PGCE interview questions

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS http://community.tes.co.uk/forums/t/1139.aspx?PageIndex=2

http://royalsociety.org/uploadedFiles/Royal_Society_Content/Influencing_Policy/Education/Reports/Teachingandlearningalgebrapre19.pdf

Obvious question - Why do you want to be a teacher?
* What is the best lesson you have taught / observed. Why? What was the worst? Why?
* How would you deal with a badly behaved child?
* What characteristics do you have to make you a good teacher?
* How do your previous studies - ie your degree help you with your teaching?

My most difficult question was "how would you approach teaching a difficult concept" - that was it, no topic given or anything. I said I would try and link it in with knowledge they already have and also think of any good analogies which might make it easier to understand.

How would people deal with a badly behaved child?

Hiya. I had an interview at Nottm Trent for Primary PGCE in January. Here are some tips I have for others at interview:

1) SMILE. Appear happy and confident and allow your personality to shine through.

2) Wear clothes that you are comfortable in, but also that make you stand out. I wore a long brown suede-y skirt, a lovely brown top, and brown suede slouchy boots, with turqoise fashion beads, a brown and turqoise belt, and a brown and turqoise bag to break the brown up a bit. My interviewer/observer said to me and my group at interview "I'll remember that you're Lisa by your turqoise beads." - this is the exact effect I wanted - to stand out a bit.

3) Any presentations which you have to do - keep to the time limit strictly!! practice, practice and practice again at home, and time yourself. Interviewers are looking for good qualities like good time management.

4) Similarly to above, any group activities which you may have to do, pay close attention to the time limit set.

5) In your interview, use lots of examples of your school experience in answering the questions asked of you.

6) TAKE A PEN - I forgot and felt like a total idiot!

Some questions that myself and other people at my interview were asked included:

- 'if you open a bottle of fizzy lemonade, will the bottle get lighter, heavier or stay the same weight?'
I had no idea to this but rather than admit that, or guess, I told the interviewer what I'd do in a classroom situation - I'd do an experiment with the class and find out the answer, and then explore that answer as a class.

- 'what do you know about the science curriculum at KS 2?' - didn't actually get this one myself, but only piece of advice I'd have on this one is to either admit that you're not sure yet as you haven't done teacher training yet, or if you're reading this BEFORE an interview, visithttp://www.nc.uk.net/webdav/harmonise?Page/@id=6016 where you'll find info on the curriculum in all subjects.

- 'explain to a 7-year old why ice floats on water' - no ideas on this one and thankfully didn't get it myself - can anybody help me out with this? Could turn it around a bit like I did with the fizzy lemonade one, and say how you'd find out (tell child to find out on Internet, etc).

- 'explain to a 7-year old how a light bulb works' - most people have a basic knowledge on electricity. Could also turn it around to say how you'd encourage your class to find out for themselves.

- 'explain to a 7-year old how a rainbow is formed' - didn't get this one myself either, but it's all about the colour spectrum mixing with mater isn't it? Can anybody help with this one??

- 'what is creativity' - had this one myself. Answered it by explaining how creativity is a very subjective topic, but in my view it is when somebody makes something new, original and interesting, and in the classroom specifically I think that it relates to trying to stimulate all of the children's senses and thoughts and imagination, therefore engaging them in the task at hand and enabling them to learn better.

- 'imagine you've got a child bullying another child on the grounds of racism - how would you handle it and why?' - For this one I said that as a teacher I would firstly try to resolve it by finding out what had gone off between the two children and why the bully had a prob with the other child, doing the usual of trying to get them to be friends, incorporating some ethnicity related issues into PSHE to try to get the bully to realise he wrong. Then I said I'd inform other teachers at the school in case they came across it whilst in the playground etc. I said if it didn't stop after that I'd involve the headteacher and both children's parents in order for everybody to work together to resolve the issue.

- 'what 2 children's novels would you read to a year 5 class (except Harry Potter)?' - no idea what I'd do for this one!

- 'how would you make a literacy lesson creative?' ditto!

What improvement would you like to see be made in schools?

A few tips I would give for any secondary PGCE-er would be:

1. Make eye contact with the people in your interview (or person), good communication skills are vital!

2. Be enthusiastic and passionate about teaching and your subject. Don't go overboard and be mental but show interest and real enthusiasm about teaching and improving the standards of education.

3. READ the National Curriculum and know of any government intiatives surrounding your subject area. You should definitely get asked about the NC.

4. Always relate back to your experience. If you give an example of something, BACK IT UP with talking about your experience. I got asked what was my proudest moment and things like that, so have some of that in the bag too.

5. Agree with everything they say . Haha, if you really don't agree then disagree but give damn good reasons! Look interested in their views too, they want people who are open to new ideas and suggestions and not just stuck wanting to teach like their teacher did, as that is not necessarily the best.

6. Have a few ideas about good, effective teaching and what qualities a teacher should have.

The national framework and the purposes of the National Curriculum
The two broad aims for the school curriculum are reflected in section 351 of the Education Act 1996, which requires that all maintained schools provide a balanced and broadly based curriculum that: promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.
The Act requires the Secretary of State, local authorities and the governing body and headteacher to take steps to achieve these requirements. The Secretary of State meets his responsibilities in this area by providing a national framework which incorporates the National Curriculum, religious education and other statutory requirements. This framework is designed to enable all schools to respond effectively to national and local priorities, to meet the individual learning needs of all pupils and to develop a distinctive character and ethos rooted in their local communities.
The four main purposes of the National Curriculum
To establish an entitlement
The National Curriculum secures for all pupils, irrespective of social background, culture, race, gender, differences in ability and disabilities, an entitlement to a number of areas of learning and to develop knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes necessary for their self-fulfilment and development as active and responsible citizens.
To establish standards
The National Curriculum makes expectations for learning and attainment explicit to pupils, parents, teachers, governors, employers and the public, and establishes national standards for the performance of all pupils in the subjects it includes. These standards can be used to set targets for improvement, measure progress towards those targets, and monitor and compare performance between individuals, groups and schools.
To promote continuity and coherence
The National Curriculum contributes to a coherent national framework that promotes curriculum continuity and is sufficiently flexible to ensure progression in pupils' learning. It facilitates the transition of pupils between schools and phases of education and provides a foundation for lifelong learning.
To promote public understanding
The National Curriculum increases public understanding of, and confidence in, the work of schools and in the learning and achievements resulting from compulsory education. It provides a common basis for discussion of educational issues among lay and professional groups, including pupils, parents, teachers, governors and employers.

Developing the school curriculum
While these four purposes do not change over time, the curriculum itself cannot remain static. It must be responsive to changes in society and the economy, and changes in the nature of schooling itself. Teachers, individually and collectively, have to reappraise their teaching in response to the changing needs of their pupils and the impact of economic, social and cultural change. Education only flourishes if it successfully adapts to the demands and needs of the time.

The National Curriculum lies at the heart of our policies to raise standards.
It sets out a clear, full and statutory entitlement to learning for all pupils.
It determines the content of what will be taught, and sets attainment targets for learning. It also determines how performance will be assessed and reported. An effective National Curriculum therefore gives teachers, pupils, parents, employers and their wider community a clear and shared understanding of the skills and knowledge that young people will gain at school. It allows schools to meet the individual learning needs of pupils and to develop a distinctive character and ethos rooted in their local communities. And it provides a framework within which all partners in education can support young people on the road to further learning.
`Getting the National Curriculum right presents difficult choices and balances. It must be robust enough to define and defend the core of knowledge and cultural experience which is the entitlement of every pupil, and at the same time flexible enough to give teachers the scope to build their teaching around it in ways which will enhance its delivery to their pupils.
The focus of this National Curriculum, together with the wider school curriculum, is therefore to ensure that pupils develop from an early age the essential literacy and numeracy skills they need to learn; to provide them with a guaranteed, full and rounded entitlement to learning; to foster their creativity; and to give teachers discretion to find the best ways to inspire in their pupils a joy and commitment to learning that will last a lifetime.
An entitlement to learning must be an entitlement for all pupils.
This National Curriculum includes for the first time a detailed, overarching statement on inclusion which makes clear the principles schools must follow in their teaching right across the curriculum, to ensure that all pupils have the chance to succeed, whatever their individual needs and the potential barriers to their learning may be.

My 1st interview ws @ YSJ and i had 2 do three tasks, which wer a group interview/individual interview/write a reflection on hw i 4t the day had gone.
On the group interview they split us in2 groups of 4 or 5 and ther ws an envelope wer, which had a key inside it n we had 2 say hw the key wuld b a stimulas in ur classroom. I took charge of our group and i felt i culd tlk alot, which got me noticed by the interviewer coz u seem 2 do alot of the tlkin and they cn c u cn manage team situations. The individual interview was so quick and calm it ws more lyk a friendly chat rather then a formal serious interview. She asked me questions lyk why i wnna bcome a teacher and she mainly focused on my work experiance so make sure u cn tlk bout it fully ! The written task was easy also jst make sure u write properly and check ur work!
The 2nd interview @ Herts was easy also. Had 2 write a letter 2 Ruth Kelly and tell her what ur qualities r 2 become a teacher and why they shuld choose u 2 bcme a teacher. Yet agen i made sure i gt ALL my key qualities in and tlkd alot bout my work experiance and hw that had helped me develop for the future. The task ws a group task and we gt in2 our groups b4 lunch and we wer encouraged 2 spend lunch w/ our group, which i did. This ws rally gd coz it made us all feel really relaxed in eachothers company and 2 learn more bout oneanova. In the actual group interview we wer then split in2 a further 2 groups and each group had a poem and we had 2 use the poem 2 explore further hw we culd use it in our teachin. During the discussion the interviewee jst took notes n listened in 2 wt we wer discussin. Then we had a present our ideas and she wuld ask simple questions. After that she individual asked us in turn bout our experiance. SO FOCUS ON UR WORK EXPERIANCE.
I would DEFINATLY prepare 4 ur interview i asked my work experiance co-ordinator @ the school i go 2 4 wrk experiance 2 tell me why she 4t i wuld bcme a successful teacher thats wer u gt ur key qualities from.
When i wnt 2 the interview i dressed formal wore my smart trousers, blazer, shirt & boots however alot of ppl wer in casual so i guess go in whateva u feel suits u. I went w/ my dad bt alot of ppl go by themselves bt u still have opportunites 2 tlk 2 ova candidates
Hope this has helped
I read issues about teachers wanting to scrap the cirriculum and make their own, there are issues about what age children should begin school, the effect of too much creativity regarding displays because too much can lead to over stimulation, trying to get the work/life balance in teaching and trying to reduce hours teachers work, there was an article about a fathers effort to try get a church of england school to allow his daughter wear her headcarf. (there will be loads of issues every week)

Talk about whatever you feel comfortable and confident about. If you dont want to buy the newspaper, look at the tes website and the tda website.

There is always issues about men in primary teaching, the lack of ethnic minority teaching,the use of ICT in primary teaching, attitudes to school dinners and junk food and childrens behaviour, so you can stick with them if you want. Talk about your opinions, the opinions of unions and others in the education sector and if you agree/disagree and why. How would you go about these issues.
This is what i plan to do.

Best of luck with your interviews. If you want you can pm me and i would be happy to dicuss some issues with you because it will be prep for myself incase i get any interviews. Or you can come into the teaching/education society.

for example by saying you would be interested in holding an after school club on.. 'dancing/cooking' whatever your interest

Imagine you are a qualified teacher. You have planned a maths lesson where two groups will be working independently on worksheets. You go to photocopy the worksheets just before the lesson and the photocopier has broken. What do you do?
- Why do you want to teach?
- What qualities do you have that will make you a successful teacher?
- Have you observed any lessons which you consider to be bad? What was bad about them?

What do you think is the purpose of education?
What enables pupils to learn?
What prevents pupils from learning?

for my PGCE Maths interview, I had to write an essay on whether Maths should be compulsory up to the age of 18

We had to answer 1 question over two pages on how our qualification relates to the subject we would be teaching and why it is important.

1)Why do you want to be a teacher
2)What are the best qualities for a teahcer
3)Do you have any other interests/hobbies that could be applied to teaching or after school groups
4)Have you ever been in a situation where you had to make a boring topic interesting
5)Why do you think you would be a good teacher
6)What issues do you think are really important in teaching that should be looked at

what I could bring to the profession and if I could talk about any education related news stories.

what is the point of education

spending cuts, primary curriculum review - cancelled and SATs tests as i have a group discussion on topical issues