PREPARING FOR YOUR INTERVIEW WITH THE TEACHER EDUCATION ADMISSIONS BOARD
Tips from Experienced Interviewers
Characteristics of Good Interviewees
Examples of Interview Problems
Suggestions for Appropriate Dress
General Overview
Taking time to prepare for a successful interview with the Teacher Education Admissions Board may make a significant difference in your chance of becoming admitted to the program of your choice. Therefore, this web site has been prepared to offer students a wide range of suggestions on ways to make a positive impression on the Admissions Board.
1. Completion of your application should be taken seriously and prepared with care. It is important to remember not all applicants are admitted. Although meeting the academic standards make you eligible for an interview, meeting these standards alone, do not guarantee admission. Admission into the Teacher Education Program is competitive in most program areas. This is because there are more eligible applicants to the program than space can accommodate.
2. Tips on completing your application:
- Take time to complete the application carefully. Give your answers careful thought and answer each question clearly and completely as possible.
- Type the application. If you cannot get it typed, use ink and write or print very neatly and legibly.
- Proofread your application carefully.
- Have someone you trust read the application for content and grammatical
errors. Does your proofreader understand what you are trying to communicate? Ask his/her opinion of how fully you have answered the questions.
3. When responding to questions on the application, emphasize the experiences
you have had working with children and young adults in and outside of
school settings.
4. Pay special attention to the reasons you are choosing teaching as a
career:
- Liking children is necessary, but is not sufficient as the only reason you indicate for your desire to become a teacher.
- Relate your own experiences with children and young
adults and how these experiences have shaped your desire to become
a teacher. - Think about specific goals you would like to accomplish
as a teacher and be able to verbalize these goals in the interview.
5. Reflect your love for learning. People who teach children should enjoy
learning and school activities related to learning.
6. Give thought to your experiences with people. Your leadership ability, as well as any experiences you have had dealing with conflict and problem-solving in human relationships, all reflect your potential as a teacher. The interview panel will be looking for evidence of these qualities.
Suggestions and Tips from Experienced Interviewers
The following interview tips are provided by faculty who have served on the Admissions Boards and reflect their experiences interviewing hundreds of Teacher Education candidates.
1. Dress professionally in a way that communicates to the Admissions Board you believe this interview is important.
2. Locate your room prior to the interview and plan to arrive early
3. Be yourself. People who try to put on a false front usually come across
as
insincere.
4. Be positive and upbeat. Teachers need to be optimists and believe
they can make the world a better place.
5. Be expansive rather than brief in your answers. Answer questions
openly and honestly.
6 Make eye contact with your interviewers.
7. Be friendly, not disagreeable. If you treat the board members with
antagonism, they are likely to evaluate you in the same frame of mind.
8. Try your best to be relaxed and natural.
Characteristics of Good Interviewees
Good Interviewees….
- Communicate that they take the process seriously
- Appear poised and confident, but not overconfident
- Are positive and optimistic
- Speak clearly and answer questions fully without prodding
- Answer questions directly and specifically
- Appear relaxed and friendly
- Communicate in a genuine sense that teaching is important and that teaching is what they have chosen to do with their lives.
- Display good listening skills
- Provide evidence they can relate with people different from themselves
- Exhibit creativity under pressure
- Exhibit an engaging personality
- Communicate well thought out ideas for wanting to be a teacher
Examples of Typical Interview Problems
1. Extreme Shyness – Interviewees who avoid eye contact with the interviewers may be perceived as frightened or uncomfortable. They give very short answers to questions, forcing interviewers to probe with numerous follow-up questions to receive even a fraction of the response they were seeking.
2. Abrasiveness – Interviewees appear negative and, at times, seem
hostile. They are abrupt in their responses. In many cases they also appear
to be opinionated and lack the openness to hear other viewpoints.
3. Over Anxious to Please – Interviewees appear willing to say anything
they think the interviewer wants to hear. They come across as not having
an opinion of their own. They also tend to leave the board with the impression
as lacking courage or convictions.
4. Overconfidence – Interviewees appear to believe they are already sure of acceptance into the program. They appear to be overly impressed with themselves, thereby communicating to the Admissions Boards that the interview process is unimportant.
5. Vagueness – Interviewees who display this trait generally communicate
they are uncertain of what the whole process is about; they are uncertain
about what they should say to the Admissions Boards and why they are choosing
to
enter the teaching profession.
Common Sense Suggestions for Dressing Appropriately for the Interview
For Men
Dress pants, shirt, tie, and sports coat are appropriate. Avoid wearing
jeans,
tennis shoes, sweats or shorts. Make sure your clothes look neat. Beards
and
mustaches should be neatly trimmed. Do not wear excessive jewelry, cologne,
or
after-shave.
For Women
Make sure your clothes look neat and professional. Avoid excessive perfume and make-up. Avoid jeans, tennis shoes, sweats or shorts. Selection of skirt, blouse, pants, suit or dress is all acceptable.
The Typical Structure of the Admissions Board Interview
- Total time of interview is usually 20-30 minutes
- Usually four members comprise the Admissions Boards
- You will be asked a series of questions
- You will be asked to make some closing remarks
- You will be given an evaluation sheet to complete when the interview is concluded
- The interviewers will mark sheets to evaluate your interview
Examples of Questions You Might be Asked
Many interviewers will ask you to comment on the answers you provided on the application questionnaire (Here you can expand on your comments and support your ideas.)
- “Tell us about yourself” (Give information such as where you live, do you work, where you grew up, etc.)
- “Why did you choose your interest area?” (Indicate why you chose to major in History or Special Education or minor in Elementary Education).
- “Have you ever had experiences with children? What did you learn from these experiences?”
- “What benefits are you looking for when you become a teacher?” (This might be personal benefits, such as job security, compatibility of teaching with raising a family, or respect from community, etc.)
- “Have you ever been in a conflict you had to solve?” “What did you do?”
- “Describe an instance in which you have led others.”
- “Can you describe a circumstance when you had to be creative in a situation that could not be resolved easily?”
- “With a day off and money not an issue, what would you do?” (This question may be asked to determine if you have hobbies and to determine if you are a well-rounded person.)
- “Is there anything you would like to ask the board?” (Try to listen to what the board members say; draw a question from some of their comments.)
Sometimes You May Be Asked an Inappropriate Question
Even the most experienced interviewers make mistakes. If you do not know
the answer to a question, do not try to answer it. This is especially
true if the question concerns the classroom and appropriate teacher behavior.
At the point of your Admissions Board interview, you are not expected
to be knowEledgeable about teaching methodologies or classroom behavior
management. All appropriate questions will allow you to base your answers
on what you know and not on what you do not know
Contact CEHHS Advising
332 Bailey Education Complex
1122 Volunteer Blvd.
Knoxville, TN 37996
(865) 974-8194
Fax (865) 974-5781