Female Principal Interview Preparation Guide

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Pick some leaders, some people who left a positive mark in the history of mankind, or at least in a local community. It can be Einstein, Gandhi, or it can be “just” an excellent principal who led your elementary school, and who motivated you to pursue this career.

Oh, well, we are actually asking about the first thing you do in your job, not outside of it :). A nice idea is to invite the assistant principals, the school counselors, and some teachers for a board meeting, or perhaps talking with them one on one. You can actually invite also some students, perhaps the people who struggle with discipline in the classroom.

The meetings should help you to get a good grasp of the school, of the main challenges and problems they face, and of the people you will work with (and lead) in your job from now. That is likely a first thing you should do in your new job. But feel free to come up with your own ideas, if you do not like our idea.

Every person (who had any kind of job at school) has this experience. You should choose a situation which had a happy ending, meaning a situation when you reconciled the conflict.

Describe what you did in detail, in order to show the interviewers that you know what to do when parents complain. Try to speak in a calm voice, showing some understanding for the emotions of the parents.

Without any doubt, role of a principal is a leadership positions. But what does it mean, to lead someone? Leaders attract people, leaders believe into the people, leaders connect with people. At least good leaders do that.

But we have to be leaders in our everyday life as well. Have you taught before? Have you led some students? Or your own children? Or, perhaps, just your own career?

There are many levels of leadership. Sadly, most people can’t even lead their personal lives. They just listen to the authorities (authorities that care mostly for their own profits–think media gurus, religious leaders, politicians , etc). Such people do hardly make any decision on their own, even though they do not realize that they are just blindly following some authorities. Hopefully it is not your case.

Reading newspaper in the morning, drinking good coffee from your beautiful secretary, and taking pleasure in your prestige and position… Is this a typical day in your work? Do you imagine it as such?

Well, you will have to show a totally different approach, if you want to succeed in your interview. Show us that you like to be busy, that you always look for things to do, for things to improve. Check the job description, list some duties from the description, and add some activities that aren’t advertised on the job description. Show us that you actually plan to do more than we expect from you.

Show us that you understand it takes time to make a great school. Tell us that you plan to stay long with us, that you plan strategically, and that strategical goals take many years to attain.

I know that you may dream about starting your own business (perhaps your own school), or about traveling the world (soon enough you will have enough money to set on a long journey). But you should not talk about these things in a job interview…

Nobody knows what will happen in ten years time. You may be dead, you may be living in a different country, you may have a completely different position. And nobody will blame you if you leave the school after one year of working there.

I am sure many of you have participated in team-teaching and realize the benefits of this strategy. The interviewer who asks this question wants to discover, if you are flexible, enjoy working in a team environment, have experience in this area, and what your viewpoints are on the subject.

It is always wise to speak about some of the positive aspects of team-teaching, such as:

It is an effective strategy for teaching large groups of students. Encourages teachers to collaborate and generate ideas ... two heads are always better than one! Talk about team-teaching experiences you have had, and the positive results that transpired.

Interacting with parents is another important part of an assistant principal’s day. Most parents are eager to be involved in their child’s education and are heavily invested in their success. You might participate in formal and informal meetings and conferences with parents whose children are not meeting academic or behavioral standards. Parents can become very angry or upset in these meetings, particularly if they feel their child is being treated unfairly. You will need to be adept at handling an emotionally charged situation. If you have ever dealt with this type of situation, give your interviewer some context for what was happening and why the parent was upset. Explain how you handled it, how the parent responded, and what you learned from the situation that you can apply to future conflicts. If you have never deal with an angry parent, provide an example of another time when you were able to diffuse a tense situation.

Personal preferences play a role in every interview. When we talk about jobs in education, and in education administration, the personal preferences of the hiring committee members can play a significant role.

Just think about it–the people who lead an interview with you (or at least most of them) are not skilled in leading interviews, or evaluating the skills of job candidates. Interviewing people for the job is not their specialization–they specialize in other areas.

These folks do not know how to scientifically evaluate your interview answers.

But they have their life, their reasons and emotions, and they are looking for a good colleague, for someone they will enjoy meeting in the school corridor, someone they can drink a cup of coffee with. Can it be you?

This question will probably be asked. Now, if you researched the district/school and found out what they are looking for in a candidate, you will be able to focus your response on that information, keeping in mind it is important to tell the truth. With every response you must show your VALUE to the district. This will also give them an idea on how you view your talents and skills as a teacher. Perception is critical... you must be able to confidently discuss your skills using a convincing approach.

It is important the answer shows your hard/tangible skills. For example, classroom management, curriculum development, or technology integration. These skills will show the interviewer(s) what you can do on the job. Don't stop there, you will set yourself apart from the pack if you can back up your claims with actual stories. This will build credibility... it shows you really are good at what you are claiming. Tell them about what you have done to incorporate technology into the classroom and what was the result. The result part of the story sells value... and that produces job offers.

A tough start. Should you praise them, or criticize them? Should you point out the good things, neglecting the challenges, or should you start talking about the measures you would take if you led their school?

One way or another, you have to prepare for this question in advance. Research about the educational institution. Check the reviews, try to find out what the teachers, and the students think about the school. Learn more about their activities, and about the way they present themselves in a local community.

The more information you have, the easier it will be for you to come up with a good answer. But try to avoid touch the emotions of the people sitting in the hiring committee. Focus mostly on the good things, and praise them for their good work. People at schools do not like change–at least most of them don’t like to change things.

You will have plenty of time to take measures, and to improve things, once they hire you for this job…

To lead an interview is not easy. Luckily, we have many excellent resources to help us out (think Interview Penguin, or my website–more about it later).

You can describe the very basic procedure of recruiting a new teacher. Step one is understanding who you want to recruit, and describing the profile of this person. Second step is advertising the job offer on the right places, so it will attract the right audience. Third step is preparing an interview template, and fourth step is leading the interviews, according to the template.

I had been working in outdoor programs for youth at risk for a few years, which was very rewarding and fun, but I felt like school had a overpowering impact on a child’s feelings about being a successful person. I also became interested in the experiential education movement and wondered how it could be applied to classroom learning.

I went into administration because I believed I had received some good training in strong instructional practices and I thought I could have a broader impact by training other teachers in some of those strategies. I eventually became a principal because I realized it was important to have influence over the whole culture of the school in order to really impact the practices in the classroom.

Your response could include something that may have been a challenge in the past, which you have taken steps to rectify. It is important to be truthful, they will be testing your honesty. In addition, they will be checking to see if you provide a weakness that is critical to success in the position. For example, the interview will likely end quickly if you answer you have a difficult time management the classroom. The key to answering the question is to turn a negative into a positive.

I don't suggest using that the traditional statement, "I'm a perfectionist", it is often overused, and will tend to sound phony. It is important you don't get defensive and try to justify why you are weak in a particular subject area, such as social studies. This would make a bad impression, because it may be relevant to the position that you are seeking. Whatever you decide to use, ensure it is not one of the key skills of the position you are seeking. In other words, don't pinpoint classroom discipline and/management or subject area if you are seeking a teaching position.

Think of this question as an opportunity to sell yourself. Here is an example: You wouldn't say, "I have a difficult time organizing my day." Instead, rephrase the answer by saying. "There are so many creative activities I plan for my students and class time is limited. It is difficult to incorporate all of the activities that I would like my students to learn from. Over time, I have realized to prioritize what lessons are the most important to enhance my student learning. I now realize that I can't do everything I would like to."

This interview just won’t get easier, will it? A good principal is a good listener. Therefore you should answer with three words–no more, no less. Which words will you pick for your interview answer?

Leader and role model? Attentive, smart, decisive? Listening, learning, doing? You make the choice. Just do not forget to use three words exactly (or five, or three sentences, or whatever is the actual question they will ask you in an interview).

Making the school a better place to study, improving the reputation of the school, and the marketing and PR, are definitely some things you can influence as a school principal.

This is a tricky question, becasue your criticism could touch someone from the hiring committee–they could take it personally.

Therefore, if you apply for a job at a good school–one that is managed exceptionally well, you can simply say that you do not see any areas for major improvement. Elaborate on it saying that you will try to help the team of administrators to maintain the current level, and their excellent reputation in the district, and that you will focus on improving some minor details of the education process–which can always be improved.

More often than not, however, you will apply at a school that faces some major challenges (it can be the reason why they want to hire new assistant principal at first place, to tackle these challenges). In this case, it is good to mention the challenges, but to show some understanding for the situation, and basically talk about the topic in a neutral way, not blaming anyone for the situation. Focus on the future, and on things you want to do for the school..

☛ Can you describe yourself?
☛ Why do you think you are a good person to work with young people?
☛ What do you consider good topics to talk about with young generation?
☛ What do you consider the main challenges principals and their assistants face nowadays?
☛ How would you win the hearts of the students at our school?
☛ Would you let someone with bad marks to organize an event?
☛ If there was a conflict between student and a teacher, on which site would you stand?
☛ What do you think are the main duties of an assistant principal at our institution?
☛ Would you let students to give their opinion before making an important decision at school?
☛ If you were reported about a sexual or child abuse case under your supervision, how would you handle the case?
☛ You probably know something about our school. What can you improve about our school?
☛ Have you ever thought of becoming a school principal?
☛ Can you define your philosophy of teaching?

I think the best thing I’ve helped to do at Luther Burbank is create an environment where teachers who are committed to making a difference in students’ lives, have an opportunity to do that work. We’ve created structures, in which everyone has a part, that have resulted in an environment that is orderly, consistent, respectful and dynamic. As a result, we’ve also been able to attract the kind of idealistic, talented, innovative, committed people, an urban school needs in order to make a real difference in kids’ lives.

The other thing I try to do is talk to a lot of people, a lot. The decision making/improvement process is ongoing. I put a lot of ideas out into discussion, hear a lot of feedback and alternative ideas. I think this dynamic leads to a positive professional culture and results in good decisions and creative experiments.

The first big mistake I made when I started was to allow students to use cell phones in the halls during lunch and passing periods. There was an incredible outbreak of organized fights including people from off campus. The hall monitors came to speak with me after three weeks and said, “change the policy or we quit”. What I learned wasn’t just about cell phone rules. I learned that if I think it may be a good idea to make some kind of change, I needed to involve the people who have different perspectives and or would be affected by the decision.

Do you prefer to sit in your comfy leather chair, enjoying the beauty of your office, never walking, out unless someone calls you, or knocks on your door? Or do you want to actively participate in teaching, to take part in the classes, to observe teachers at work?

A good answer depends on your philosophy, on your attitude to work. Nevertheless, a good principal is not afraid to participate in teaching, or even to teach. They understand the importance of feedback from all members of the school community, including teachers, students, parents, and administrators.

Show them that you are not afraid, that you understand the importance of seeing the school life also from the perspective of students, and teachers.

You should talk nicely about your previous experience. Tell the interviewers about the things you achieved while working at some other school (in terms of tangible results), tell them about the lessons you learned at your last place, and how these lessons helped you to become a better assistant principal.

And if you have never done this job before? You can actually talk about the experience from the position of a teacher (if you taught before), or basically from any other position.

Your main aim is to show some enthusiastic for the role, and convince us that you know what will be expected from you in this job.

I think principals need to consider who they talk to. Are they sharing ideas and listening to teachers and staff or just other administrators at the site and central office?

Are the structures, rules, and customs of the school currently necessary and relevant or do they exist for reasons that have disappeared?

Do you believe in the programs and practices of your school, or are you just managing and complying with rules and regulations that have been handed to you?

At times the principal may delegate the discipline of an unruly student to you. A potential employer will want to know how you have used discipline in the past and whether it was effective. Some administrators use detention, suspension or even expulsion. Respond with specific situations you have dealt with and detail what you learned from each. Include information about the offense, the steps you took and the outcome. If you are new to administration, use what you have learned in your classes and witnessed in your educational experience to detail how you would handle an imaginary but common scenario. You might also explain how and when you would involve parents and teachers in a disciplinary issue.

For obvious reasons everyone will have a different answer; it will depend on your teaching style, grade interviewing for, and past experiences. The interviewer will be looking to see if you have a plan, you know how to implement it, and if you think that discipline is an important part of the position. What I have found from coaching clients is they fail to provide a clear action plan that can be backed up with examples. Also it is important to find out what is the philosophy of the school or district, this will give you some additional information. A few things to bring up when answering this question is the following:

It is important to develop ground rules the first week of class, this allows the students to understand what is and isn't acceptable behavior.

These rules are discussed and agreed upon with the students, this makes the students accountability and responsible. You may want to touch on your philosophy of classroom discipline. This of course would depend on your style; you will have to be honest with yourself. But you may believe that you reduce negative behavior by offering the students a intellectually stimulating, organized, and respectful environment.

One of your duties may be to conduct evaluations of teacher performance. If a classroom scores lower than anticipated on a standardizes test or if the school has received numerous complaints about a particular teacher from parents, students or staff you may be required to investigate the situation and confront the individual. The interviewer will want to understand your method for evaluating a teacher’s instructional effectiveness as well as their behavior towards students, parents and coworkers, including how you would gather all relevant information. The hiring manager will also want to know that you are capable of confronting a coworker while maintaining a good working relationship. You should be able to detail how you would work with the teacher to design a plan for improvement and a means of evaluating the effectiveness of that plan. As with all questions, include real examples from your own experience whenever possible.