You have done your homework preparing your resume, recommendations, teaching statement, portfolio, etc. And now, the crucial part of the hiring process: the interview. Personal interviews are particularly important in the academic field because applicants need to show their communication skills and aptitude for interaction. They will spend a lot of time with students, so they need to show that they are prepared to be in control at all times through their patience and positiveness, which will be put to the test daily.

To succeed in an interview, you will want to convince your interviewers that you are prepared to provide a motivating learning atmosphere.  The main points you will probably have to talk about are:

Your approach to classroom management techniques and discipline issues 

The questions may vary; however, the objective will be the same: test your capacity to deal with different scenarios where you need to demonstrate your student management style and exert discipline measures.             Here, examples are essential to facilitate a transparent exposition. For instance, if your objective is respect, one rule could be to use proper language in school premises. Another one related to expected behavior, etc. Students should have access to a definition of what is, for example, adequate language and provide activities for them to identify what is encouraged and what is not allowed and practice them. Finally, explain how you would face inappropriate language, behavior, etc.       

Student classroom collaboration and relationships.

How you encourage positive academic behavior and social behavior in the classroom and how negative behavior is discouraged. Be ready to give specific techniques and examples. For instance, if you are talking about active supervision, you may want to mention: a) how you move around the classroom to accentuate a positive presence; b) how you scan students to monitor individual work, and c) how you interact with them by using eye contact, a pleasant voice, etc., to establish rapport. Examples of your own experience will help you make your point.

Your approach to parents interaction

It is essential to demonstrate that you can work with parents to help them provide a supportive learning environment at home, remaining positive, patient, and non-defensive. Examples are worth more than words because your interviewers will be able to see how aware you are of your body language and how you adapt your communication skills to adult interaction.

Your teaching philosophy. 

Your interviewers will see how knowledgeable and perceptive you are in your profession as an educator. In this sense, it is important to know specific terminology and concepts. When you are clear on the ideas yourself, you will deliver clarity to others. Let us give an example: you are talking about different learning practices, so concepts such as traditional and blended learning and flipped classroom come up. You will not be able to give your perspective if you do not know that blended learning is a combination of face-to-face learning and online-learning when physical presence is limited.

On the other hand, the flipped classroom method changes the delivery of information to the student. While in blended learning, new material and concepts are absorbed in class -face-to-face or online, in a flipped classroom, material and concepts already delivered, are discussed in class. And, that in both of them, technology plays a key role.

How you use technology in the classroom

Technology has been used in the classroom over the past years. However, it is due to the current global situation that now, for some time, it has become the main role player in the classroom. In one way or another, students have access to an electronic device, such as a pc, notebook, tablet, smartphone, etc. So, teachers have to know how to use them to upgrade teaching quality. Of course, a teacher should not become an instructional specialist. However, in these times, teachers should be able to identify those apps that best fit their interests in a given situation. For example, an interactive crossword app for a language class, or a fraction app for students to use circles and bars to perform operations in a math class.

There are countless practices to be implemented in the classroom. Your interviewers need to see that you are acute enough to choose the best for each situation and flexible to make changes when necessary. And always keep examples at hand to support your answers. 

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