODs. As outlined in my letter this multi step approach about improving tracking - which was the basis my NPQSL project enables us to predict grades in a more fair and robust way. This meant the students had better support and were able to access courses that were best suitable for them, this improved their wellbeing both throughout the process and hopefully in the future as they are in places that will suit them. This reduced parental pressure on HODs who have very hectic schedules and the predicted were consistent across the school. We then tracked students in relation to these predictions and put in place the necessary interventions and this was why the college made so much progress in the fist year leading to a grade 2 in ALPs.
Describe a Time You Had to Address a Safeguarding Issue" What would you do if a child made a disclosure to you? What is a teacher's responsibility in keeping children safe? Tell us how you dealt with a safeguarding issue in school. What would you do if a child disclosed a personal issue?
In any situation I would respond in a sensitive and supportive way, but would always follow protocol and reporting procedures. I wouldn't promise confidentiality and if possible make notes. As a hoy I have extensive knowledge and training in this area which mean any issues I have dealt with in the past have recorded and actioned in a swift manner.
Where do you see yourself in say four years' time?
In four years' time I aim to have improved my abilities and to be a leader in my field. This will mean that I can contribute more to my employers and their business. I am ambitious as you can see in all my roles held to date, however that really depends on how well I perform in my job and also what career opportunities come my way. However the bottom line is that I want to have improved my skill sets and be making an ongoing contribution to any organization that I happen to be working for.
How would you foster equal opportunities in the classroom/school?
In the curent situation I would want to check that all students in my lessons have accss to the same basic resources. without this then their is equality. I would look to support anyone who was coming from a disadvantaged postion by speaking to them, thier parents, thier tutors to look to make a posiitve change
How do you connect your lessons to the real world?
Incorporating real-world connections into lesson plans helps students understand why what they're learning is useful beyond the classroom. Explain how you will facilitate this kind of authentic learning for your students. Will you invite guest speakers? Use primary source documents? Will you tie in current affairs when possible? Show that your methods extend beyond the theoretical.
What is the purpose of a school?
Is it making kids cleverer? Schools are a technological invention that we have come up with to teach things the students are unlikely to pick up from their environments
Why the independent sector?
It is not the pull of private education - it is the pull of this school. The ethos and feel I have for the school. Focus on L&T, high levels of challenge. Supportive parents. Talk about the kind of learner you are and how smaller classes, more face time with teachers, and more in-school resources will enable you to excel. The opportunity to shape the students who will go to the top univerisites, take up top positions of responsibility and have a positive impact on the world.
When was the happiest 6 months of your career
It was about 2 years ago when I attended a PD on the science of learning and this sparked a genuine interest in psychology. Learning how students learn and upskilling myself in this area was incredibly rewarding and then seeing the fruits of my labours in the progress of the students was fulfilling for me. I have since shared this with my colleagues and it has had a huge impact across the entire sixth form I lead and this I believe is one of the factors we have been identified as being in the top 2% of providers globally.
What percentage of your life do you feel in control of?
It's a high percentage (60-70%) / and things change with the nature of my job and this job I recognise that. However when things do become out of control i have proven i work hard to readjust things to regain control. Many factors such as family and kids.
What was the last educational book you read?
Making Every Maths Lesson Count - Emma McCrea The seven habits of highly effective people - Stephen Covey Thinking fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman Leading out of who you are - Simon P Walker Daisy Christodoulou 7 myths about education david didau - making kids cleverer How learning happens - Hendricks and kirshner Cognitive load theory - swellers Valerie hannons- what do we want for our students
What have been your successes to refer to in your application? What have your achievements been to date? Which component of your résumé are you most proud of and why?
Most recent successes have been in my current role of head of sixth form, reforms in the HE process aimed at saving time for teachers, HODs, tutors and reducing the pressure on students. In any achievement I look at what is current practice, collaborate with key people to gain ideas, and reflect on what is best for everyone involved and then plan and implement. Promoted students to various positions of responsibility. For my Lego ECA I submitted a grant for funding to purchase EV3 kits this was successful and allowed me to launch robotics at my school.
When have you worked together with teachers, to create a higher standard or a better way of teaching/ What improvements in the classroom have you made with teachers in the past?
Most recently the HPL Foundation programme, with the Cambridge school. leading PD with both the middle leaders and the entire staff body has been very rewarding but has had its fair share of challenges. For example a lot of what we do at JC isnt transferable due to limitations placed on them. they are very keen and want guidance so we need to be innovative in how we can change the ethos of their school whilst not copying what we do at JC. Also at JC i frequently share with the Maths team strategies that promote the HPL ACP and VAAs in my lesson to help embed this across the department. These have been well received by staff and led to them receiving judgements that were better than they had previously received. I have also led PD sessions on improving the consistency of written feedback in books using Bjork's research to maximise the impact of it. And wider in JC I have been involved in discussions with HODs about standards in their department. I have also been a part of the IQA in college where I have provided feedback and targets for development. Looking to the future I want to explore with the Maths team, and departments across the school about having break out zoom rooms across classes to focus on particular aspects within courses either for the least able or for extension tasks. These can be pre-recorded snippets of lessons that are open ended that students can collaborate on to further their understanding. these would be related to real life as much as possible. I get frustrated in Maths when we devise real life problems and expect students to care about it. tim is stood on the edge of a cliff etc. this will provide more choices for learners - This is an areas that I am considering doing some action research in perhaps as part of the NPQSL Course
Describe to me any new teaching trends or techniques you have witnessed. How do you stay current on new teaching trends/techniques? What is an area of educational reform that interests you and why?
Over the last 5 years I have really become a student of learning. I listen to podcasts Podcasts - TES, Mr Barton - has lots of researchers on their like David Dildau, Dylan Williams, and Tom Sherrington. I am fascinated by science of learning is genuinely fascinating. Learning about the architecture of the brain and how students learn is very interesting. Cognitive load theory. Particularly in light of the last couple of months with distance learning. Although students have access to their lessons as well as the web, this opens up the possibility for learning to be child focused, and can follow passions, choose when to do particular task etc but then they can be selective and without a teacher driving it, forcing them to do the tasks they favour less and to systematically assess them to force them to commit this knowledge to long term memory. But technology is the key area of reform I have embraced - SAMR model. Being innovative in my daily practice is something I pride myself on. I frequently use flipped learning strategies to enhance my classes' experience and deepen their understanding. The innovative ideas I am exploring at the moment and having positive feedback on our websites that allow collaboration such as desmos classroom. I have found that my students gain so much more from lessons when collaborating more as they come to lessons engaged and armed with many questions that gets the lessons off to a brilliant start and the learning continues outside of the room. Through tech we can streamline some of the day to day, so teachers can focus on their classrooms and teaching methods. reduce admin tasks planning marking and go even further with personalized learning, and go beyond meeting students individual needs by providing personal homework and revision which is almost as good as 1-2-1 experience. One for the future is redesigning how pedagogy can change.redesigned professional learning/ impact evaluation - how do we measure the impact of professional learning
What qualities do you have which would make you an effective teacher?
Reflect on a teacher you liked at school, university, or have worked with in the classroom. Analyse the qualities that made them successful - these might include: enthusiasm pace resilience subject knowledge a range of teaching methods an ability to hold the attention of the class empathy encouraging children to think rather than being told. Tell your interviewers about the qualities you have which they're looking for. This isn't the time to be modest - talk positively about your achievements, thinking carefully about the words you use. For example, use the term assertive as opposed to bossy, or calm instead of laidback. Focus on what you'll bring to their school and how your skills will benefit them.
What is the role of target setting?
Setting well thought out targets that will provide desirable diffiuclties. They have to be acievebale yet aspirational. They should be communicated to all parties and progress monitored on the journey to achieveing them.
How do you ensure that you are accountable for pupils' attainment, progress and outcomes? What Strategies Do You Use to Record Children's Progress?"
Show how you would use a range of assessments, both formal and informal, that provide measurable results. Ideal answers would also add how you use feedback from these results to improve future lessons.
What do students look for in a teacher? What are the core skills and qualities that pupils look for in teachers?
Someone who they trust, passionate about their subject, look forward to seeing each day as they will enjoy the lesson. Someone who is relatable, approachable and who shows an interest in their lives. Explains things well, I have explained things to classes and though wow, how can they not get this not.... But they don't. Looking back I know realise since I learn more about the arceiture of the brain and cognitive load theory I know feel I do this much btter. Who challenges them in a positive way. I have really good relationships with all my classes as they
What do you feel you can contribute to our school's PLC for your subject?
The days of shutting your door to do your own thing are out, and professional learning communities are in! Go in ready to discuss topics such as common planning, benchmarks, and data analysis. This is a key time to highlight your strengths. Whether you shine in making high-level DOK assessment questions or have a plethora of student-centered activities for your subject, let the interviewers know what you have to offer to your prospective peers and what you hope to glean from collaborating with them.
How will you encourage parents to support their children's education ?
The home-school connection is imperative yet tough to maintain. Administrators lean on teachers to keep open lines of communication with parents. They even see you as a "publicist" for the school, reinforcing the culture, strengths, and values of the school to parents. So, answer this question with concrete ideas. Share how parents will volunteer in your classroom and how you'll maintain regular contact, providing updates on both positive and negative events. It's great to also share your plan for providing resources to parents when students are struggling.
Why did you decide to become a teacher? Why do you want to be a teacher?
The idea of being a teacher has been with me for a long time. It was my dedicated to enriching the lives of students. paint a clear picture of the journey that you took to become a teacher.
If I walked into your classroom during an outstanding lesson, what would I see and hear?
The lesson would be well planned and well resourced. You would see students collaborating and animated discussions of their ideas. It can be noisy, if productivelve. Sometimes their enthusansm takes a hold of them. It would be challenging for all groups of learners, so well differnentaed. It would follow the depetmneal plans and the relevant syllabuses. When I was observed earlier this year I was teaching graph transfomations to my Yr12 group, I had 12 in class and 4 at home connected via Google meets and despite the distance we were cllabortaing with break out rooms, did a card sorting activity on Desmos and students found the lesson challenging and well paced. This lesson was complemtned not only for the use of technology and collobaration given the circeumstance but for the instructiaonal language used. I am a keen student of Theiry of leaning and cognitive load theiry I have been incoprating this into my teaching to remove the distrations so they can access the higher level chelenges. There would be progress checks with plenty of feedback from all parties and lots of engagement. As part fo the feedback I use Harkness discussions to get students to deep dive into concepts. Behaviour for learning would be obvios. I try to ensure every lesson every student receives feedback from the lesson. This constant refinements in their undersntaidng has a huge impact on their progress. I have evdince of outstanding lessons on my portfolio.
What Makes a Good Lesson and How Do You Generate New Lesson Ideas?
This is another question that assesses how you fit the school's teaching philosophy and what you consider to be a high level of teaching. You should demonstrate your lesson planning techniques and skills. You might be asked this as a situational question:
Tell us about a time that you had to work hard to manage behaviour of a student. What did you do?
This question gives an indication of your approach to behaviour management in the classroom, with reference to using school behaviour policies. Can outline strategies you use, and their impact. It also covers wider safeguarding issues: is there a reason for the child to behave in this way, and how did you refer / work with colleagues if appropriate.
How can you meet the needs of a student with an IEP?
Today's inclusive classrooms require that teachers know how to meet each child's unique educational needs, especially those with disabilities. Even if you have not worked extensively with special needs students, educate yourself on the process and be familiar with the lingo. Prepare a couple of examples of ways you can differentiate instruction to support their particular needs.
When are you professionally satisfied?
When I implement a new classroom strategy that I can actually witness having a huge impact. Science of learning. In my recent post as Head of Sixth Form, not only has this has challenged and upskilled me hugely. It has meant I have worked even closer with the students to support their life goals. To get them to believe in themselves. eg Kelly. Making them realise their potential and when other people see this as well and they get accepted at Oxford is just amazing.
How have I stayed positive during the lockdown?
Where do we find purpose? Value start by looking for purpose what matters most, second motet. So what matters most then priories them. End of the day reflect to create value. Purpose is drive motivational direction of energy Meaning reflective appreciate where you acted on things on purpose. That creates meaning Stay values focus Accept the hardness of it all Appreciate what you did with a sense of purpose Stay with sense of purpose
Which activities, clubs, or sports are you willing to sponsor if you are offered a position?
While this expectation may be more real for middle and secondary teachers, being the new kid on the block often comes with a conversion of your title from teacher to coach. If athletics aren't one of your strengths, you can still get an edge on your competition by sponsoring science club, yearbook, or academic team. You might also share a special skill, like knitting or creative writing, and offer to teach it to interested students.
How would you accommodate children who have English as an additional language?
Working in dubai this is common. With Maths being a univiersal languae itself it is usually a subject students in this situation can really embrase. I support this with key words and visual prompts for words, buddying them up with students who have high verbal bias is useful and keeping them close by so that I can trakc and monitor thier progress.
What do you like best about teaching?
Working with children, rasing thier aspiartions and knowing they will contriute to the world in a positive way
If we decided not to appoint you, what would we be missing out on?
You would be missing out on an individual that genuinely understands your school. From reading all the literature on your website and from watching all the videos I get a real feel that my teaching philosophy is completely aligned with my view of education. That it is not all about academic excellence, but that when we do the wrap around care and support properly that naturally follows. From an Acorn, an oak. You would also be missing out on someone who has had measurable success in improving standards, who remain calm under pressure, uses their emotionally intelligence to assess situations, who has high standards of staff and students who forms positive strong links with others, who rarely have issues that I require support with, someone who has a solid understanding of oneself and should also have confidence, proactive, have excellent communication skills, resourceful - open to new ideas, lead by example, believe in the leadership of the school and the staff we have can achieve greater things. My priority is maximising student outcomes, this aim works to benefit myself, the college and the students. Finally you would be missing out on someone who has experience of dealing with parents who have high expectations and challenge that your school provide with high achement, paretnal engagement are both things I have significant experience of and engoy.
How do you make sure that all learners are engaged and learning in your lessons?
Your approach to pedagogy, use of assessment to inform your teaching, strategies you use to ensure that effective teaching and learning takes place. Can also include use of effective questioning, use of group work, use of differentiation
How Would You Manage a Disruptive or Reluctant Student? How will you engage reluctant learners? • Can you tell me about a successful behaviour management strategy you have used in the past that helped engage a pupil or group of pupils? "This allows candidates to give a theoretical answer - one that anyone who swotted up could give you - balanced with a personal reflection that shows how effective they are." Can you give an example of when a pupil refused to cooperate in class? What did you do? How did your actions affect the situation? What would you differently next time
Your interviewers want to get a sense of you as a teaching professional. This could be where you mention good working relationships with parents and carers, school policies, working together as a staff team or your behaviour management strategies. Be prepared with a good example of where you have made a difference and any successful results. Teaching in an age when we must compete with Fortnite, Snapchat, and other forms of instant entertainment makes this question valid and necessary. How will you keep students' heads off their desks, their pencils in their hands, and their phones in their pockets? Share specific incentive policies, engaging lessons you've used, or ways you've built relationships to keep students on task. An anecdote of how a past student (remember to protect privacy) that you taught was turned on to your subject because of your influence would also help your credibility here. You need to show that you understand that all students are different and that there might be underlying issues for why they behave as they do. Here is an example of how this question might be answered: Explain how you would have a meeting with the student (and/or their parents) to try and understand the underlying cause of their behaviour better. You would ask the student questions to help you decide the best ways to motivate them. Describe the strategies you would use to engage with the student, such as giving them opportunities and learning choices in the classroom that they enjoy, but that also meet the curriculum. Describe how you would use positive feedback and opportunities for success to motivate the student to learn and strive more in the classroom.
What three words would your students use to describe you?
approachable, strategic, consistent,
What is learning?
change in long term memory, being able to recall and apply existing knowledge. this is committed to memory by processing all the information taken in through audio and visual channels and processes into scheme (categories) I have taught lessons that were amazing, everyone left feeling they had achieved that objective, then next lesson they couldn't recall or apply what we had done, I have also taught lessons that were pitch wrong no one understood, then next lesson all of a sudden they had the skills. It is important to realise its what the students do with the information, do they process it ot or not. If their knowledge is certain then they might not commit any time to review, consolidate, process and that is then gone. Certainty is bad as we think we can stop. We don't need to learn any more Taught a good lesson -amazing- students were certian they had mastered that skill, then next lessons students don't know anything, i have also taught bad lessons which was pitched wiring. But then next lesson they know something they didn't. They know they didn't know (uncertain) then something happened. We all should question all the certainties we have
What would you perceive as difficult?/ What is the most difficult situation you have had to face and how did you tackle it?
changing people's perception - culture change surrounding pedagogy - everyone seems to do this as an end Dealing with a situation like what is occurring right now with distance learning - be expected to have the answers when there are none, and having the confidence to offer direction even without a roadmap. but i wouldnt be on my own with this - SLT team Experience of a member of my falling short of college expectations. Also a college I work alongside in the department. I had to have a difficult but constructive conversation. I outlined what I expect from her in her capacity as a tutor and emphasised that this conversation was to better the students to enrich their experience and care. I had to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of this approach. I have revisited this topic since to reiterate my expectations. Sacrifice possible friendships. Awkward after the conversation but I haven't let that deter me from my goal of ensuring the students have the care they deserve. If there was anything outside of my comfort zone or anything I was unsure of I would seek assurances within the SLT team. However in my 4 years at JC you can see that I do not require this. I would always remember that I was part of an outstanding team and could lean on colleagues within the team for strategies to improve the situation.
Give an example of when you have worked effectively within a team?
everything i have done has not been achieved alone.
How will you meet the needs of the students in your class who are advanced or say they're bored?
introduce them to pre reading - how to think like a mathematician. help them prepare for more complex problems eg STEP, UKMT etc
What is a 21st learning environment and how do we move towards it?
its not just the HPL skill set that is going or prepare students for the future. its a much broader set of skills Globally connected community Understanding the environment Not truth and truth How to connect with each other people It isn't just technology, it's the soft skills like physical literacy to jump and use sciscoors the Arts. But SLT has to be seen to value these for staff and students to realise the importance of these and they should be placed in the heart of the curriculum. There has been a lot of information recently about CEOs saying they want their employees to have creativity skills. it's a learning environment that is both a physical space and an online space. It's a place where students can collaborate and support each other and a place for them to practice skills that will serve them well in an ever changing world. Teaching them to be resourceful, innovation, resilient, ....
How do you interact with parents?
postively, professionally and with a mutual resepct.
How do you handle stress?
support of my family recreational like football golf. I am mindful and reflect upon my stress levels and when I feel things building up I work hard to resolve them. Being proactive and planning ahead is key for this.
Why do we teach maths in school?
to improve skills and independent learning; to encourage team work; to gain a qualification; for enjoyment (very important, rarely mentioned); to enhance other subjects; to develop literacy, numeracy and ICT skills; to improve career prospects; self discipline; memory development; to encourage life-long learning in that subject. The list goes on..." Unederstanding maths, helps you understand the world around you. It is the language of logical thought. It is a way of thinking about the world. Tkaing patterns and making meaning from them. It teaches skills such as precision, analysing, understanding, realising, It is a tool kit for abstraction and generalisation.
How do you judge the achievement of pupils in your subject?
using various measures. not just AfL in lessons, not just tests, not just assignments, not just contrubutions to discussions. I judge it using every piece of evidence I have available to me and track this over time. When the achievement is not as good as it should be then a plan is put in place to remedy this.
How do you know when you have had a good day?
when everything has gone to plan, there has been fun and engageemtn and progress
