Interview tips: keep your lesson simple and have a clear objective in mind. I have been invited to teach a lesson to a "low ability" Year 4 class with an English focus. I was offered the job and thought I would share for anyone that wants to use it. I would like to linger awhile on that word “progress” because I know it causes many teachers sleepless nights. This is where having something a little bit differentiated tucked away can help: a slightly more accessible task or resource may prove the right thing and it’s better to adapt as you go along rather than signal right at the beginning that you know certain children are not as able as others. Research is critical to a successful teacher interview. You do not know this class at all. If some children rush or finish early, make sure you know what the extension is without it seeming like more work. The pressures of time and school organisation will determine the circumstances. How to prepare for an interview lesson: an essential guide for NQTs When applying for newly-qualified teacher jobs, you’ll almost certainly have to teach a demonstration lesson. The Headteacher that observed me said how much the children loved it and that she was very impressed. The gentle proffer of a bin and a quiet “Please spit out your gum”, is going to be more effective than shouting across the room. Or is that … The lesson was judged as outstanding following my last observation. It is worth practising your delivery. The demo lesson plan has become used more and more frequently in teaching interview across the country. I taught this lesson to a class of 30 Year 3s (7-8 year olds) for a job interview. Many UK teaching job interviews include the candidate (that’s you) conducting a live lesson with a class of students, which is observed by some or all members of the selection panel. Her advice is: “Be prepared for nothing to go right – kids will come in late and disrupt you, the equipment won’t work and it’ll be raining just as you’re about to start your brilliant games lesson. The children are mostly level 3's (with a couple of 2's in there). It is useful to know some information about the class you’re going to teach – especially specific learning needs and general ability. An outstanding lesson, he argued, was “about what works” and he made a plea to his inspectors to apply “pragmatism not ideology in the way (they) judge the quality of teaching”. Rather than being nervous about this part of the interview, try to think of it as your chance to impress. Do you have some presence with students? Quite often, yes. Purpose of a Demonstration Lesson Plan in a Job Interview The interview lesson is a curious snapshot of your teaching on which so much can rest. When observing teaching in the EYFS, you should expect to see: Teacher-pupil interactions that help to identify learning; Use of knowledge of the EYFS to provide rich sensory experiences, stimulating curiosity and investigation; A range of … Read the main text through with the class before showing the film and keep the giraffes as a surprise! In primary, briefs can be much shorter, for example, “Read a story to a class of year 1” or “Teach a year 5 group on a topic of your choice”. Tell me about a teaching lesson you were involved in that didn’t go well and what you learned from it. Square Can be flexibly used from 20 minutes to an hour. Rather, the point of this part of the day is for you to show senior leaders that you can structure learning, have high expectations and build a rapport with children. The good news is that you aren’t expected to teach an outstanding lesson. I want you to inspire, motivate and educate the young people at my school, not terrify them or let them run riot. Probably not – or only as much as the school can accommodate in reasonable circumstances. 24th ... “Phonics is a good one and you can provide activities for them to go off and try after your lesson like whiteboards to try writing the letter building words with pegs initial sound items etc” … Sometimes the school will provide this, sometimes it will simply direct you to a theme. The interviewers are looking for a range of qualities based on what they feel their team … The lesson observation will come early enough in the day to be a deciding factor as to whether you will go on to be interviewed, so take it seriously. London WC1R 4HQ. The school has to be the right place for you, so if you construct something you think they want to see but you’re uncomfortable with – say, group work – then it will show. In your answer show a clear understanding of your own basic teaching style. If the class you taught are not asked for their feedback on you, then you might be interviewed by the school council or a pupil panel. In secondary that might be quite detailed if it’s a practical session like physical education (PE), IT, technology or the sciences (though science practicals usually eat up too much time so they’re more likely to ask for a theoretical science lesson). It may as short as 15-20 minutes if it’s something like reading a story for a potential new primary schoolteacher. I can't think how I've avoided it. An outstanding lesson is no longer measured by academic success only, but by the engagement of its pupils. Just as you would for literacy or numeracy, set high expectations for pupils; so this starts withprogressive and inclusive lesson objectives that set the tone for the lesson and the use of a quality primary PE scheme. Read your application and any supporting documentation, including the job advertisement. I guess some things can be forgiven, especially if they provide a fun anecdote afterwards. These are intended to test your initiative and how creative you are in interpreting such a brief. We want the kids to be your advocates. Outstanding teaching therefore involves outstanding questioning. Find a way to encourage all children to invest in their learning during your interview lesson – immediately pick up those reluctant to start work and coerce them into joining in. So it's been 12 years since I started teaching and never ever have I had to teach a lesson as part of an interview process. While it’s incredibly hard to get a job, it’s easy to let the pressures of the application process grind you down. Planning a lesson for a job interview can be challenging. Don’t ask for 20 laminated colour photocopies of your favourite worksheet five minutes before the demo lesson is due to start – that won’t go down well. A rated outstanding Year 5/6 interview lesson on openers and effective writing. Before your teaching interview, you should: Know the school and its local education authority, including any teaching philosophy or approach taken to education. Primary teacher Sway Grantham shares some tried and tested ideas for interview lessons that will engage students and impress observers Impress at interview with a lesson … You wouldn’t have been invited for interview if your application had been poor, so at the start of the day everyone is – theoretically – appointable. ... With such little time on your hands there is still the expectation that you can produce an outstanding lesson. Search from thousands of teaching jobs both in the UK and overseas. For a demo lesson, as in everything else, your attention to detail and your preparation must show through. Here’s a guide to doing all three. Your interview lesson should centre on one very tight learning aim. If you are provided with poetry, then a haiku will work better than a ballad. The panel watching an interview lesson need to see that the prospective new teacher can engage the children, promote active learning and understanding, and has confidence and skill with the subject knowledge. If you download something from TES’ website don’t expect it, as if by magic, to go swimmingly. But keep it very simple – bullet points on one side of paper is best. When applying for newly-qualified teacher jobs, you’ll almost certainly have to teach a demonstration lesson. I’ve seen an interviewee knock over his bottle of fizzy drink but open it regardless and spray the first three rows of the room. For example, if the demo lesson is a PE practical, you might get those horrible year 9s while someone else gets a lovely sweet group of year 7s. Try not to be too pernickety about your rights to equal opportunities if the school is already doing its best to accommodate you. The intention is to provide a summary report of this kind on an annual basis. I have to do a 15 minute input, in any subject area, with current reception class. If this information is not given to you by the school, ask for it. You can use questioning to personalise your lessons in all sorts of ways. For example, if you are doing an art demo lesson and you want to teach a particular technique like batik then you’d be advised to bring your own stuff with you. You may have planned X, Y and Z but don’t be frightened if you have to improvise too – that is the reality of teaching after all – and the assessors will want to see how you can think on your feet and respond to the unexpected. Twinkl » Key Stage 1 - Year 1, Year 2 » Classroom Management » Teacher Organisation I have an interview and am required to teach a 30 min maths lesson to KS2. I have heard some tell X-rated jokes, threaten to “bitch slap” someone and another who said, “Bloody hell, if I was as stupid as you, I’d shoot myself”. If you are applying for an newly-qualified teacher (NQT) position, you’ll almost certainly be asked to teach a demonstration lesson. I know. Are you an effective classroom teacher, confident about your subject knowledge, demonstrating good organisation and behaviour management? Conditions. And though some people may be really confident in formal interviews, ultimately it will always be the classroom that truly matters. Tell the interview panel what you learned from the experience. Examples of Outstanding Lessons in 2011 - 2012 The following are the summary notes taken in a sample of outstanding lessons from a sample of subjects that were observed within the last twelve months. My idea of the perfect classroom lesson is a lesson where all students are actively engaged in meaningful learning for the entirety of the lesson. Will there be a teaching assistant in the room and who will they work with? The children loved the film and wrote some amazing pieces. Do not adapt your style. Describe your teaching style. These days newly qualified teachers are routinely asked to give a demonstration lesson, or a part of a lesson, during the interview process.Teachers of English to speakers of other languages are often expected to give a dreaded demo lesson.This can be given to a group of students, or on Skype, or it can be addressed to interviewers at an interview. Be careful about this because the way you set up and organise yourself – how creative and well prepared you are, and how much initiative you show – is part of what is being assessed. Helen Webb looks at how to plan your job interview lessons. Some of the very best interview lessons have been stripped back to the bare bones and have relied upon the rapport between class and interviewee. Senior staff will be observing too – usually the head of department and the deputy headteacher – so the kids should be on their best behaviour. This tactic only works if you adapt the resource for classes you know well. Such things are unlikely to convince me that you’re the right person for the job. We will ask the class after each lesson how they thought it went – and we want to hear the children clamour for the employment of interviewees. Your demo lesson might take place before the formal interview while another candidate’s might be after it. It is also agreed that an outstanding lesson should provide very c lear evidence of highly effective learning for every learner in that class. Interview lesson (19 Posts) Add message | Report. 7 teacher interview questions you should be well prepared for. With careful planning and an ability to deal with the unexpected you’ll have kids and staff begging for an encore. Expect the IT not to work. I am currently applying for jobs for my NQT year. I’ve sat in many a lesson where students are clearly more able than the interviewee expected and it becomes a thumb-twiddling exercise. This fantastic resource provides you with some top tips on interview lesson observations! The interviewer is asking you to touch on all the important points in your practice in a very concrete way. Do not be afraid to pull kids up and ask them to rectify their behaviour. Bring it with you on the day so the assessors can see what your goals are, how you intend to differentiate and show progress. Here is a teacher interview question: 'what is your idea of the perfect lesson?' Visit https://www.videolearning.co.uk to access them online.In this early years session, the focus is to inspire children to write. As a result many teachers are turning from the traditional classroom methods in favour of more progressive learning methods, such as flipped lessons. Just make sure that if you get to your second stage interview you can back up your vision in reality! Alan Newland shares his top 10 tips on how to plan for success, Last modified on Tue 20 Jan 2015 13.41 EST. I was thinking of maybe using loom bands to investigate the fibonnacci sequence? Photograph: Alamy, How to survive interview lessons – teachers’ tips and experiences, King Edwards Consortium PGCE & School Direct. Whatever happens, just get on with it.”. My colleague once referred to a student by the female pronoun for the entire lesson, only to be told at the end that the student was a boy. The children empathised with the video so much that two of them cried! Rapport does not mean best of chums; this is a school and the desired relationship should be teacher and student. 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