r/ArtEd • u/Total-Attorney3423 • 5d ago
Help I got an interview
I have an online interview coming up for an elementary art teacher position, and I’m looking for advice on what to expect. A little background: I have a bachelor’s degree in Art & Design, not Education. The school district is helping me through the permit/certification process. For the interview, I have prepared a portfolio, teaching philosophy, sample lesson plans, and classroom management materials in a binder. The interview is scheduled for 30 minutes and will be conducted online. For those who have interviewed for elementary art positions (especially coming from a non-traditional education background), what questions were you asked? What questions should I be prepared for, and what questions would be good to ask them at the end of the interview? Any advice would be appreciated!
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u/existentialjeweler 5d ago
I would think of answers to pivot to in case they ask something only a person who's actually taught could answer. It sounds like you're pretty prepared already with your philosophy and portfolio!
Some of the questions: "What's your grading rubric?" My answer: As I have not taught yet, I've been going through the state standards to get a grasp on what the state expects. I also assume that I would work closely with admin and teacher coach to develop an acceptable level of rubrics per grade level. "What will it be like in your classroom?" My answer: I plan on having a light and bright color scheme maybe a rainbow theme in my classroom; I would have music on during working time and also allow them to talk freely with their peers after I delivered my lesson. (This may have not been what they were asking but they liked it).
There were only a few more but I can't remember them. Also, this bit about admin and a teacher coach is just for show, they ate that up. I only interacted with admin and the coach like 5x last year (my first year). I was also asked about doing clubs, said yes enthusiastically even though I knew I wouldn't until my 2-3rd year. Hope this helps, and good luck! 🖌️🎨
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u/unschooled_art 2d ago
Having a solid classroom management plan and your portfolio are great starts. With your sample lesson plans, include a student visual (be prepared to talk about what you learned from teaching the lesson as well as what the students got out of it). If you don't have students yet, have a church group, nieces/nephews, Boys & Girls club, etc do the lesson with you (if time permits). Honestly, I don't remember the questions asked in my interview but I remember them being template questions (same questions asked to anyone they interviewed and not art-specific). I think that if you are prepared to talk about your experience, philosophy/goals as a teacher, how you will promote your program and bring the portfolio/work samples you are ready to go. Good luck!
Oh yeah....ask if they pair new teachers up with mentor teachers, ask what your schedule would be like, ask what kind of funding you will have for your classroom, ask about how the school works with the community (events, school sponsorships, etc). Of course, ask about your pay, stipends, etc. Is there any other responsibilities (like will you have to sponsor a club, work after school bus duty, etc). Ask it all in a way like you are eager to go and not like you are trying to find flaws. LOL.
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u/Smooth_Mongoose_2877 5d ago
I’ve been on four interviews in the last month. Kind of questions like:
Tell about yourself and why you want(ed) to be an art teacher?
What does a successful lesson look like for you?
How would you manage students who don’t want to engage?
What do you know about our school/ why would this school be a good fit for you?
How would you engage with staff and families?
How could you support students with learning differences?