Apple Blossom Teachers

Week 3 of school and week 1 of really diving into some of my favorite (and most impactful!) literacy routines! Loving their connections and takeaways, and if this is week 1, I can’t wait to see the things they can do come May!

The one piece we didn’t start yet was that little bin with markers and index cards…I’ll have a few students write their revised and imitation sentences on the cards and add them to the board each week. Such a fun way to celebrate their writing and keep things student centered!

Mentor sentence magnets from , inspired by . Root & affix pieces also from Jill! (She’s the best!)

🎶 Life’s a dance you learn as you go…

Lately more than ever, this feels astoundingly true. But even the missteps, the wrong moves, and “dang it!!” moments along the way mean we are learning and growing.

Always plenty to reflect on and adjust, but I’m also convincing myself to appreciate the imperfections. Who’s with me?

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It’s the WORST feeling when you KNOW you have a great example or solid experience with something....and you freeze!! ❄️ Ughhhh!!!!

Doing these 3 things as you prepare for interview season can help lock some of your strongest examples in your brain so you’re ready to share clear, solid, confident responses to your interview questions:

1. Collect a list of as many interview questions as you can - Google is your friend, but even better if you can ask around to other educators and administrators you know! Most questions will have similar themes, but seeing things asked about in a variety of wording can help train your brain to be less caught of guard!

2. Now that you’ve got a big list of things you might be asked, pull examples of your experience that line up! Build your teaching portfolio with those questions in mind, and you’ll start to put your strongest or favorite teaching examples at the front of your brain, so they’ll be easier to talk about in an interview. Plus, if you realize there’s something you need to work on, you can start NOW and collect evidence of how it’s going.

3. Practice, practice, practice! Out loud!! In a mirror, but 10,000 bonus points if you can practice with a buddy or a mentor! Why? Of course it’s easy to formulate the perfect response when your brain already knows the question! But when someone catches you off guard with how they word something or the order they go in, it can totally put you on the spot! This is EXCELLENT brain training for your interview, plus they can give you feedback on your responses.

I am so excited to host a LIVE mock interview in the next Thursday, so you can get a feel for why they’re so valuable, and hear some things to consider as you answer! PLUS I’ll be giving away some one-on-one interview coaching sessions for YOU, so you can get ready to rock that job search!

📲Head to that link in my bio to sign up for the career kickoff, and let’s get ready to celebrate!! 🎉

You have all the answers...now let’s help you avoid the dreaded moment of drawing a blank in your interview!

Practice, practice, practice your answers to common interview questions! Even if you aren’t asked these exact things, getting in a habit of thinking through what you might want to include in your answers will help train your brain for when you’re on the spot.

In a , you’ll very likely be asked something about using data to guide your instruction. Remember, you want to show not just that you have the “right” answers, but also share who you are as a teacher.

Consider these 3 things like a Beginning-Middle-End plot structure, and if it makes sense to, answer through a story:

1. What type of data have you collected and analyzed?

2. What patterns did you look for and/or notice?

3. What did you do next in your instruction, and what came of that?

I’ll be digging more into specifics and examples of what you can think about as we collaborate and practice interview responses in the next week...are you joining us?!

🧠 💨 If you’ve interviewed before, what is one question that gave you the dreaded brain fart?! What do you WISH you’d said in your answer?

@ Fullerton, California

❌DON’T ask just any generic question at the end of your interview!! You know what you *should* do instead?!...

⭐️Make it about YOU!

Yes, we all know to come prepared with a question or two to ask at the end of your interview, but this is still valuable time to show the panel why YOU are the one they want to hire!

So don’t just go asking random questions about the school or position, especially ones you could easily find on their school website! Use your question to show your interest or experience with a program they offer, or a school goal they may have.

➡️ Here’s an example I shared with someone interviewing for a secondary science position:

“Is it common for your teachers to collaborate across disciplines, or do teachers typically PLC within their own departments? As a science teacher, I’d love to connect with the math, ELA, and history teachers to support their content through a science lens, and am wondering what opportunities there are to do this?”

⏸ If they seem curious, be prepared to share more, maybe giving examples of how you’d support writing development through Claim-Evidence-Reasoning prompts, or have students analyze data through a historical lens.

✅See? Now you’ve asked a question about the school, gotten to know more about them, and also showcased a little more of the value you’re bringing to the table!

❓What positions are you interviewing for? Let me know in the comments or a DM, and we can bounce around some question ideas!

Have you ever had that mentor that you just couldn’t wait to keep learning alongside? The one who helps you feel inspired, creative, excited to keep learning and growing...

Meet Margaret! Margaret was my third grade teacher, and made it one of the best years of elementary school. I had since volunteered in her classroom on countless occasions, and by some magical miracle of the teacher gods, I was placed in her Kindergarten class for my 🎉 I wish EVERY new teacher could have their very own !!!

So what makes a great mentor? I’ve got a lot on my list, but I really wanna hear from YOU!

🍎Describe your DREAM in the comments below, and tell me...is it someone you’ve actually been lucky enough to work with, or a magical unicorn you wish existed?!

Want to know what NOT to do in your teaching interview?

Ideally, every teacher is coming into an interview having learned the basics of pedagogy, right?! The buzzwords, the lesson structures, classroom management strategies...that sort of thing.

So if you come in and stick to those basics, you’re just going to blend in. And that is SO not your job in an interview!!

Keep this question in mind, and use it to drive your responses: “What makes ME a UNIQUE & VALUABLE CANDIDATE for this school and this position?”

>>> What specific examples can you give in relation to the question? What stories can you tell that connect you personally to it?

>>> What hobbies, skills, or personal experiences make you who you are, and how will you use that to influence your approach in the classroom?

>>> How do you know you’re a good fit for this school and position? Showcase your personality and help them see the real you, as part of their team!

Your interview is not the time to share your word bank of teacher jargon...it’s your time to share stories, examples, and all of the things that make you stand out as an educator. You are incredible...don’t be afraid to show it!!

Comin’ at ya with the next tip! Hesitating to put together a portfolio because it’s unlikely your interviewers will even ask to see it? Here’s why you should do it anyway!!

The action alone of selecting bits and pieces that highlight your favorite parts of YOU as an educator will help you in a few ways: you’ll really see your teaching philosophy come to light as you look at the lessons and samples you’ve chosen to showcase, and you’ll build your confidence as you prepare to talk about these things.

Having a portfolio with you, even if they don’t ask to see it outright, can serve as sort of an “interview security blanket”...instead of drawing blanks on a question, you’ll have a visual in your mind of what you’ve curated in your portfolio that might help you answer the question confidently. Whether you show the photos and work samples, or stick to just describing it, having that physical portfolio there to jog your memory can make a HUGE difference!

What’s one thing you would add to your portfolio to prepare yourself for a common interview question? Let me know below, and tag a buddy who will be interviewing soon too!

Sending you all so much love, and smiles as big as DV’s! 💕❤️💕❤️ Happy Valentine’s Day!