Job Discussion Forums

[spongeworthy]

I recently earned my TEFL certification and am getting ready to apply for jobs. What sort of questions should I expect in the interview? What questions should I ask? I would like to know how to root out any tricks or trapdoors that potential employers might try to use to lure newbies unfavorable job or contract.

I have waded through much of the forum and have not seen any posts on this subject. If this topic has been addressed please kindly point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

[denise]

They could ask you:

* how you would teach certain grammar or vocabulary items
* how you would respond to discipline problems
* why you want to live in their country
* why you want to teach in their school
* how you would adapt to a new culture
* how soon you can start

They could also ask you to do a demo lesson. These can be tricky: you have limited (or no) time to prepare, and you have to imagine that the interviewers are representative of the students you will be teaching.

They might ask you about your religious beliefs, marital status, etc. I had one place ask me how I felt about illegal drugs. ALL of these things are warning signs for me. Such questions might mean that they have their own beliefs that they expect you, if not to follow, at least to adhere to on the job.

As far as what you should ask:

*Do some research beforehand about the school--a google search is the easiest way. Learn about their methodology, their use of technology, etc., and ask them questions.
*Ask how long teachers tend to stay.
*Ask about opportunities for professional development. (Even if you don't plan on staying in this field long enough to worry about PD, any halfway decent school should at least have in-house training sessions.)
* Ask about the materials: are there supplementary activities? Do teachers have the freedom to choose/make their own materials? (If you're tied to the book all day every day, things can get boring very quickly, but if the school has nothing to offer in the way of resources and you're making up EVERYTHING by yourself, you can very easily run out of energy)
*Ask if you can speak to a current teacher.

These things would raise red flags for me:

* They won't let you contact their teachers (why not? What are they trying to hide?)
* They want you there IMMEDIATELY (why? Did somebody pull a runner? If so, why? I have taken jobs before that wanted me immediately--with mixed results)
* Their website/job ad looks unprofessional-- spelling and grammar mistakes

As far as unfavorable contracts, the contracts are generally written in favor of the schools. Check to see if there is a limit on how many hours you can be asked or required to teach, whether or not you will get paid overtime for taking on more hours, whether or not travel and prep time are paid, etc.--but don't necessarily expect to be able to quote the contract to support yourself. It might work, it might not. There could very well be a clause that says something like management has the right to change the terms of the contract as needed.

Interview questions have actually been covered here quite a bit...

d

[naturegirl321]

I think denise summed it up pretty well. I'll second the stuff about materials. I worked for an international, yep, international IB school that gave us 3 days to create the curriculum, scope and sequence, syllabi and material for maths and English because there was NO material.

And if they want you NOW, run. Chances are someone has bailed and it's not a good school. But, it might be legit, maybe a teacher had a death in the family, but 9 out of 10, the previous teacher up and quit.

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

Same-same with me.

Also, be aware if it is a bi-lingual contract, the official language prevails...it don' matter what they "write" in English.

However, that being said, it's usually cultural differences that's being called into play here. But...they may be SIGNIFICANT.

NCTBA

[Chris_Crossley]