The Interview
The Interview. This is one of the things that many of my colleagues from the States wanted to know about. What was it like? Did I have to fly out to Barcelona for the interview? Who was on the interview committee? Depending on the school, I'm sure the answer to these questions are wide and varied, however, I wanted to take a moment to highlight the interview process that I was a part of in hopes that it may help you if you are beginning your search.
I first received an e-mail from the human resources office at the school in mid-January asking if I'd be interested in interviewing for the position. In this e-mail they included a detailed school profile and asked me to respond with a few dates/times in which I would be able to connect with the current elementary school principal. I immediately responded and within about a week, I was speaking with her. Due to the time difference, I remember waking up at 4:30 in the morning to shower and prep for the 7:00 interview (I'll never forget this day. I was on a dissertation writing retreat in Wisconsin and needed to find a quite location at the retreat center that was open and had WiFi. The temperature outside was hovering around zero degrees and the empty classroom I was in probably wasn't much warmer).
The first interview with the principal was just about an hour long. She asked some questions about my experience with literacy, math, and building a strong school climate. However, unlike other interviews I had in the past, a great deal of time was dedicated to me asking questions and learning more about the school. I imagine this takes place a lot in international schools in order to make sure the "fit" is right. This is a big commitment on both ends, so the two-way conversation was incredibly important.
After my interview with the principal, I received an e-mail from the director of the school who stated that he was interested in my candidacy and wanted to Skype as well. He and I were able to connect, and very much like the first interview, questions surrounding teaching and learning were at the core of our conversation. I remember talking a lot about my experience leading during a time of change and how I worked alongside the teachers in my building. He also wanted to know why I wanted to make the move to international schools as well as a bit about my family and their support of this endeavor.
A few days after speaking with the director, I was asked if I'd be interested in moving forward as a finalist and meet with a group of teachers from the school. This interview, much like the first one, was very early in the morning (via Skype). There were about 10 teachers sitting around a table in a room and each had a question or two to ask me. These questions were definitely more teacher-centered and required me to speak to my experience with various initiatives, student discipline and coaching teachers. It was here that I learned how small the world really is! One of the staff members on the panel had lived in the city where I was working as a principal!
Shortly after my interview with the teachers, the director reached out to me and informed me that I was on the short list and that he'd like me to fly out to Barcelona to meet with the staff and other members of the school community. About 2 weeks later, I was on a plane to Barcelona for a whirlwind of a visit! I was picked up from the airport on the morning I arrived by the head of human resources. We began the morning looking at a few apartments which gave me the opportunity to see some different areas of the city and learn more about housing costs in Barcelona. After some apartment-hunting, she dropped me off at the hotel to rest a bit before being picked up by the director for an early dinner out (6PM is early for dinner in Barcelona!). I had dinner with the director and one of the school's instructional coaches. This was very laid back and gave us the opportunity to learn more about one another, as well give me a better idea of what life would be like in Barcelona and at the school.
Finally, the interview marathon concluded with a visit to the school on the next morning. One of the division principals picked me up from the hotel and brought me to the school. Here, I had a tight schedule which gave me an opportunity to once again meet with the director, the administration team, members of the operations team, a group of parents, and another group of teachers. One unique aspect of the interview that day was when I visited two classroom with the administration team. Before going into the classrooms, they asked me to observe the teacher and classroom environment and be ready to discuss the type of feedback I'd give them teacher after spending some time in their classroom. I thought this was great! It isn't too often that you are put into a situation during an interview where you can truly demonstrate your ability to be an instructional leader. The day ended with a wrap-up and time for reflection with the director. It was here he let me know that there was one other candidate who was scheduled to visit the school two weeks later and that I'd be hearing from him as soon as that visit was complete.
All-in-all this was definitely the most thorough and rigorous interview process I've ever been through. It truly gave the school a chance to deeply learn about me as an educator as well as gave me the opportunity to truly understand all aspect of the school community. Thank you for this opportunity, ASB! I'm looking forward to our work together this fall.
I first received an e-mail from the human resources office at the school in mid-January asking if I'd be interested in interviewing for the position. In this e-mail they included a detailed school profile and asked me to respond with a few dates/times in which I would be able to connect with the current elementary school principal. I immediately responded and within about a week, I was speaking with her. Due to the time difference, I remember waking up at 4:30 in the morning to shower and prep for the 7:00 interview (I'll never forget this day. I was on a dissertation writing retreat in Wisconsin and needed to find a quite location at the retreat center that was open and had WiFi. The temperature outside was hovering around zero degrees and the empty classroom I was in probably wasn't much warmer).
The first interview with the principal was just about an hour long. She asked some questions about my experience with literacy, math, and building a strong school climate. However, unlike other interviews I had in the past, a great deal of time was dedicated to me asking questions and learning more about the school. I imagine this takes place a lot in international schools in order to make sure the "fit" is right. This is a big commitment on both ends, so the two-way conversation was incredibly important.
After my interview with the principal, I received an e-mail from the director of the school who stated that he was interested in my candidacy and wanted to Skype as well. He and I were able to connect, and very much like the first interview, questions surrounding teaching and learning were at the core of our conversation. I remember talking a lot about my experience leading during a time of change and how I worked alongside the teachers in my building. He also wanted to know why I wanted to make the move to international schools as well as a bit about my family and their support of this endeavor.
A few days after speaking with the director, I was asked if I'd be interested in moving forward as a finalist and meet with a group of teachers from the school. This interview, much like the first one, was very early in the morning (via Skype). There were about 10 teachers sitting around a table in a room and each had a question or two to ask me. These questions were definitely more teacher-centered and required me to speak to my experience with various initiatives, student discipline and coaching teachers. It was here that I learned how small the world really is! One of the staff members on the panel had lived in the city where I was working as a principal!
Shortly after my interview with the teachers, the director reached out to me and informed me that I was on the short list and that he'd like me to fly out to Barcelona to meet with the staff and other members of the school community. About 2 weeks later, I was on a plane to Barcelona for a whirlwind of a visit! I was picked up from the airport on the morning I arrived by the head of human resources. We began the morning looking at a few apartments which gave me the opportunity to see some different areas of the city and learn more about housing costs in Barcelona. After some apartment-hunting, she dropped me off at the hotel to rest a bit before being picked up by the director for an early dinner out (6PM is early for dinner in Barcelona!). I had dinner with the director and one of the school's instructional coaches. This was very laid back and gave us the opportunity to learn more about one another, as well give me a better idea of what life would be like in Barcelona and at the school.
Finally, the interview marathon concluded with a visit to the school on the next morning. One of the division principals picked me up from the hotel and brought me to the school. Here, I had a tight schedule which gave me an opportunity to once again meet with the director, the administration team, members of the operations team, a group of parents, and another group of teachers. One unique aspect of the interview that day was when I visited two classroom with the administration team. Before going into the classrooms, they asked me to observe the teacher and classroom environment and be ready to discuss the type of feedback I'd give them teacher after spending some time in their classroom. I thought this was great! It isn't too often that you are put into a situation during an interview where you can truly demonstrate your ability to be an instructional leader. The day ended with a wrap-up and time for reflection with the director. It was here he let me know that there was one other candidate who was scheduled to visit the school two weeks later and that I'd be hearing from him as soon as that visit was complete.
All-in-all this was definitely the most thorough and rigorous interview process I've ever been through. It truly gave the school a chance to deeply learn about me as an educator as well as gave me the opportunity to truly understand all aspect of the school community. Thank you for this opportunity, ASB! I'm looking forward to our work together this fall.
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