Interview questions in education - there are really only 3!

I may be in the minority here but I really like interviewing people.  We have three student teachers this semester and as my principal(@chadsmithelearn) and I have been doing for the last few semesters, we bring them in for a mock interview.  We ask them some of our typical questions, talk about their answers, let them ask questions they have always wondered and give all the insights we can about the interview process.   I have a pretty logical thought process.  I think of the entire world as a large solvable algorithm.  If you look hard enough or tilt your head just right, you can find the pattern. First, take the million items(no exaggeration) that you have to have to be an amazing teacher.  Add the specific niche you are looking to fill with the position.  Divide it all by the timeline and you end up spitting out 25 questions that you think will bottleneck the herd and yield the perfect teacher. (Or you get lazy and google teacher interview questions.)  Let's be honest though, when we cancel out all the noise, we ultimately end up with only three real questions.  They all have different wrappers, but at the core all interview questions come down to these three:

1.) Do you know what you are doing?

2.) Are you passionate about kids?

3.) Will you get along with everyone else who works here? 

The advice I gave the soon to be interviewing teachers to be was simple.  Your answer to any question has to cover at least one of the three areas: knowledge, passion, or compatibility -- the more the better.  

I explained my algorithm and told them to share their thoughts to the question asked, make sure they share a specific story that relates to their ideology and make sure the answer shows knowledge, passion, or compatibility.  

I actually write down very little during the interview process, but if you were to look at my notes afterwards, you will see a slew of K's, P's and C's.  It's the way I like to do it.  Everyone has their method but I have a feeling that at the end of day, every administrator is looking for someone that knows what they are doing(or will), is passionate about kids, and will play nice with others.  

And while we are at it...when you get asked if you have any questions, don't let your only question be about the timeline - a good interview is a two way street. 

Climb a Tree Inspired PD

This weekend, as I was cooking on the deck(a favorite past time of mine), my three year old asked me what I found to be a peculiar question - "Daddy, can you teach me how to climb a tree?" I just laughed and said, "no one teaches you how to climb a tree, you just start climbing.  Just go as high as you feel comfortable and if you get stuck, I will help you."   I have always been a "doer." Whether it was learning to climb a tree or creating a hybrid course.  I just like to go out and "do it."  During my freshman year of college, I interviewed for an assistant position with a biology professor. He explained he was looking for someone to set up the blackboard(learning management system) site for his classes as it was recently mandated and he didn't see it as good use of his time(he assumed it was a fad).  I had just learned about Blackboard two weeks prior at freshman orientation but answered with the confidence of a blackboard aficionado, "that won't be an issue."  I didn't wait to be taught blackboard.  I just went out and taught myself how to use it rather quickly and became quite skilled at it.  Oddly enough, when I went to get my first teaching job, I interviewed with a science department head that just happened to be a friend of my college employer.  The school had just adopted ANGEL(a very similar learning management system) and my stock went up.  Small world! 

Back to the tree climbing...It got me thinking about PD. How do we create doers? How do we create a tree climbing professional learning environment in our schools?  How do we get teachers, students, and administrators to seek self-directed learning and veer away from the institutionally-centered artifacts of old age sit and get, one day professional development?  Below are a few steps my principal (@chadsmithelearn) and I are looking to try this year.  I will keep you posted on how our little climbing expedition goes.

1.) Do yourself a favor and read Daniel Pink's DRIVE.  (warning...please wear a helmet as your mind is likely to get blown.)

2.) Differentiate.  Some of the staff will need it small and slow... some will want to take off the floaties and jump in the deep end.  Give choice...see #3. 

3) Maintain a focus but allow for autonomous choice of time, task, technique, and team with the your professional development model.  Check out ours below... 

This is by no means the pinnacle.  It is, however, a great slow and small start that gives your school the ability to choose what they do (task), how they do it (technique), when they do it (time), and who they do it with (team).  It is our hope that this honors the incredible professionals teachers are day in and day out.  

4) Be diligent and don't get discouraged.  Some may not like it, some may not take advantage of the gift of autonomy or being honored as professionals but refer back to (2) - some may need more help than others. 

This model allows teachers to climb the PD tree, they can go as high as they feel comfortable and you are always there to help if they get stuck.  CLIMB ON!