Last year I wrote a post on conducting a memorable demo lesson because I think it is one of the most important parts of a teacher interview.  But getting to that point requires a great first conversation with your interviewers, so I am adding this post. There is no way to guarantee success during your teacher interview.  Because you never know how much competition there is or who your competition is, it is very difficult to ensure success; however, there are many aspects of the interview that you do have control over that can help give yourself the best chance possible.  Being prepared for the interview will ensure that you are confident which will lead to more articulate and memorable responses.  Here are nine things you can control.

1. Teaching philosophy:  Make sure you can articulate your teaching philosophy.  This is probably an artifact in your portfolio already so read it over and make sure you can answer this question without looking at it.
2. Be ready to talk about yourself:  It can be uncomfortable to talk about yourself so give it some practice.  Conjure up five words that describe your strengths.  Make a list of your best lessons so far.  Pretend your mom is boasting about you; what would she say?  It can be tricky to balance cocky with confident, so it can be useful to give it some practice.
3. Dress well: Dressing well isn’t easy for many of us.  I know that I am very casual and besides a formal party and Halloween, I’m not likely to be put together.  Hopefully this isn’t a problem for you but if it is, pay attention on interview day.  It’s a first impression and paying attention to your looks on interview day shows that you care.  You don’t need to go crazy but make sure you look put together.  It doesn’t hurt to find out about the dress code of the school and get a sense of how formal or informal staff are expected to dress on a daily basis.
4. Portfolio: Get your portfolio together and know where things are located.  If you have an electronic portfolio, have a tablet or Ipad available so you can use it to show off your work as it relates to interview questions.
5. Specific examples:  Many times interview questions will ask what if..? or what would do…?  If at all possible respond by offering something that you have carried out successfully and be specific when sharing the details.  If there is something in your portfolio you can share as evidence, that is also useful.
6. Have solid social skills:  This may seem basic or maybe this isn’t a strength for you but either way, it can make all the difference.  Smile.  Make eye contact.  When people on the team introduce themselves, pay close attention so you can refer to them by name later if you need to.  It is very easy to forget about the basics when you are nervous so it is important to focus on these aspects of the interview.  Interviewers will be looking for our ability to communicate and interact and the way you conduct yourself during the interview is your first chance to demonstrate this.  Also, don’t forget about humor.  Humor can lighten things up and it can make you more relaxed as well.  Just make sure to keep it appropriate.
7. Research:  Do a little research on the school and the district.  Find out the mission and vision.  Get to know the initiatives that they are working on.  Understand the community that the school serves. And identify what you have to offer.
8. Prepare questions:  Make sure you have some questions prepared.  They will always ask if you have any questions at the end of the interview and when you ask a good question, it is one more opportunity to demonstrate your skills.  You can ask an open ended question about the school culture or something else that wasn’t evident through your research.  Asking a question that shows what is important to you about being a teacher.
9. Finally, send a thank you card or response.  Remember to take control of the aspects of the interview that you can rather than worrying about the aspects that you don’t have control over.   If you make it to the demo lesson, check out my blog post on that part of the interview process.  If you want to consider some possible interview questions, this article put together quite a few for practice. Preview the demo lesson lecture on my Udemy course.  Good luck!