THE

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THE TEACHER
SELECTION
PROCESS
ANNE E. EDDY EAD 801
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In the new teacher selection process,
administrators look for candidates who possess
essential qualities and characteristics.

• Competence
• Personality
• Passion
• Communication Skills
• Self - Awareness

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During the interview process, administrators
ask questions to assess the candidate's
competence, personality, passion, communication
skills, and self-awareness.
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• Research the Schools Mission Statement

• Smile

• Relax

• Be Yourself

• Be Prepared

• Be Confident

Administrators make suggestions for new teacher
candidates.
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The person who knows how will always
have a job. (Mason and
Redmond,
1997).
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Competence in specific disciplines is imperative
not only on paper, but also in
life.
Administrators Look For Candidates Who

• Demonstrate competence in school

• Reveal maturity.

• Display intelligence.

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Sample Interview Questions

• Tell me about a lesson you developed that
  successfully achieved a learning objective for
  most of your students. How did you follow up
  that lesson for the students who didnt get it?

• What strategies or tricks do you use to make
  every minute count for learning in your classroom?

• Tell me about your personal learning style. How
  does that influence your teaching? How do you
  model learning for your students?

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Few things in the world are more powerful than a
positive push. A smile. A word
of optimism and
hope. (Mason and
Redmond, 1997).
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Administrators Look For Candidates Who

• Have a sense of humor.

• Are outgoing.

• Show enthusiasm.

• Are comfortable presenting themselves.

An engaging personality is an essential quality
to showcase throughout the interview process.
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Sample Interview Questions

• Tell me about a teacher who has affected your
  life.

• What role does humor play in your teaching?

• What do you believe to be the most important
  personal quality or trait that you bring to the
  profession of teaching?

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Only passion, great passion, can elevate the
human soul to achieve great things.
(Mason and Redmond,
1997).
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Administrators Look For People Who

• Love their subject area.

• Are energetic.

• Have fresh ideas.

• Love children at their developmental ages.

Passion for teaching and the learning process are
qualities that shine through during the interview
process.
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Sample Interview Questions

• What are your interests or passions in addition
  to teaching?

• Why did you decide to become a teacher?

• How have you handled personal setbacks and
  failure in your classroom?

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Be still when you have nothing to say when
genuine passion moves you, say what youve got to
say, and say it hot. (Mason and Redmond, 1997).
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Strong communication skills are of the utmost
importance for new teacher candidates.
Administrators Look For People Who

• Can articulate their thoughts.

• Keep their composure.

• Give real life, non-textbook answers.

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Sample Interview Questions

• Why did you decide to become a teacher?

• Describe a position of leadership that you have
  held and tell us what you were able to accomplish
  in that position.

• Tell me about your personal library. What books
  are you reading right now? For pleasure? In
  your discipline?

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People who have a high degree of self-awareness
recognize how their feelings affect them,
other people,
and their job
performance.
(Goleman, 2002).
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Administrators Look For Candidates Who

• Are not afraid to try new things and fail.

• Can admit that they made a mistake.

• Understand their limitations and have found ways
  to cope with them.

• Understand their strengths and use them to their
  advantage.

Self-awareness creates an understanding of
strengths and weaknesses, resulting in
efficiency in the work place.
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Sample Interview Questions

• Tell me about a student (parent, or colleague)
  with whom you have had a difficult time
  getting along and how you managed to work through
  this problem.

• Tell me about a lesson that you taught in
  which things did not go particularly well.
  What did you do in response to this instructional
  breakdown?

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When the individual soul is connected to the
organization, people become connected to
something deeper. (Fullan, 2004).
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Before an administrator hires a new teacher, he
has the following topics to consider.

• What qualifications will the teacher bring to my
  team?

• Which person will be most compatible with my
  team?

• Will the staff have a balance of energy and
  experience?

• Which person will be a perfect match for the
  school?

• Which person will live out the mission of the
  school in his daily activities?

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References
Colflesh, N. (1999). Sample Interview Questions.
EAD 801 Course Website. N. Colflesh.
MSU. Spring Semester, 2006. Colflesh, N. (1999).
Teacher Selection. EAD 801 Course Website. N.
Colflesh. MSU. Spring Semester,
2006. Crowther, F. , Kaagan, S., Ferguson, M.,
and Hann, L. (2002). Developing Teacher
Leaders. Thousand Oaks, CA Corwin Press,
INC. Goleman, D. (1998). What Makes a Leader?
Emotional Intelligence. Harvard Business
Review. EAD 801 Course Packet. Michigan State
University. East Lansing, MI. Fullan, M. (2004).
Leading In A Culture Of Change. San Francisco,
CA Jossey-Bass. Mason, J. and Redmond, T.
(1997). Words Of Promise For Leaders. Tulsa, OK
Honor Books. McEwan, E. (2002). The Ten Traits of
Highly Effective Teachers. EAD 801 Course
Website. N. Colflesh. MSU. Spring Semester,
2006. Personal Interview. Subject A. April 5,
2006. Personal Interview. Subject B. April 7,
2006.



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Addendum
Questions asked during my interview process. 1.
How is the teacher selection process conducted at
your school? 2. What qualities do you look for in
the teacher selection process. 3. In selecting
new teachers, what/if any considerations do you
take in building your team? 4. What role does
the schools mission statement have in the
teacher selection process? 5. Once you have
selected your team, how do you motivate and build
your team? 6. What advice do you have for me as
a future administrator?