1. A visit to an early childhood centre, state primary or secondary school is essential, preferably for a day or a morning. Ring up your local school/centre and tell them you are interested in teaching as a career and would like to visit the school/centre to observe a teacher or teachers. Make sure that your observations are focused on:

The teacher - How the teacher manages the children – their behaviour and learning. - The teacher’s behaviour and demeanour – calm, firm, approachable? - Look at the teacher’s planning and other records. - Find out what the teacher actually does – the variety of roles both in and out of the classroom/centre. If this is to be your vocation then find out what teachers do.

The children - What are the children doing. - Children on task/off task, why/why not? - The range and nature of challenges that are evident in the classroom/centre.

2. Preparing yourself - Have you worked with groups of children in any context? Be prepared to talk about your experiences. - Do you have the academic ability and life skills to do the degree course? - Why do you think you would make a good teacher? What are you like with children? - What do you think are the qualities of good teachers?

3. Filling out the application form Provide the required detail about yourself, the Personal Statement should provide the interview panel with an insight into the sort of person you are and why you want to be a teacher. Choose referees who are able to support your application. These should be people who know about you and have seen you in a variety of roles.

4. Interview Before the interview - Dress appropriately - smart and simple that enables you to look neat and tidy. This is a professional interview. What would a School Principal or Centre Manager think about how you present yourself? - If an unfortunate circumstance prevents you from attending, let the University know as soon as possible. - Get to the interview venue with at least 20 minutes to spare. This will enable you to meet the other applicants and find out about each of them. Be proactive. You may be asked to introduce another applicant. - You may wish to prepare some of your responses before the interview. - Keep in mind that there are many more applications than there are places. What will make you stand out?

During the interview - Listen to the others and show interest - Respond relevantly to questions – be honest and succinct - Use good slang-free English. Avoid “teenage language”. Your communication skills will be assessed.

After the Interview Thank and shake the hand of each of the interview panel as well as the other applicants.

Interview tips for Teacher Education Programmes

Contact Details:Phone: 623 8883 (within Auckland) 0800 61 62 63 (outside Auckland) +64 9 373 7513 (overseas) E: education@auckland.ac.nz W: www.education.auckland.ac.nz www.facebook.com/AklUniEducation www.facebook.com/AkldUni4Schools

Physical Address:Faculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Auckland Gate 3, 74 Epsom Avenue, Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand