Interview Tips for Your Reference

The following tips may sound a bit old-fashioned, but they are collected on the basis of the feedback from our interviewers. Therefore, they are actually of great practical value.

For whatever teaching jobs you applied for, the following suggestions should be good for you.

(1) Be passionate. Speak with passion and show your passion through your facial expressions as well. If you are not passionate about the interview, interviewers may think that you do not have much passion or interest for the job.

(2) Be Interactive. Being interactive is one of the key qualities required for a good teacher. In the class, you need to interact with students esp working as an ESL teacher. If you are an introverted person, you should be especially interactive during the interview. Most schools prefer teachers who are interactive and extroverted.

(3) Be interesting. One of the most qualities of a good teacher is being humorous. If you are humorous, you will mostly likely be a popular teacher. Therefore, try to show the interviewers that you can make the lesson interesting.

(4) Be likeable. This is especially important for you when you applying for a job teaching young kids. Primary schools or kindergartens prefer a teacher who is likeable and close to kids.

(5) No badmouthing. Never badmouth or complain about your current employer or Chinese people or culture. Be positive rather than negative.

(6) Be modest. Be a bit modest rather than proud or arrogant.

(7) Be punctual and professional. Be ready to talk about your teaching experience and qualifications that are required for the job.

(8) Please speak clearly and without your local accent. If you are applying for a kindergarten teaching job, this is especially and really important. Please speak a slowly as well.

(9)   If the interviewer asks you “why are you leaving your current school?”, please do not badmouth your current employer or complain your current working environment. The wise answer is that you are looking for more scope for your development or a more challenging job.

(10) To the point. When you answer questions, please do not talk too much and make sure that your answers are concise and to the point. Interviewers want to know more about you through more questions within a short time, and they are very busy. Please do not distract the interviewers and  talk  too much about your own experience or interests.

(11) Showing your commitment. schools are looking for teachers that are stable. Please communicate the message to the interviewer that you are a stable teacher who is committed and professional and works well with team members.

(12) Ask questions wisely. When you ask interviewers questions, try not to ask questions about your person interests (your salary, your food supply, etc..) if you want to get the job. Please try to ask some wise questions about the job duties and how you can contribute to the school or company.

(13) Last but not least: Pay attention to all the details. Schools and interviewers will pay attention to your details and judge your first impression. For example, you should not be late; you should be formal; you should talk in a polite and gentle way; you practice the rule “lady first” in the elevator; you are very cooperative; you should often say “thank you” and “sorry” when necessary; you should not interrupt the interviewers; etc…

Demo Tips for Your Reference if You Have to Do One

General Tips:

(1) Be passionate. Speak with passion and show your passion through your facial expressions as well.

(2) Be Interactive. Being interactive is one of the key qualities required for a good teacher. In the class, you need to interact with students all the time esp working as an ESL teacher.

(3) Be interesting. One of the most qualities of a good teacher is being humorous. If you are humorous, you will mostly likely be a popular teacher in the class.

(4) Be likeable. This is especially important for you when you applying for a job teaching young kids.

(5) No Chinese. Please do not speak Chinese. It is a taboo in any kind of demo. Please speak clearly and without your local accent.


Other Important Tips

(1) Classroom Control: During the teaching demo, it is very important to maintain order in a firm and gentle way. If the class is out of order, the demo will be a disaster without any doubt.

(2) Show your care and love students: During the demo, you need to pass the message that you truly love and care for students and you truly love teaching.

(3) Interaction with kids: without students involved in the demo, the demo will not be successful. Students should be the center of any teaching and learning.

(4) Cooperation with other teachers: if you have co-teacher or assistant, you should get him or her involved as well. Good cooperation is very important.

(5) Student Safety: when you play games or do any activities, it is very important to make sure the students are safe.

(6) Pay attention to all the details: For example, you should not be late; you should be careful with culturally sensitive jokes; you should not talk about politics or religion; you should be formal; you should talk in a polite and gentle way; you are very cooperative; you often say “thank you” and “sorry” when necessary...

(7)  If you have to do a demo to  one or two adults pretending to be kids in the demo lesson, it is actually easy and to your advantage. Adults will be more cooperative.

Demo Lesson Tips for 5-6 Years Old Kids in Case You are Doing Such a Demo

General Ideas: Please prepare a 10-minute demo lesson for kids aged 5-6. (The school believes if you could teach young kids, you could also teach big kids). In this demo, try to choose a topic first (for example sports, colors, animals, fruits, feelings, body parts, etc. ) and then teach the common sports' names (5 words would be enough for 15 minutes). Then teach two or three sentences (Do you like basketball, red, tiger, apple? Do you play ...?).

Step 1: Warming up: 1) Physical exercise: ask the students to reach the sky, touch its toes, stretch their legs; or 2) Sing the song: head, shoulders, knees, toes.

Step 2: Word study: Write the words on whiteboard or a card better with pictures. First ask students to read after you. Sometimes you can read loudly, sometimes you can read in low voice to get students’ attention; Second, students read themselves; Third, individual student read one by one; The purpose is to get the students familiar with the pronunciation and spelling. Repeat at least 5-10 times so that the students remember them roughly.

Step 3: Sentence study: Write 2 or 3 sentences on the whiteboard. First, ask students to read after you; second, students read themselves; third, you ask students questions by using the sentences and words they have learned. Repeat at least 5-10 times so that the students remember them roughly.

Step 4: Games and activities to practice using the words and sentences (choose two or three games for the lessons)

(1) Competition games: ask two students to come to the platform. You point to the photos and ask students to guess the words; Or you say the words, and ask the students to point the words, the person pointing to the words fast gets a star or high five.

(2) Guess games: You cover half of the word or photo, and you ask the students or one student to guess the words. The winner gets a star or high five.

(3) Jumping games: put the word photo on the ground and ask students to jump to the words. The faster one gets a star.

(4) Mimic games: ask one student to act out a sport or act as an animal and the other students to guess the name of the sport or the animal.

(5) Pair work: ask the students to work in pairs. Students ask each other using the words and sentences they have learned.

(6) Body language. For the whole lesson, use body language (facial expressions) and games.

Step 5: Check the effectiveness of students’ learning before finishing.


Other tips:

(1) Please make good preparations for the lesson. For example, prepare some drawings or pictures or bring some teaching materials such as fruits if you teach the names of fruits. This not only show you are experienced and also that you are great attitude for and really interested in the job.

(2) Be active and passionate when doing the demo. Involve the students all the times and maximize the interaction.

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