Interview help please..

agusanois

Hi everyone,

delighted that I just got word about an interview yesterday for next Monday, but now trying to organise my prep I've realised that there's no info to be found about the school! they have no website and all I can find is news articles about when it opened!
any ideas on how I could get around this?
would it be very bad to go into an interview without knowing about the school or its ehtos?but I cant seem to find anything about it so panicking I'l have no other alternative?

thanks for any help at all!

EoghanRua

I'm sorry that I cannot directly answer your question as to how to get information but I did two interviews recently and not a word about the school was asked in either one, so it is not by any means guaranteed to show up as a topic.

Admittedly because I have Irish nearly half the interview was conducted through Irish and that related to the language in the school. Maybe with some other subjects where there would be less direct emphasis on your personal proficiency in the subject there might be more scope for asking about the school.

Does the school not have some class of a website?

agusanois

Thanks for the reply, and hope the interviews went well

its reassuring to hear that it hasn't shown up as a topic for you too!
I too have Irish, but the post is for an English teacher, but in a Gaelscoil, so would you think there would be an emphasis on how I go about teaching English but also proficiency in Irish in this case which might take some time
in the interview too?
I'm guessing seen as its in a Gaelscoil all the interview will be in Irish even though its for an English post, do you think?
No theres literally no website at all, and very few news articles!

peanuthead

call the school, tell the secretary you are due for an interview next week, give her your name, and tell her you would like to ask her a few qs about the school.

essdee

Here is a link to a podcast we did recently on Inside Education on the topic of job applications and interviews for primary school teaching posts. I hope you find it helpful.

http://insideeducation.podbean.com/2010/06/06/programme-48-applying-for-a-teaching-job-news-6-6-10/


Note the correction in the comments about submitting a cover letter with the new standard application form.

Postgrad10

Hi
I've been asked a few times did I know anything about the ethos of the school. If it's a particular type of school like a convent school etc maybe see if you look into it's founders and their ethos and that could cover you if they ask if you know anything about the school. Good luck:)

Delphi91

agusanois wrote: »

Hi everyone,

delighted that I just got word about an interview yesterday for next Monday, but now trying to organise my prep I've realised that there's no info to be found about the school! they have no website and all I can find is news articles about when it opened!
any ideas on how I could get around this?
would it be very bad to go into an interview without knowing about the school or its ehtos?but I cant seem to find anything about it so panicking I'l have no other alternative?

thanks for any help at all!

Get on to the Dept of Ed website and have a look for any subject inspections or Whole School Evaluations that have been done on the school. You might glean some info from them.

You might also contact the school and ask for a copy of their prospectus.

Fuinseog

agusanois wrote: »

Hi everyone,

delighted that I just got word about an interview yesterday for next Monday, but now trying to organise my prep I've realised that there's no info to be found about the school! they have no website and all I can find is news articles about when it opened!
any ideas on how I could get around this?
would it be very bad to go into an interview without knowing about the school or its ehtos?but I cant seem to find anything about it so panicking I'l have no other alternative?

thanks for any help at all!

a school with no website in this day and age is a bad sign. I am wary of such schools

peanuthead

Fuinseog wrote: »

a school with no website in this day and age is a bad sign. I am wary of such schools

In what way, exactly?

I kind of resent that comment as to me it suggests that you are wary of them because of a lack of technology or technologically able people within it. Are you therefore suggesting that that school wouldn't be worth working in, just because it hasn't the resources you are used to? Would you not consider the possibility that if you were computer savvy that they may be looking for someone exactly like you?

If the above isn't what you are suggesting could you please explain what you do mean, but if it is I have to say - if that is a personal choice fair enough, but to say something like "those schools are a bad sign" is a bit silly imo

Fuinseog

peanuthead wrote: »

In what way, exactly?

I kind of resent that comment as to me it suggests that you are wary of them because of a lack of technology or technologically able people within it. Are you therefore suggesting that that school wouldn't be worth working in, just because it hasn't the resources you are used to? Would you not consider the possibility that if you were computer savvy that they may be looking for someone exactly like you?

If the above isn't what you are suggesting could you please explain what you do mean, but if it is I have to say - if that is a personal choice fair enough, but to say something like "those schools are a bad sign" is a bit silly imo

yes. we have harsh economic times but I personally would check out the school before accepting an job offer there. some people do not mind working in a 'tough' school, where anthing can happen to you or your property. Others would mind.
the lack of website hints at the lack of interest in education and an unwillingness to promote school achievement. the vast majority of schools have some kind of website. the OP is unclear. maybe the school has just opened in which case the lack of website would be understandable.

peanuthead

Fuinseog wrote: »

yes. we have harsh economic times but I personally would check out the school before accepting an job offer there.

fair enough. A pretty standard thing to do imo. It's isn't sensible not to do so.

Fuinseog wrote: »

some people do not mind working in a 'tough' school, where anthing can happen to you or your property. Others would mind.

Very true. And likewise some people don't have the ability to work in a tough school, therefore should make sure the one they are going to will suit them.

Fuinseog wrote: »

the lack of website hints at the lack of interest in education.

Judging by these last two posts of yours you are suggesting that every school without a website is full of students who will vandalise their teacher's property. Very narrow minded and naive Fuinseog. I have not heard something that ridiculous in a long time.

Fuinseog

[



Judging by these last two posts of yours you are suggesting that every school without a website is full of students who will vandalise their teacher's property. Very narrow minded and naive Fuinseog. I have not heard something that ridiculous in a long time.[/QUOTE]


my assertion is based on experience. have you ever actually taught in a school?

peanuthead

Fuinseog wrote: »

my assertion is based on experience. have you ever actually taught in a school?

Yes I have taught in a type of school that you wouldn't go near for the last 5 years. They don't have a website, but I'll tell you what they do have:

They have a lot of teachers who have been there for at least the last ten years. There because they want to be, not because they can't get work else where

They have a principal and deputy who personally visit classrooms and make PA announcements to congratulate the soccer/basketball team regularly

They have teachers who provide extra help classes (mostly paid but not all) to students suffering in certain areas

Teachers who actually re-write some of the textbooks in simpler English so as to cater for the needs of our weaker students. This takes tremendous effort and are done during the teachers' time off remember

They have the most fantastic staff - so positive and supportive.

They have awards ceremonies and decorate the school walls with students' work and pictures of past pupils who have graduated from college.

Like you suggest in your post the school is disadvantaged and in what would be considered a rough area.

But never once has a teacher's property been vandalised and there are a few members of staff who actually live in the same areas as the students. And there is anything but a disinterest in our students in that school.

No offence here, but maybe people with an attitude like yours who doesn't have time for these kids (you pretty much said so yourself in saying that you wouldn't teach there) wouldn't have an interest in their education and yeah, maybe they wouldn't like you for it. They are actually people and can sense when a teacher doesn't give a shit about them.

To be honest you are right when you say it is bad in this day and age for a school to have a website. I don't know why we don't and maybe I will push this in september. But to equate it with a lack of interest in your job (which is not web designer but teacher remember) is totally moronic

littlebsci

Fuinseog wrote: »

a school with no website in this day and age is a bad sign. I am wary of such schools

I know plenty of schools, good ones at that, that have no website. And I have come across a fair few schools who haven't updated theirs in literally years!

I don't think the absence of a website is an indicator of the standard of a school, the attitude of its teachers or behaviour of its pupils. I do feel that yes it would be good for all schools to have an up to date website to keep people informed but really it's not absolutely essential!

spurious

The absence of a school website indicates nothing more than there is no-one on the staff who will (or is able to) do it voluntarily in their own time, while having their wages cut.

Some schools get companies to do up a template for them, but don't have anyone in the school to update it, so it lies languishing in the 'what's coming up in 2003' category. No company is going to do a school website for less than four figures and that's at least one computer in Room 304.

That said, a good website, with lots of regular updates from and about the students is certainly a plus and can give parents of prospective students a much better idea of what actually goes on than any supposed 'reputation' can.