Questions To Ask In Your Interview

International schools are in full recruitment/hiring mode. With a growing demand for international educators, how do you find the right fit for your career goals? More importantly, how can you best ensure your pedagogical approaches and teaching strategies align with your potential employer?

Few things feel better than nailing your interview and securing a job offer. However nothing can feel worse than entering a new school only to find that there really isn't a behavior management structure in place, or that the project-based approaches you discussed in the interview are no where to be found. We all know the educational buzzwords. If you're a strong interviewer you use them to your advantage. If you're a school that wants to recruit quality candidates, you do the same. Unfortunately, there are times when this can lead to a disconnect between expectation and reality when one joins a new school. Here are 6 questions you can ask that will help to bridge that disconnect and ensure you find an educational institution that meets your priorities.

Why did your school choose this specific curriculum/program?

This is most relevant when speaking with a start-up school, but can be asked to any institution. Whether the school has a growing IB programme, uses IGCSE and A levels, or has a patchwork of curricula (for example: Australian curriculum only for Math) ask them why they have intentionally opted to utilize their program. If a school can't articulate how their approach to education aligns with their choice in curriculum, this may be a warning sign. This can particularly be a red flag for teachers who are interested in working within a specific educational program.

How often is collaboration time built into the school's schedule?

It is easy to pay lip service to a collaborative school atmosphere, but unless it is deliberately scheduled into the school day, collaboration can fall by the wayside. This is no ones fault, administration and teachers are incredibly busy during the school year. All the same, you know a school is serious about maintaining a collaborative approach when they carve out real time for both horizontal and vertical collaboration meetings within working hours. If this question doesn't produce a clear answer/policy, this may be cause for concern.

What support is offered to a teacher who may be struggling in their new position?

Many teachers struggle to adjust to a new international teaching job. You may be getting used to the new country, new educational culture, and new system in general. Some great answers I've heard in the past are: mentorship programs between old and new teachers, meaningful onboarding processes that continue throughout the school year, and consistent classroom observation that serves as a tool to strength new hires, rather than judge them. Regrettably such strategies can be hard to find. I know many a teacher who has left the profession or experienced unnecessary stress due to the 'sink or swim' method.

Could you describe the pathways for parents and teachers to communicate? or How does the school support a teacher in their communication with a parent whom has concerns?

We all want parents to be supportive, respectful collaborators in the educational process, but that isn't always the case. Ask your potential employer these questions (or some variation of these) to get a sense of the relationship parents have with the school. You will want to know if parents expect to have access to you at any time, if most interactions with parents are positive and productive, and if parents are receptive to constructive feedback regarding their child. If the school can't clearly describe ways in which they maintain parent-teacher boundaries, this could mean you are on your own in this area of your job.

Could you provide specific project-based assessments used recently in my subject area?

This type of question could apply to any approaches to teaching or pedagogical strategies. I have had multiple great interviews thinking we are on the same page about assessments only to find out that project-based learning is explicitly against assessment policy or more often implicitly discouraged. This approach is a sticking point for me as well as teaching diverse literature to students, therefore I always ask what novels were taught last year. Think about what is important for you and then ask for specific examples.

What is the procedure when a student violates the academic integrity policy?

Lastly, you should include any question about the specifics of the school's behavior policy, but this is my favorite go-to as a literature teacher. In asking about behavior policies, you can get a sense of how student behavior and consequences are handled at the school. If there is limited recourse when it comes to behavior management by way of policy or support than this is a major red flag. Students will always test boundaries, how the school structure reacts to such students is a marker of a strong educational environment.

Teachers are at their most effective when they are properly supported. And for teachers who are looking to make a change, it can be difficult to suss out which institutions match your unique skills, interests, and needs. We often do not have the luxury of visiting a school before accepting a job. Therefore, knowing the right questions to ask can help in your search.

Know your worth and good luck out there!