Interview with VEC

missym

Hi,

I was hoping somebody might be able to give me a couple of tips. I have finally got an interview for a teaching position and I am very nervous about it because I need the job so much. As the position is for an english teacher I anticipate being asked what I prefer ie poetry, drama, fiction etc Is there a wrong answer? I have been asked in the past what was my favourite novel from college and as it is a while ago I dont remember a lot of what I studied. Is it ok to use what is on the curriculum as an answer? Should I say I don't remember?

I also find it difficult to answer questions about how I handle discipline. I always find I get very flustered with this question because I come across very soft spoken so I am worried they may not think I am capable of controlling a class.

I know you have to keep eye contact with everyone on the interview panel but this makes me look a little crazy. Does everyone really do this?
I have quite an old fashioned suit,Would it be ok to wear a dress (a very covered up and modest one) similar to some you may see on the apprentice or is this considered unprofessional?

Sorry for all the questions but I am very anxious and I appreciate any help.

Thank you in advance

drusk

There's no right or wrong answer to the part of the subject you prefer question. Show enthusiasm for your subject, but if you have a particular passion about one area of it, then say so! They're not gonna not hire you because you prefer poetry more than fiction!!!

As for everything else - stop fretting!


There are two things you must remember when doing an interview:

1. Be confident.
2. Be yourself.


If you do both, then everything else will fall into place and the interview WILL go well! If the dress is professional and looks nicer than the suit, then wear it! Don't spend hours trying to predict every question and rehearse every answer - it's pointless, and will make you nervous before and during the interview which will have a negative effect on the outcome.

Remember - you are a qualified teacher. If you believe in yourself during the interview, and they like you as a person, then you've nothing to worry about.

Best of luck with it! Let us know how you get on!

Nead21

first of all congrats on getting an interview!

as the previous poster said, dont try to predict every question as you will just end up psyching yourself out. dont concentrate so much on how much you need this job as you will end up appearing desperate in the interview....which is not an attractive quality.

if you're getting flustered answering the question on discipline, practice anwering the question out loud. it may sound stupid, but i do it all the time before interviews...usually in the shower! it helps you get your thoughts straight in your head.

best of luck

eager tortoise

I had a few VEC interviews in the past little while, also for English, and was asked to give examples of how I would teach certain parts of the course, e.g. How would you go about introducing a Shakespeare play to a mixed third year group/What strategies would you employ for teaching poetry to first years/What skills do you consider most important for Leaving Cert English students etc. I think its best to try and illustrate your points by giving examples of ways in which you have done these things (or similar) in the past. So maybe have a think about where you stand on things like this

desmurphy

if the school is a school that has problem pupils you will be asked about discipline. its important not to be phased by this. children learn best by activity and keeping them busy. say that!! and never admit that you would remove a pupil from class . always say that you would keep the student in the class because removing him would be a failure

Nead21

desmurphy wrote: »

never admit that you would remove a pupil from class . always say that you would keep the student in the class because removing him would be a failure

how is that failure? failure in what respect?

in general disruptive students should be dealt with in class, but if a student is disrupting the whole class and to the detriment of the other students' learning, removing that student is appropriate.

desmurphy

Nead21 wrote: »

how is that failure? failure in what respect?

in general disruptive students should be dealt with in class, but if a student is disrupting the whole class and to the detriment of the other students' learning, removing that student is appropriate.

you are right! but we are talking about an interview situation here. The interview board will want to know that the teacher can handle things themselves. the failure bit relates to the fact that the child will not be learning while outside of the class. sometimes you have to say what the interview board wants to hear

Nead21

desmurphy wrote: »

you are right! but we are talking about an interview situation here. The interview board will want to know that the teacher can handle things themselves. the failure bit relates to the fact that the child will not be learning while outside of the class. sometimes you have to say what the interview board wants to hear

ok i get you, but i recently had an interview with a VEC and they asked me a similar question. my answer to that question was basically what i said above, and that if the student is disrupting the teaching and learning environment, i would remove that student from the class and deal with them outside of the classroom and away from the audience of other students... and explained how this was a successful strategy in the past. (my interview was successful).

i think what they're looking for is your ability to deal with different situations on the spot, to not be fazed by it and more importantly following through with discipline procedures...using examples is best here i think.

missym

Hi,

Thank you so much for your replies,All your tips were very helpful.

The interview was today and I think it went well but it is hard to know. I was suprised to not be asked anything about the english curriculum. They focused more on how I handle discipline and mixed abilities in the classroom. I answered ok but did (as expected)get a little flustered. They also focused a lot on how I interact with students,how to build rapport with them etc

All I can do now is wait with fingers crossed
I'll let you know the outcome.

Thanks for taking the time to reply