Let all us know how your interview went.

I hope it goes well for you. I have the utmost respect people that take the time to educate others.

They need you so relax. As for teaching try not to laugh at anything the kids do until after Christmas. They will think you are strict and listen more then cut up.

I have 30 years in teaching so I might be able to add some insight. First, do you have your teaching credentials or are your going in as a transition teacher (working towards certification)?

Second, depending on your population in the school, interviews will want to know if you can diversify your lessons to accommodate multiple types of students (special ed, although don't use thst term it's out of favor, go with challenged or special needs, - cultural diversity adapt your lesons for divetse cultural populations (eg. you read/speak Spanish for instance)?

Third, a question you are sure to get is what would you do if a child acted out in your classroom -interviewers like to hear that you have good classroom management skills - i.e. can you use compassionate re-direction to change a students behavior. Use the "I" voice, eg. Johnny, I am having trouble with your behavior because.. , do you think you can work with me? (Good luck with this one). Or quietly give the student two options, eg. Johnny, you can either stop the behavior that your doing and we will both be happier, or you can continue with your behavior and there will be consequences, and you won't like them. If you must resort to consequences, be consistent and be firm.

Remember, you are their teacher and not their friend. Don't mean you have an adversarialter classroom, just be sure of your position and their position.

After all this let them know that you are approachable. Take their crises serious, but don't get over involved or let yourself get manipulated.

Above all, let the interviewers know you are a team player. They like idividualism, but not if you are adversarial to what the Admin. is trying to do, even if it's stupid. Just say how do you want the product to look and leave me alone.

Teaching is one of the most rewarding and challenging carreers out their. Enjoy your new profession. I began as a scientist, moved to teaching and never looked back.

If you have any other question contact me on my home page here in Agnostic.com.

Interesting post. Here in Ohio you'd need a teaching certification from a university which would mean you completed college level courses in education plus at least a quarter student teaching.

Well good luck and don't burn out to fast not a teacher but i drink with a lot of them and bugger me they all drink like its a mission

You may be bound towards one of the most rewarding activities, on a personal level (Not financial). It's hard and challenging most of the time for so many reasons, but once you get the hang of it, there will be a day when you will cross paths with a successful former student that if he/she remembers you then that moment will be priceless.

Emphasize your role in maximizing student success in learning (and if you get the job, do your damnedest to live up to that goal).

Get to know the standards of your states regarding your subject, so that you have a working knowledge of them. Think about classroom management and have a definitive plan in mind. Develope a plan to prepare your students for their statewide exams.

run. Far away. It's a thankless profession for so many reasons.

if you're still going to do it, good for you, we desperately need more good teachers.

But a couple of things:

1. many members of the educational administration population are teachers who aren't very good at being teachers but haven't done anything wrong enough/can't be fired, so the school board throws them into administrative positions where they can't botch the education process for the kids directly. I'm not saying its all of them, many are also tireless and dedicated servants of the community, but this is a common practice in educatiom.

2. The primary pressure applied to school administrators from the school board is test scores. In regards to funding, it's almost the only thing that actually matters until a catastrophe happens. Have a plan in mind for how you intend to raise or maintain high test scores. You're going into an uphill battle as a new teacher if someone with experience with the bureaucracy of the education system is applying for the job, and you need an edge, but too innovative an edge may run contrary to the educational philosophy of the school system as a whole and be detrimental to your attempt. So a mostly-conventional-but-super-effective teaching strategy may your best tool for this interview.

3. all standard interview rules apply.

I just became a teacher at age 66 this past year at a state institution. I find that, after having conversations with other teachers, that the joy of opening up a students eyes and minds to what you teach, is a passion that crosses all grades and subjects. Go in there with that vision you can make a difference in a students life and the interviewers will nod in agreement. That is what teaching is.

Interview with the confidence like you have already been a teacher for 10 years or longer. Whatever kind of teacher you want to be (stern, laid back, old-school, tech-savvy, talkative, etc), make sure to express that in your answers and through yourself.

Also make sure you explicitly tell them you are not going to have sex with any of the kids. We don't need any more teachers having sex with students. (joking...but not really)