My answer to this is an answer, and I speak from quite a privileged standpoint: my school is Classics-friendly, offering Latin, Greek and Class Civ all the way to A-Level, and it all happens on-timetable. That isn’t something we take for granted. Regardless of context, though, any HoD worth their salt would want their new teacher to exhibit the following attributes:
- Committed
- Personable
- Coachable
- Confident
What rank order would you put these in?
What do those attributes look like day-to-day?
1. Committed
I usually kick off an interview by asking what in the Classics most interests you. It’s a gift of a question and an opportunity to ‘geek out’ about what you love. I’m looking for specifics- i.e. a confident command of your subject- but also I want to see passion in your eyes. That’s what will translate into creative and convincing lessons. Will you eventually produce lessons that will make pupils turn up promptly at your door?
And how else will you demonstrate that passion to your pupils? Do you have ideas for our lunchtime or after-school Classics clubs? What do you think about spending holiday time on the school trip to Greece? What have we not thought about? What would you introduce?
Interview tip: If you can’t offer Greek, still go ahead and apply to schools that do, whatever the job spec says. Very few schools will rule you out because you don’t have it- that would just narrow the field unnecessarily. (In any case, I care far more about whether you’ll be able to handle a large KS3 class.)
2. Personable
Successful departments generate goodwill and collaboration between colleagues who are front-footed and supportive. How will you contribute to that dynamic? And what do you expect to draw from that kind of culture?
Interview tip: It’s a two-way process. Don’t be afraid to ‘read the room’ and gauge whether there’s a healthy and happy relationship between colleagues. And listen to your gut.
On a related note, how much will you muck in with school life outside the classroom? As a Head of Classics, it doesn’t really matter whether you play chess, sing, row etc. But I am looking for the sort of teacher who mucks in elsewhere; they will have a stronger relationship with their classes, and that can have a domino effect on attainment and also uptake.
Interview tip: It doesn’t matter whether your interests tally perfectly with the school’s extra-curricular profile: anything at all is valid, and we want to see willingness to contribute beyond your department. We’re talking the difference between a teacher and an old-school schoolmaster/-mistress.
3. Coachable
It is the norm nowadays to teach a lesson when you are called to interview. What am I looking for? Basic structure and variety- a combination of you talking and questioning, for instance. Effort to keep the pupils on their toes- collaborating, presenting, questioning etc. And clarity on how the whole thing fits together and achieves the learning objectives.
Interview tip: If you choose to use some ICT- great- then ensure it’s not just token, and double check the technology is functioning that day!
What also impresses me is a willingness to discuss in honest terms how the lesson went. That doesn’t mean underrating an adequate lesson, it means exploring what you’d do differently next time and why. This attribute, coachability, is vital throughout your early career (and indeed beyond!) and so signs of this at interview always encourage me.
Here’s a good example. Differentiation. Doing this effectively in a demo lesson, even with good data on the group, is tough, although not impossible. I’d award brownie points if I saw you, say, spotting a child who was struggling and then helping them when the class broke into paired work. And I’d double those points if we could have a really thoughtful debrief about certain individuals and how you’d meet their needs next time. That sort of professional humility is actually priceless.
Interview tip: Don’t be afraid to seek feedback yourself. Be enterprising and show that you are self-aware and comfortable with being improved!
4. Confident
Am I looking for charisma? Salesmanship? Rattling off quin/ quominus without breaking eye contact? Well, the last would be a bonus actually, but what I want to emphasise is that crucial line between confident and cocksure.
A confident new teacher, for instance, would ask for help. Or seek the opinion of their HoD on a new idea or activity. And, of course, you’ll need enough stage presence in class to set boundaries and uphold them. You’ll need to be happy at parents’ evening convincing both parent and pupil.
And lastly, again, are you enterprising? Do you want to take the initiative? Are you willing to not only broach an issue, but roll your sleeves up and tackle it? This is something the Head, too, will want to know.
If you were writing this post, what attributes would you emphasise?
- Energetic?
- Reflective?
- Articulate?
- Empathetic?
Join in below and share your experiences positive and otherwise. This can become a very helpful comment thread!
