Whether you’re a trainee in search of your first job or an experienced teacher looking for greener grass, the lesson observation is often the most difficult aspect of your teacher interview.
As well as doing a few of these interview lessons myself, I’ve sat on the other side of many more. I’ve seen lots of candidates thrive in these challenging circumstances but I’ve seen plenty crumble, too.
What made the difference? Here’s my advice for navigating the lesson observation segment:
Teacher job interviews: the lesson observation
1. Research the school thoroughly
This goes beyond the school motto and free-school-meal percentage. The lesson is often the clincher for who gets the job.
So you need to ensure you’ve got a decent understanding of the school’s pedagogical approach.
Is it big on knowledge, for example? If so, a lesson based on fun activities to hook students into the topic is unlikely to cut it.
Scrutinise the teaching and learning, and feedback policies. Match your lesson to what the school expects from its teachers.
2. Acknowledge the artificial nature of the situation
Interview lesson observations are odd. Random strangers emerge from nowhere, often teaching the same stuff to the same class. No wonder the pupils look bemused.
Depending on the efficiency of the process, the pupils might not even have been told what’s going on.
More guidance on teacher job applications:
As such, I’m always impressed when candidates briefly and confidently introduce themselves, saying things like, “Hello, I’m Mr James. I’ll be teaching you a few things about anaerobic exercise. Hopefully, I’ll be teaching some of you again in the near future.”
It shows an awareness the situation is a touch odd but also a focus on the lesson at hand and that they are there to teach - even if for a short while - not just to be assessed.
3. Ramp up the challenge
In my experience, it’s far better to have too much challenge and have to adjust down than the other way. I’d rather see students scratching their heads than twiddling their thumbs. It suggests high expectations.
Of course, if you realise you’ve underdone or overdone the challenge levels, don’t be afraid to veer away from the lesson plan.
It takes bravery to deviate under this level of scrutiny, but ploughing on through invariably ends in disappointment whereas the awareness to change a lesson plan shows a teacher that can read a room and react accordingly.
4. Keep it simple
Sod’s law - in the guise of unreliable internet connections - usually undermines YouTube videos and the like. If in doubt, have a back-up plan in case technological Armageddon occurs.
5. Don’t try to squeeze too much in
By far the most common error I see is teachers desperate to display the full kaleidoscope of their talents. They do this by trying to showcase everything they know about the topic, or by shoehorning in every pedagogical technique in existence.
Cue a mad, sweating panic as they realise they need to cram a 15-minute task into the remaining 30 seconds.
The interview lesson is stressful, but shouldn’t be too complicated. Keep your nerve. Give a flavour of your teaching style and subject knowledge. Be prepared to explain afterwards where you’d have gone next.
Do all this and you have the best chance possible of impressing and securing that job.
Mark Roberts is director of research and English teacher at Carrickfergus Grammar School in Northern Ireland
