The Puzzle: Blog

If you’re a soon-to-be college graduate or other young, relatively inexperienced teacher, you might find that getting that initial position will be the most difficult feat of your career. It’s a bit of a Catch 22: you need experience to get experience, yet many positions call for at least a few years of time spent on the job.

If you do land an interview, how should you “play your cards?” Should you own your greenness, or focus on the teaching experiences you have had?

The answer: do a little bit of both. If you’re a prospective new teacher at a school, keep these things in mind for your on-campus interview.

1. Don't panic about your experience (or lack thereof).

The hiring contacts who reviewed and found interest in your file know how much (or how little) experience you’ve had. This should come as a relief—you’re not in that interview because the hiring contact thinks you have five more years of experience than you actually do. This should help free you up to highlight the areas you know the contact finds interesting (you’re a physics whiz, for example, or you led the way for your college lacrosse team’s victory), while giving you the room to ask about things you don’t know.

2. Ask questions (then ask some more).

Along these lines, don’t be afraid to ask questions. In recognizing your own areas for improvement, you’re demonstrating maturity and an openness to mentorship and learning from others. The best new teachers are the ones who ask for help—ask what resources the school provides for new teachers. This will show that you’re serious about the position and about becoming the best possible teacher you can be.

3. Be flexible and open minded.

Rookie teachers are attractive to schools for many reasons, among them their fresh approach to learning, their facility with technology, and their flexibility. Typically more unburdened than some of their more experienced counterparts, who may have families and other responsibilities, recent graduates may be more flexible to live on campus, coach a sport or two, and make connections with students who are just a few years their juniors. Don’t limit yourself—demonstrate that desired flexibility when you’re interviewing. You might end up loving aspects of the job that you had never previously considered.

4. Practice, practice, practice.

This is imperative: before you go on-campus for your interview, practice. If you’re supposed to teach a demo lesson and you’ve never done so before, ask a favorite teacher from your past if you can sit in on his or her class, then pick his or her brain for advice. Don’t get nervous—the hiring contact will cut you some slack; this is your first time. Focus on making connections with your students—the lesson doesn’t have to go perfectly. Ask a family member or roommate to mock-interview you, and practice answers to potential interview questions. Finally, check in with your CS&A Placement Team—we’re here and happy to advise you.

Have questions about working with CS&A to find your first teaching job? Check out this blog post that covers some of the most popular questions we receive.

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