School Administrators Chatboard

next post

skip topic

Print | Share | Report Post

Re: bad questions
Posted by me on 10/22/08

An interview is a time to find out what x school is offering you so you can
know if you want to work there if offered the job.

I student taught in a school with no photocopier available to teachers--you
had to submit orders to the sectatary (spelling off sorry) THREE WEEKS IN
ADVANCE--and no you couldn't run to a nearby Kinkos during planning; this was
a rural area. I saw another school where every faculty meeting the principal
ranted and raved about the number of photocopies made--even though teachers
did things like make master copies of tests and had kids answer on their
papers to save copies. These situations are unacceptable to me, so I plan to
find out the exact photocopy polict before I take a job. (Yes I can/will sub
for a year before taking a job that's not a good match for me; I'm not saying
I expect to get 9 offers and be able to choose exactly where I want to be.)
On 10/20/08, HUH? wrote:
> I don't get it.. What on earth is wrong with any of these questions?
>
> I think we all know we don't ask "Is there a textbook?"--unless the job is
> on a Native American reservation or the classes you'd be teaching are non
> text based (like p.e.). ..we ask WHAT TEXT do you use? (Ideally you could
> find out online, but if you can't ask.)
>
> I want to know how many photocopies I can have for a semester--so what's
> the point of dancing around that? And to any admin who's "wondering what
> he/she plans on copying.." I'd tell you if asked:
> tests
> worksheets I made or from other texts
> practice assignments/homework
> Not sexy e-mails from my boyfriend..
>
> Likewise I want to know if I get uninterrupted planning daily--which is NOT
> the same thing as asking "What will my day look like?".
>
> We have every right to hear/know the procedure for dealing with irate
> parents, our salary, and what extras we have to do before we take a job. An
> interview is the time to find that out! A principal who dislikes me asking
> what we do if we can't resolve an issue with a parent isn't one I'd want to
> work for anyway..
>
> On 10/18/08, lynne/ca wrote:
>> On 10/18/08, If you believe this board.. wrote:
>>> I don't think you'll get many useful answers here. Most people will
>>> tell you questions like the following are "bad"
>>>
>>> Do I get..
>>>
>>> textbooks
>>
>> Better question that accomplishes the same result: What instructional
>> materials will I be expected to use? or Do teachers use an
>> adopted textbook? What text(s) do teachers use?
>
>>
>>> photocopies (how many?)
>>
>> This isn't a bad question per se, but it's an unusual question for an
>> interview, which makes me wonder what the teacher is planning on
>> copying. A better question might be, "What supplemental materials are
>> available?" and/or "Can I bring in my own material to use?" and then
>> follow up with, "Will students be able to have their own copies of the
>> material?" This makes your intentions clearer, and also makes the
>> question more student-centered.
>
> How many
>>
>>> any planning time
>>
>> Recommended question: What would a typical day look like for a
>> teacher at your school?
>>
>>> help with extreme behavior issues
>>
>> Or a better way to ask: What are the procedures for working with
>> students who have severe behavior issues?
>> For new teachers, this could also be a good time to ask whether there is
>> a mentoring program or other support for new teachers available.
>>
>>> support if other teachers refuse to comply with IEPS
>>
>> How are IEP goals communicated to teachers? and, What are the
>> procedures for ensuring that IEP's are being properly followed?
>>
>>> a salary (how much?)
>>
>> I wouldn't ask this at an interview; it's usually included in the job
>> posting. If not, ask HR at the time you apply. It's an appropriate
>> question, but appropriate for before, not during, the
>> interview.
>>
>>>
>>> How do I..
>>>
>>> request equipment and/or special materials I need
>>>
>>> deal with an out of control student (get help)
>>>
>>> get help if I have an irate parent to deal with
>>>
>>
>> The types of procedural questions listed under "how do I" above
>> usually aren't the kinds of things that you'd ask in an interview, but
>> they would be great questions to ask a mentor, supervisor, or another
>> teacher after you've gotten a job. The reason the "out of control
>> student" and "irate parent" questions might raise red flags in an
>> interview is that although we know that all teachers deal with these
>> situations at some point, most teachers DON'T have to deal with them on
>> a regular basis - and so they usually aren't the first thing most
>> teachers would ask. (I realize this might vary in different school
>> environments, though.) Having worked in schools where this isn't usually
>> a big issue, I'd wonder why this was one of your biggest concerns: do
>> you tend to have more out-of-control students than other teachers? Do
>> you tend to have more irate parents than other teachers? And if so, why?
>> In the context of special ed, you might ask about behavior intervention
>> plans rather than "out of control students;" ask about maintaining good
>> relationships with parents rather than "irate parents," etc. Chances are
>> the answers to those questions will get you the answers you want,
>> WITHOUT making it seem as though you tend to have a lot of out-of-
>> control students and irate parents.
>>
>>> Teachers who ask any of these "What's in it for me?" type questions
>>> are immediately labeled whiny spoiled brats and eliminated from
>>> consideration--in almost all districts, period.
>>> Do I believe any of these questions are inapprioprate? NO. But 80% of
>>> the people who post here insist that only lazy whiners who expect to
>>> teach in a Stepford school ask any questions like these and will
>>> immediately be axed from consideration for a job.
>>
>> I've taken the time to give some alternatives because I know you (the
>> anon poster who wrong "If you believe this board"), or at least someone
>> with very similar comments, have posted here many times and I'd
>> like to give you some suggestions. It doesn't make any difference that
>> you feel your questions are appropriate; you've discovered that the way
>> you're asking them doesn't go over well with many administrators in
>> interviews. You have reasons to be concerned about the things you're
>> asking, I'm sure, and they are not bad things to want to know at all,
>> but I think you can find better ways to ask them. And yes, it's true
>> that "what's in it for me" doesn't go over well in interviews. That's
>> just how it is. But you can change most of your questions to "what's in
>> it for the kids", get answers that address your concerns, and make a
>> good impression.
>>
>>
>>>
>>> I say ask whatever you want/need to know--as long as you use common
>>> sense you should be fine. Avoid questions like "Can we date students"
>>> in all cases :) and know the situation; if the school seems to have a
>>> strict dress code--you see all teachers dressed very professionally--
>>> then don't ask if you can wear jeans.
>>
>>


RESPOND TO THIS POST START A NEW THREAD RETURN TO CHATBOARD




Posts on this thread, including this one


• bad questions, 10/03/08, by thomas.
• Re: bad questions, 10/03/08, by lynne/ca.
• Re: bad questions, 10/03/08, by ~Bradley.
• Re: bad questions, 10/03/08, by lynne/ca.
• Re: bad questions, 10/03/08, by thomas.
• Re: bad questions, 10/03/08, by Betty Ann.
• Re: bad questions, 10/03/08, by lynne/ca.
• Re: bad questions, 10/05/08, by C'est moi .
• Re: bad questions, 10/06/08, by Rebecca.
• Re: Bad questions. Smart Answers., 10/07/08, by ~Bradley.
• Re: bad questions, 10/18/08, by If you believe this board...
• Re: bad questions, 10/18/08, by lynne/ca.
• Re: bad questions, 10/20/08, by HUH? .
• Re: bad questions, 10/20/08, by mj.
• Re: bad interview questions, 10/20/08, by lynne/ca.
• Re: bad questions, 10/21/08, by Rebecca.
• Re: bad questions, 10/22/08, by me.