Next year I am officially a teacher at Kauri Park School. I start in February and will be teaching a year 5/6 class.
I am so stoked. This is the job I really wanted. There was one other job I had applied for, and had been offered a position, but after some serious consideration I turned down the offer last week. Possibly a bit of a risk, but the right decision at the time I thought - and it turns out so.
Interestingly (and against statistical trends) the syndicate of four teachers that I will be working with will be made up of three male teachers and one female. Quite rare at primary schooling.
Now the job uncertainty is over – the real thing is on its way. Arrrrgh – I’m both excited and nervous at the same time. It’s going to be great!
19 November 2006
14 November 2006
This is the one I want
Got the call this morning. I've been short listed and have an interview on Saturday morning. I'm pretty stoked about it - and hope that it's not too long before I find out if I have the job. It'd make a wonderful birthday present!
I'm still to hear back from my first interview with another school. Most likely that will come tomorrow. I'm fairly sure I don't want to work there, but you never know. If they're willing for me to hold off on making a decision so that I can do a school visit and observe some teaching going on (and hang out in the staffroom at morning tea - a great place to get the 'feel' of a school environment), then that'd be nice.
But really, the job I want is at the school where I have an interview on Saturday. More details to come about that when I find out.
I'm still to hear back from my first interview with another school. Most likely that will come tomorrow. I'm fairly sure I don't want to work there, but you never know. If they're willing for me to hold off on making a decision so that I can do a school visit and observe some teaching going on (and hang out in the staffroom at morning tea - a great place to get the 'feel' of a school environment), then that'd be nice.
But really, the job I want is at the school where I have an interview on Saturday. More details to come about that when I find out.
08 November 2006
Phew - No Brain Freeze!
I did it, I got through my first interview without any complete mind blanks!
One important approach that I think got me through was going in with the attitude of just being myself, being real, and speaking from the heart. What's the point in trying to be someone I'm not? If who I am is not what they want, then getting the job would be no good for either party. This line of thinking actually helped me relax and hence made the interview go all the better.
Secondly, I took along with me a folder of a few things that revealed a bit more of me as a teacher than the initial CV did. I put in a range of things from a variety of curriculum areas. Planning, worksheets, exemplars, etc. The true benefit of this was not so much giving it to the interviewees to browse through at their own leisure, but to actually hold it myself and talk from it as a springboard into sharing more about my approaches and philosophy of teaching. In this way I had my own prompts to ensure I covered key aspects that I felt were important. It also added strength to what I was talking about. As they say, 'a picture is worth a thousand words'. Additionally, I could pick it up again if any of their questions related to content that I had.
These two factors alone I would recommend to anyone going for an interview.
One important approach that I think got me through was going in with the attitude of just being myself, being real, and speaking from the heart. What's the point in trying to be someone I'm not? If who I am is not what they want, then getting the job would be no good for either party. This line of thinking actually helped me relax and hence made the interview go all the better.
Secondly, I took along with me a folder of a few things that revealed a bit more of me as a teacher than the initial CV did. I put in a range of things from a variety of curriculum areas. Planning, worksheets, exemplars, etc. The true benefit of this was not so much giving it to the interviewees to browse through at their own leisure, but to actually hold it myself and talk from it as a springboard into sharing more about my approaches and philosophy of teaching. In this way I had my own prompts to ensure I covered key aspects that I felt were important. It also added strength to what I was talking about. As they say, 'a picture is worth a thousand words'. Additionally, I could pick it up again if any of their questions related to content that I had.
These two factors alone I would recommend to anyone going for an interview.
03 November 2006
First Interview
Well, seems like this could be an on-going pattern. Firsts that is, not interviews (hopefully). Just had another phone call from the same principal mentioned in my last entry, and have booked in an interview for next Wednesday.
So we'll see how it goes - might need to practice answering some possible questions that may come up.
I do have one other application in at the moment. Both were due to close on 10 November, but the school that just contacted me has decided to start their interviews early.
So we'll see how it goes - might need to practice answering some possible questions that may come up.
I do have one other application in at the moment. Both were due to close on 10 November, but the school that just contacted me has decided to start their interviews early.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)