Five questions you NEED to ask a potential new administration during a teacher interview.
Interviewing can be a scary process! You are being assessed to determine if you are a good fit for a new school, but you should be assessing if the new school is a good fit for you as well!
The easiest way to do that is with some carefully thought-out questions! Not only will this help you determine if the school is right for you, but it also shows your potential administration that you are passionate about finding a good fit.
Question 1:
What is your average student population in terms of socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity?
This question is a big one! If you can’t find the information online, this is a great question to ask because the amount of support a child gets at home can make a huge difference in behavior and academics. I personally have loved working in Title I’s, but some may prefer a different environment and that is perfectly okay! It’s always best to know what you are walking into.
Question 2:
What type of support do you have in place such as ESE (SPED) or ESOL (ELL) teachers?
Unless you are applying to be one of the teachers above, it’s great to know what kind of support you will be receiving! I have worked in schools where I got absolutely no outside assistance and I have worked in schools where I had 2 or 3 people coming in throughout the day, every day. Finding out what type of support you will be getting will help you make an informed decision, especially if you are a new teacher that may want more assistance in the beginning.
Question 3:
Will I be assigned to a mentor teacher?
And that leads us to the mentor teacher question! My first year I got no assistance whatsoever. It felt very much like I was left in the deep end to sink or swim. A mentor teacher can make all the difference when starting out! Of course, if you are an experienced teacher, this question may not be as important to you.
Question 4:
What curriculum programs are the teachers required to use and how much flexibility is there with different programs?
I moved to work in a different county from the one I interned in. Almost none of the curriculum matched from one county to another. I was shocked that even in the same state with the same standards, the curriculum could be so different. Knowing what curriculum your new school uses can give you a leg up by letting you research everything in advance.
And as far as flexibility with the curriculum, that all depends on your comfort level! Some people prefer having structure and a set plan laid out. I personally like the freedom to change it up as I see fit for my kiddos’ needs. Think about what will work best for you!
Question 5:
What type of professional development opportunities do you offer your staff?
And finally, it’s a great idea to find out the professional development opportunities your new school offers! Do they bring district staff in to train the teachers on the latest strategies? How about allowing their teachers to observe one another? What about offering opportunities for staff members to go to professional development retreats or conventions? Some of my best professional development experiences have been at local seminars and retreats that teach new methods and have reenergized my passion for teaching!
Have any more interview questions that really helped you find the right job? I would love to hear about them! Message me @MyJuniorBurgers on Instagram!
You can find my 4 easy-to-follow tips for landing the job here! Or, if you would like to find out what an experienced principal says about rocking your teacher interview, you can go here!
