Feel Confident For Your Special Education Teacher Interview

Teacher interviews can be stressful, but if you are prepared and do some leg work beforehand – you’ll be set to go.

As a special education teacher who has been in a few different schools, I’ve been on my fair share of interviews. Take it from me, it took me 30+ interviews before I landed my first job outside of college. Seriously, I even had interviewers ask me if I was nervous. Which of course made me more nervous.

Today I’m going to share 3 different aspects that go hand-in-hand when it comes to teaching interviews: your resume, your interview binder, and the actual interview.

The Teacher Resume

Tip 1: Keep your resume short – I mean no longer than 2 pages. And if it is 2 pages, make sure you print it front-back when you go to interviews or to educational job fairs.

Tip 2: Your resume doesn’t have to be fancy, and honestly – my resume uses a Word resume template. You don’t need to buy a resume template to stand out. Schools and potential admin don’t really care about the frills and fancy fonts. Keep it simple!

Tip 3: My biggest piece of advice when it comes to writing your teacher resume is to let google be your best friend to find those key words and verbs for your job duties. So, for example, let’s say you taught Resource. Google something like, “Resource Teacher Job Duties” and take note of the wording they use in the job posting.

Obviously don’t say you did something you didn’t do, but do some Googling to see different job duties and then use the keywords and verbs for what you have done!

The Teacher Interview Binder

1. Purchase a quality binder that can hold a lot of stuff. I typically use a 1.5 inch binder to hold all my materials
2. Get all of your favorite lesson plans and supplies. Interviewers want to see worksheets, completed crafts, or pictures of classrooms you’ve taught in. Your best taught lesson plan from each job you’ve held, and if you have any hard copies of observation reports from admin about specific lessons – grab those too! And keep them in clear pocket folders inside your interview bag. Use these lessons as examples of lessons you’ve taught when you’re answering questions – it gives you something tangible to show the interview team!
   • PLEASE NOTE: Cover student names and faces on any student work or in any pictures. You can use a black marker, sticky notes, or black tape. Protect your students!! Plus, it also shows your future employer that you care about student confidentiality.
3. Make sure you have copies of your resume, your teaching certification, any clearances you have hard copies of, and all of that other stuff in your binder. You never know when you’ll need it, and it makes you look super organized and ready to go on the spot if you do need it in an interview.

The Teacher Interview

Tip 1: Make sure that you’re prepared to answer questions appropriately, professionally, and accurately. Google the top teacher interview questions!

Tip 2: If you are nervous, which is completely normal and you’re allowed to be nervous!, take a small paperclip with you and keep it in your hands on your lap. This gives you something small and discrete to keep your fidgeting hands busy while you’re in the interview. REMEMBER TO BREATHE!

Tip 3: Never lie or make up stories during an interview. Be honest! If you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t have experience with something (but are willing to learn!), tell the interview team that. 

Tip 4: Dress appropriately. Dress pants, a dressy shirt (not a t-shirt), nice shoes (no sneakers). There’s this saying out there to “dress for the job that you want”… but honestly, you can never really overdress for a teaching interview. Now don’t show up in a ballgown Cinderella, but dress for the job you want… even if you will be wearing jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt in a self contained setting every day.

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