# Interview for teaching job



## Hellsbells (Jul 13, 2012)

I just found out I have an interview next week for a part-time teaching job (very exciting and unexpected as I only just finished my PGCE 2 weeks ago and never imagined I'd get even to interview stage )

Anyway, although this is obviously great news, i'm also pretty terrified. I had a very brief email from the college saying part of the interview process will involve a 'task' - details to be provided on the day. I have no idea what this task will entail. The job involves teaching 16-18 year olds (which i'm probably totally unsuited to as I imagine them eating me alive, but still ) - and I have this awful worst case scenario idea that they're going to bring into the interview a few of their worst, most unruly students and get me to control/motivate/inspire them with my amazing teaching skills.  I know for a fact that if this happens i'll totally fall to pieces. I just can't think up things on the spot.

Do any teachers out there have any ideas what this 'task' could involve? It's most likely to be thinking up some kind of lesson/activity etc on the spot isn't it?


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## gabi (Jul 13, 2012)

You'll possibly be asked to take control of the class for an hour or so . That's how they do it at my ex's school anyway. That's with little ones though, not big nasty teenagers.

The thought of doing that fills me with utter dread...


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## stuff_it (Jul 13, 2012)

gabi said:


> You'll possibly be asked to take control of the class for an hour or so <snip>


Try not to use CS gas or tasers.


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## Miss-Shelf (Jul 13, 2012)

they will tell you in advance if they want you to prepare a lesson and they would usually select the most cooperative students as they want to see people do well at the teaching aspect not just the control aspect - they can still get an idea of how well you manage a classroom situation even with co operative people

good luck


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## Hellsbells (Jul 13, 2012)

they're not telling me anything in advance though, that's why i'm a little confused about what this task could be


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## gabi (Jul 13, 2012)

that doesnt sound very fair. maybe ask them to give you some idea.


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## Hellsbells (Jul 13, 2012)

yeah, i've emailed to ask, but i'm thinking maybe the whole point of the task is for them to assess how i cope under pressure/how good i am at thinking/solving problems/reacting on the spot.
None of which i'm remotely good at, to be honest, although I know i can deliver good classes if i'm given a chance to prepare.


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## gabi (Jul 13, 2012)

surely a key part of teaching is preparing the lesson. how often would you be expected to improvise a lesson?


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## Hellsbells (Jul 13, 2012)

that's what i was thought and what i hoped someone would say. But that leaves me totally baffled as to what this task could be


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## trashpony (Jul 13, 2012)

It could be writing a lesson plan or similar. I'm sure that's come up on here before (channelling pogofish )


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## Hocus Eye. (Jul 13, 2012)

I would be surprised if there were any 16 to 18 year olds in the school right now. They should be on study leave. The only ones in school will be taking examinations. They would hardly put you in charge of invigilation. Perhaps they will get you to help organise groups coming in to take exams or keep them quiet on leaving.

The only other thought is that the school operates a trial system for the students who are moving from AS to A level and the teachers run a few lessons of next years syllabus to prepare them for the higher level. You could perhaps assist the teachers in this, answering subject questions from the students. What is your subject?


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## Hellsbells (Jul 13, 2012)

The students aren't doing AS or A levels & it's not in a school. It's an FE college & the students are on apprenticeship courses & as part of this they have to do functional skills english (i'd be doing the English part). I think the lessons will probably need to be embedded within their vocational areas (childcare, hairdressing, beauty and health & social care)


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## purenarcotic (Jul 13, 2012)

It could be that they'll bring some of their students in to ask you some questions.  It seems to be quite popular now, to try and get the kids involved to see how much they like a teacher.  So it wouldn't require planning, you'd just be answering questions.

Or it could be several of you are going to be interviewed and they're going to perform one of those team building tasks like making towers out of spaghetti and stuff.  

Or it could be that they'll give you a vignette and then ask how you would respond to that; for my social work interview I was given a testimonial and then asked questions about how I would respond to the situation; it could be something like that.   Maybe they'd want to know how you would deal with a difficult child e.g. what would you do if a young person threatened to throw their chair across the classroom?

I doubt you'll be chucked into a classroom and told to just teach, I think it's more likely to be a written task or a question and answer session.


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## extra dry (Jul 13, 2012)

gabi said:


> surely a key part of teaching is preparing the lesson. how often would you be expected to improvise a lesson?


 
Some would say every day well when the students are not at all interested in what you have prepared, you have to flexible, adapt etc, which can be accomplish with an established class of usually motivated students.

 However there are lessons that bombed for me and worked for others, and vice versa.

 I think they are really throwing in the deep end and sink or swim for the job, unless they supply you with a 10 page power point presentation, reading, questions, and student handouts ready done..and just see you in action. 

Good luck by the way and don't stress your first interview/in front of class teaching experience (IIRC)..expect it to go all wrong, then if it at least goes half right you did better than expected.


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## Scarlette (Jul 13, 2012)

So you're not being asked to teach a lesson as part of the interview? For my teaching job I just had lesson, interview and tour of school. For promotions after that I had to do tasks that weren't scary at all really. They were: my vision for the media department (for head of media job in school I was working in), for which I had an hour to put notes together and then I had to present it to the head, but presenting just meant telling her (I had feared having to do some big presentation extravaganza. When I went for second of English I had to map a key stage three curriculum - what texts they would study blah blah. So I reckon it will be a planning task.


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## Thora (Jul 13, 2012)

I had a task element to the interview for my current job - I was given a copy of the latest Ofsted report, a flipchart and 20 minutes to come up with a presentation on one of the school's weakness and my suggested strategies for improvement


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## trashpony (Jul 13, 2012)

Thora said:


> I had a task element to the interview for my current job - I was given a copy of the latest Ofsted report, a flipchart and 20 minutes to come up with a presentation on one of the school's weakness and my suggested strategies for improvement


Fucking hell


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## nagapie (Jul 13, 2012)

Task is often to problem solve a day to day crisis. And I think getting eaten alive by 16-18 year olds is less likely than getting alive by 11-16 year olds.


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## Miss-Shelf (Jul 14, 2012)

Thora said:


> I had a task element to the interview for my current job - I was given a copy of the latest Ofsted report, a flipchart and 20 minutes to come up with a presentation on one of the school's weakness and my suggested strategies for improvement


tbf it's probably more effective that trying to draw this out of a candidate during the interview itself - having 20 mins to prepare is useful - I find it hard to always come up with articulate answers when I've got three people looking at me and the clock is ticking - I like a _little_ bit of thinking time
and most candidates would probably have looked at the latest ofsted in prep for the interview


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## BlueSquareThing (Jul 14, 2012)

Might be a databanalysismtaskm- what kids are underachieving etc... And what you'd do about it perhaps.

Seems a bit odd for a main scale sort of post though - more a HoD task.


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## Hellsbells (Jul 18, 2012)

interview over   Gosh the stress i put myself through. Actually make myself physically and mentally ill.
Task was absolutely fine and I know i did that part of the interview really well 
Will find out result tomorow. Pretty sure i won't get it as I don't have enough experience - but i know i did the best i could. And i didn't totally fall apart which i was convinced i would!


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