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Interview Prep; or working with the system
Topic Started: Jun 21 2005, 04:22 AM (229 Views)
dolmansaxlil
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HOLY CARP!!!
My interview is this afternoon.

The way our board works (as I well know from taking part in four past interviews) is that two principals attend every interview. They are given a list of standardized questions (between 5 and 7) and they do not waver from it. When you answer, they have a checklist that they use to track your response. In order to be successful, you have to hit a certain number of points on the checklist. If you have a principal who likes you, they might try to lead you a bit if they are sure you know an item on the list but haven't said it yet (or they will write down a response that didn't hit a keyword but was a good answer to try to fit the response into the points system later).

They ask these questions that seem pretty specific, but they aren't looking for a specific answer. For example, in every interview I've gotten the question: How would you make accomodations and modifications for a student with special needs? But what they REALLY want is everything you know about Special Ed in a nutshell. So you have to be broad (without storytelling) yet still appear to answer the specific question. Oi.

My principal told me he requested that I be interviewed by his team, and told me he'd prompt me if he felt I was missing an important point that I know. So that's reassuring. Unfortunately, when I spoke to him yesterday he hadn't been informed as to whether a permanent teacher had applied to "my" position. So I don't really know what I'm interviewing for specifically.

Anyways, I'm spending the day going over the questions I've been asked in the past (I record them in a document when I get home from every interview) and trying to figure out those "keywords" for each question so I can fit them in.

Fun times!
"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

My Flickr Photostream


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big al
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Bull-Carp
Good luck, Dol.

It sounds like you have some edge by having participated in the interview process before, and, from what you've written should be well equiped for the position. Barring the emergence of a permanent applying for the position, which you can do nothing about, I'm confident you'll succeed.

Big Al
Location: Western PA

"jesu, der simcha fun der man's farlangen."
-bachophile
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NAK-1.0
Senior Carp
Ditto. We'll be pulling for you. Let us know how it goes.
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justme
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HOLY CARP!!!
double ditto. Good luck!!!!!
"Men sway more towards hussies." G-D3
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ivorythumper
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I am so adjective that I verb nouns!
Best of luck, Dol. I hope the inside scope along with your obvious competency, qualification, and passion for the position helps to win it for you!
The dogma lives loudly within me.
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Jolly
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Geaux Tigers!
I use a standardized interview sheet for all new hires and promotions, customized for the position. It has a rating system much like you describe.

I can make that thing sit up, beg, and roll over, just by swaying the numbers as I wish...after all, any interview process is subjective.

In a case like yours, when the employee is known, I can predict the outcome of the interview before the interview happens. A lot depends on how far to the wall the Principal wants to go for you.

Here's wishing you the very best...you sound like a person who is concerned for her students, and the classroom could use more people like you.
The main obstacle to a stable and just world order is the United States.- George Soros
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katie
Fulla-Carp
Good Luck Dolmans ... I hope your interview goes well :)

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dolmansaxlil
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HOLY CARP!!!
Thanks all!

My interview went...ok. I rocked the first 4 questions. Then I had two where I did pretty well, but received a prompt on each (both for things I had said in previous questions, so it was obvious to them I KNEW that answer, just hadn't said it). The last question was STUPID. It was a situation that wouldn't happen, and I was half tempted to give a smart ass answer. But I resisted. I'm sure I got part of it, but I really didn't know what to say. Next time I see my principal, I'm going to ask him what the heck the answer is!

I don't think I would have won a position based soley on that interview if I didn't know the interviewing principal. But I also don't think I would have LOST the position based on the interview, and I think even if I didn't know the principal, my interview would be enough to get me into the hiring pool (which means that if I apply for permanent positions over this summer, I won't have to re-interview).

I knew the second principal in the interview as well - he was my grade 7 teacher. He remembered me once I mentioned it, and then he and my principal had some friendly banter: "No wonder you said she was so fabulous! She had me as a teacher, so you can thank me for it!" "Oh yeah - and my grooming her all year has nothing to do with it!" so that was reassuring. They often do their interviews together, and word has it that the second principal tends to hire people he knows, so I'm doubting he would stop my principal from hiring me based on an interview.

Anyways, when the interview was over, the second principal said "It might take us a bit to get back to you - we have a lot of people to see today and then a bit of paperwork this evening". They call succesful candidates in the evening (occasionally the next day) and if I'm on the pool list I'll get that call next week. So I'm HOPING that his reference to how long this evening should take is a good sign.

Babble,babble,babble. I'm still on a bit of an adrenaline high!

Thanks for the support everyone - I'll let you know when I do!
"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

My Flickr Photostream


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The 89th Key
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Rock on Dol!! :D

Good luck and tell us what happens!
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Jolly
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Geaux Tigers!
dolmansaxlil
Jun 21 2005, 02:18 PM
Thanks all!

My interview went...ok. I rocked the first 4 questions. Then I had two where I did pretty well, but received a prompt on each (both for things I had said in previous questions, so it was obvious to them I KNEW that answer, just hadn't said it). The last question was STUPID. It was a situation that wouldn't happen, and I was half tempted to give a smart ass answer. But I resisted. I'm sure I got part of it, but I really didn't know what to say. Next time I see my principal, I'm going to ask him what the heck the answer is!

I don't think I would have won a position based soley on that interview if I didn't know the interviewing principal. But I also don't think I would have LOST the position based on the interview, and I think even if I didn't know the principal, my interview would be enough to get me into the hiring pool (which means that if I apply for permanent positions over this summer, I won't have to re-interview).

I knew the second principal in the interview as well - he was my grade 7 teacher. He remembered me once I mentioned it, and then he and my principal had some friendly banter: "No wonder you said she was so fabulous! She had me as a teacher, so you can thank me for it!" "Oh yeah - and my grooming her all year has nothing to do with it!" so that was reassuring. They often do their interviews together, and word has it that the second principal tends to hire people he knows, so I'm doubting he would stop my principal from hiring me based on an interview.

Anyways, when the interview was over, the second principal said "It might take us a bit to get back to you - we have a lot of people to see today and then a bit of paperwork this evening". They call succesful candidates in the evening (occasionally the next day) and if I'm on the pool list I'll get that call next week. So I'm HOPING that his reference to how long this evening should take is a good sign.

Babble,babble,babble. I'm still on a bit of an adrenaline high!

Thanks for the support everyone - I'll let you know when I do!

Most questions have a purpose.

One of my favorite interview questions?


"Describe the color blue."
The main obstacle to a stable and just world order is the United States.- George Soros
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dolmansaxlil
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HOLY CARP!!!
Oh, I understood the purpose of the question. That's not the issue at all. It was just a situation that should never happen and probably wouldn't.

Oh well - I guess I didn't bomb it TOO badly! :D
"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

My Flickr Photostream


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