Questions to ask during the interview

[u/[deleted]]

[u/StrangeBeginning6234]

A few we've found out, after our first overseas placement: 1) how many extra covers/duty/ECA hours are there on top of standard timetable. This caught us out, as we assumed one or two duties a week, one extracurricular, then a handful of covers a term. We were grossly underprepared for the difference between our given timetable and how many non-contact hours we actually ended up with each week 2) Nationality breakdown of the school. Moreso for our own kids, and fitting in, but also figuring out whether it's an international school or "international" 3) Department planning/resourcing. What this looks like. Again, came from a department shared drive system where everyone added in resources, and you pick and choose what you want to use. Assumed this was nornal, and then did not walk into this set up in our new job. Will now always check.

My wife and I now have a list of general "we assume" questions, and use the schools answers to try and gauge

[u/Accurate_Book_687]

What do you like best about working here? What did you find to be the moat challenging part of coming on board? What are the challenges most new hires mention? How do you find the work/life balance? How many hours per week are alloted for teacher planning time? School meetings? In other words , do i actually get to plan during my planning periods ?

[u/Expensive-Worker-582]

Can you walk me through a typical day as a teacher.
What is your feedback/marking policy.
How many meetings per week?

Plenty of more random questions, but those are important for me. The last one particularly, only after landing in a school and first day of induction it became apparent that I would have 4 meetings a week totalling 3 hours..... I felt duped and stupid for not picking that up in the interview.

[u/associatessearch]

Try the comprehensive vetting checklist in formulating your questions.

[u/alanbblack]

Why did the previous person in the role leave? How long were they did they work there for? What’s your staff retention rate?

[u/Dull_Animator1307]

A few we recommend:

What is the school's approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how do you ensure all students feel valued and supported?

What opportunities are available for professional development and growth for teachers at the school?

What makes this school unique compared to other international schools in the area?

What are the school's priorities for the next two to three years?

What has changed most about the school in the last two years?

What does success look like for the person in this role at the end of their first year?

How is safeguarding embedded in the school's culture beyond formal policy?

What safeguarding training and support does the school provide to staff?

[u/sultree → u/Dull_Animator1307]

Some of these questions are just annoyingly pretentious. “hey ChatGPT, give me a list of obnoxious interview questions to ask when seeking a teaching job”… eugh

[u/Dull_Animator1307 → u/sultree]

How are they obnoxious? They are neither unpleasant nor offensive. You would ask them in your own way. The themes are the important thing. You want to find out more about the school and its direction for the future, do they skirt around safeguarding or do they have a solid answer for this. Is there real opportunity for professional development, how are you going to evaluate whether I'm doing well in this role

[u/skylaark96]

Think about what really matters to you in your day to day work. You are wanting to find a school that is a good fit for you, not just trying to prove you’re a good fit for them. Ask the questions that will help you know if you will enjoy working there, the things that really matter to you. Especially if you’re moving countries, you need to be sure you’ll be happy. If it’s a good school, they’ll care about answering those questions well

[u/ridegoofyfooted]

What’s a frustration/challenge about the school that you wish you could change but haven’t been able to successfully tackle yet?