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WorkbookName:Date:

Let’s start your Teach Abroad Transformation journey today!

IntroductionYour to-do checklist:

❏Set time to complete TAT in your calendar

❏Set 20 minutes aside each day. Check out the “No Hassle Tutorials: How to Use the Pomodoro Technique for Time Management Youtube video” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q910JYyDBlY&feature=emb_logo

Notes:

Video 1Determine your unique selling points (USPs) as an expat teacher

www.teachabroadtransformation.com Copyright 2020 Empowering Expat Teachers

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What do you enjoy most about teaching? What are your strengths (traits and skills)?

What is the evidence to support all your wonderful skills and traits?

What would you most like to be remembered for, professionally?


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List all your training/ CPD/ courses/ education

Interests and passions outside work


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1. Here is a link to a webpage that can give you more inspiration when it comes to listing your strengths truthfully:https://www.thebalance.com/teaching-skills-list-2062488 Notes


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2. Search Associates is one of the few teaching agencies I recommend and they have a wonderful video about what headteachers of schools abroad look for in a teacher:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsoKMIaaMKU Notes

3. These qualities are important for a candidate to succeed in a new environment abroad. Think about how difficult it can be to move to a new city, one where you will not know the language, and the culture will be different than your own. https://sorchacoyle.com/6-eet-podcast-6-headteacher-school-abroad-want-teacher/

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4. If you find you are repeating the same words, use www.thesaurus.com to rephraseNotes

Video 2How to find your ideal teaching job(s) abroad

What does an ideal teaching job look like to you?What is a top country abroad for you?

What is a top school abroad for you?


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What is a top teaching contract abroad for you?

What is a top teaching job abroad for you?

Any special considerations? (family/ pets / climate/ religion)

Top 10 criteria1.

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10.You’ll need your TAT proven methods to find jobs abroad file in the Workbook and Files section!Top 5 school choicesName and location

Essential and desirable skills

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Determine your unique selling points (USPs) as an expat teacherBased on all your amazing research and effort in TAT Videos 1 and 2, list at least 12-16 USPs in order of priority:


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Notes

Video 3The 7 key sections of your CV (Part 1)

Check out the TAT’s Video 3 CV template(s) in the Workbook and Files section!

➔ Personal Details (+ photo)➔ Area of Expertise / Key Skills /

Core Competencies ➔ Professional Summary /

Professional Profile / Educational Philosophy

➔ Career History / Professional www.teachabroadtransformation.com

Copyright 2020 Empowering Expat Teachers 11

Experience / Work History➔ Education / Training and

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

➔ Interests / Hobbies / Extracurricular Activities

➔ References

Video 4The 7 key sections of your CV (Part 2)

Career History /Professional Experience / Work History2017-Present English Teacher Sorcha School Duties

● Planned and taught exciting and differentiated lessons based on the English National Curriculum at Key Stage 3 to engage local students with EAL needs.

● Organised and led numerous class trips to see various theatre productions in London, which formed the basis of the schemes of work I designed and shared with my department.

Key achievements

● Was promoted to Head of Department in 2014, due to my “Outstanding” lesson observations.

● Was promoted to Head of Department in 2014, which involved managing and training 2 colleagues, who had never taught the course before.

● Achieved a 100% A*-C IGCSE result in my Year 11 group, who had originally


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been predicted Ds and Es.

Use these websites to find action verbs:

https://www.themuse.com/advice/185-powerful-verbs-that-will-make-your-resume-awesome

https://www.thebalance.com/list-of-resume-and-cover-letter-keywords-2060287

https://theinterviewguys.com/action-verbs-to-enhance-your-resume/

Video 5A winning cover letter format

Check out the TAT’s Video 5 A Winning Cover Letter Format Swipe File in the Workbook and Files section!


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Video 6How to adapt your CV and cover letter to specific job ads AND make them stand out from the crowd!School vision

Key staff

Mission statement

Demographics

Educational objectives

Current school focus


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Keywords, includingessential and desirableSkillshttps://www.jobscan.co/

https://tagcrowd.com/

In an outstanding CV and cover letter, the format, order, spelling, and grammar are just as important as the actual content. Use this checklist to make sure that your CV and cover letter grabs your head teacher's attention for the right reasons!

1. Use an easy-to-read font (style and size) -so it is legible to the reader.2. Leave out the fancy and complicated formatting and keep it simple and

CONSISTENT!3. Have clear obvious headings in the same colour, font style and size.4. In your CV, include all work dates with no gaps in the employment history, as

many heads will not consider an application from a CV with unexplained gaps.5. In your CV, list your education and experiences with the MOST RECENT first.6. Name referees who are professional, including your current employer.7. Your generic CV and cover letter can be 3 pages long but your job-specific

documents should not be overly long- CV: 2 to 2.5 pages maximum- cover letter: 1.5 to 2 pages maximum.

8. Below your name on your CV, include your email address, Skype ID and a link to your LinkedIn profile.

9. In the Middle East and Asia, it is common to include a photograph at the top of your CV, but make sure it is a professional-looking photograph.

10. In your Personal Achievements section of your CV, mention extra talents and INTERESTING hobbies, especially activities that you could run as extracurricular clubs/ after school activities at the school.

11.Be sure to use correct spelling and grammar, as one error means your application might be rejected.

12.The CV and cover letter must be tailored to the job and school using keywords from their advertisement, such as the essential and desirable skills.

13.Your email address should be professional, as many job applications are ignored if the email address is unprofessional.

14.Be sure that your social media accounts are private, as many HR managers www.teachabroadtransformation.com


might look you up on Facebook.15.Save your CV and cover letter as a PDF copy too, so your formatting remains the

same when you email it to the headteacher/ HR manager.16.Many jobs have their own application form, so just copy and paste the relevant

sections of your CV and cover letter into the correct boxes.

Video 7How to give impressive answers to the 30 most common interview questions

1. What is your greatest strength? What are your greatest strengths? This is one of the questions that employers almost always ask. When you are asked about your greatest strengths, it's important to discuss the attributes that will qualify you for the specific job and set you apart from the other candidates.

2. What is your greatest weakness? What are your greatest weaknesses?Another typical question interviewers will ask is about your weaknesses. Do your best to frame your answers around positive aspects of your skills and abilities as an employee.

3. Tell me about yourself. Here’s how to answer questions about you without giving out too much – or too little – personal information.Say where you are from, how long you have been teaching, what you have been teaching, why you want to work at that school,Share some of your personal interests which don't relate directly to work.

4. Why should we hire you? Are you the best candidate for the job? Be prepared to say why. Make your response a concise sales pitch that explains what you have to offer the employer, and why you should get the job.

5. Why are you leaving or have left your job?When asked about why you are moving on, stick with the facts, be direct and focus your interview answer on the future, especially if your leaving wasn't under the best of circumstances.


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6. Why do you want this job? This question gives you an opportunity to show the interviewer what you know about the job and the company. Be specific about what makes you a good fit for this role, and mention aspects of the company and position that appeal to you.

7.Why do you want to work at our school?Again, this question gives you an opportunity to show the interviewer what you know about the job and the company. Be specific about what makes you a good fit for this role, and mention aspects of the company and position that appeal to you.

8. How do you handle stress and pressure? What do you do when things don’t go smoothly at work? The best way to respond to this question is to give an example of how you have handled stress in a previous job.

9. Describe a difficult work situation / project and how you overcame it. The interviewer wants to know what you do when you face a difficult decision. As with the question about stress, be prepared to share an example of what you did in a tough situation.

10. What are your goals for the future?This question is designed to find out if you’re going to stick around or move on as soon as you find a better opportunity. Keep your answer focused on the job and the company you’re interviewing with.

11. What would be an area of improvement for you? Communicate that you are a reflective practitioner and know there is always more to do and learn in your career.

12. What can you do for our students and school community? It is vital to discuss the attributes that will qualify you for the specific job and demonstrate how you can make massive valuable contributions to the school, students, staff, and parents.

13. Why should we choose you over the rest of the candidates we’re interviewing today? It's important to discuss the attributes that will qualify you for the specific job and set you apart from the other candidates.

14. You don’t have prior experience teaching / You haven’t trained in the British (National Curriculum)/ American/ Australian/Canadian/IB system, so how would you cope/ exel in our school?


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Here you must show that you have researched the curriculum in depth- National Curriculum: Early Years, KS1, KS2, KS3, 4, 5; IB: PYP, MYP, DP (https://www.ibo.org/programmes/). What exam boards do they use for IGCSE or A-level? E.g. What topics do they study (in History or what novels/ plays do they study in English) that you have already taught?

15. Tell us about your best ever lesson. / Tell us about a lesson you’ve taught recently. / Describe a typical lesson. / If I was to go into your classroom, what would I see?Describe an amazing lesson you taught. It could be an observation / Ofsted-graded lesson or it could be one where your students gave you positive feedback or understood a challenging concept.

16. How would you teach (*insert topic here*) to a group of mixed ability and English as an Additional Language students?Look up differentiation strategies and prepare your answer for different possibilities.

17. What techniques would you use to ensure EAL students progress?Consider the language they’ll need for that particular topic and plan activities for it.E.g. in History, students need to recognise and use the past simple tense in essays, so make sure you emphasise that out to the ESL students, especially for the topic-specific verbs that are irregular, such as swear-> swore, bring-> brought, etc.

- Clearly state the topic and/or lesson objective/ outcome for the lesson, even if the students don’t write it down. Use images, so every student understands what’s happening in today’s lesson, even if they can’t speak or write at length about it yet! Ask students to explain it back to you in their own words, so you can see if they truly comprehend or not.

- “A picture paints a thousand words.” Use images and short YouTube clips to introduce concepts before explaining or describing them in detail. NOTE: always watch the Youtube video in full before showing it to the class, to avoid any awkward moments!

- Choose 7 to 10 keywords for that lesson or topic and pre-teach them to pupils. You can do this explicitly by creating a task that requires students to match the keyword to the image, a description, a similar word, or to the correct space in a gap-fill activity. You could also teach keywords indirectly by using them in sentences and the students use the context to “discover” the meaning of the words.

- For higher-ability EAL pupils, you can provide them with vocabulary lists as well.- Reinforce the students’ memorisation of these keywords by playing Bingo or Hangman

games as a quick starter plenary. You can also use these keywords and vocabulary for short weekly spelling tests. You can find wonderful free EAL topic worksheets on the ISL Collective website or just Google “Topic name + EAL or ESL worksheets.”

- When it comes to students writing extended pieces of work, always allow talking/ discussion time with a classmate before starting. This is vital for EAL students to share


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ideas, get their thoughts in order, and it helps peer learning to happen. In addition, always provide sentence starters, writing scaffolds (that show the student what to include in each paragraph or have questions to aid their writing), and language checklists (e.g. Have you included a capital letter, a full stop, speech marks, connectives, etc.?) for them when it comes to extended writing.

18. How would you differentiate for one student in a classroom that struggled without making it obvious that you were giving her extra support?Look up differentiation strategies and prepare your answer.

19. How would you ensure that students want to learn? Look up motivation strategies and prepare your answer. You could say something like showing the students the relevance of each lesson/ activity, giving them the end goal/ bigger picture, reduce teacher-talking time, have a break every 15 mins, etc.

20. What would your students say about your lessons?Think about what your students have stated about your lessons, teaching style, etc.

21. Describe an outstanding lesson.Describe a lesson that fulfils the “Outstanding” criteria. KHDA Dubai’s Inspection Framework:https://www.moe.gov.ae/ar/importantlinks/inspection/publishingimages/frameworkbooken.pdfUK: What makes an outstanding lesson?http://batchwood.herts.sch.uk/files/What-makes-an-outstanding-lesson.pdf

22. How do you ensure that Gifted & Talented / higher ability students are challenged/ stretched?Make sure you are familiar with Bloom’s Taxonomy and the higher order thinking skills and how they can be applied to your extension activities.https://www.teachthought.com/learning/ways-to-use-blooms-taxonomy-in-the-classroom/

23. How do you use assessment in your lessons and planning?Think about summative vs formative assessment to check student understanding, student progress, and how it influences your planning. Also consider the benefits of self- and peer-assessment and how you carry it out in your lessons.

24. How would you deal with parents who have very high expectations of their child and the school and are heavily involved in their child’s education?Be positive about these type of parents as they pay the fees! You should highlight your transparency, good interpersonal skills, and good relationships here.


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25. Why do you think (your subject) is important?Talk about its importance in school and outside the school. Think about the big picture and the life skills it teaches.

26. How do you teach Year 12 and 13 groups / Key Stage 5 / Sixth Form differently to other year groups?Think about the range of topics covered, the depth, more opportunities for independent work, etc.

27. How do you maintain good behaviour across the school?Positive reinforcement (Class Dojo/ merits/ awards), clear rules, teacher-student contract, 2 warnings and a consequence, etc.

28. Can you offer any Professional Development to colleagues?What topics/ examples of good practice would you be happy to share with colleagues? Why?

29. What techniques would you use to ensure our SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) students / SEN (Special Educational Needs) students / LS (Learning Support) students make good progress?Look up SEND strategies and prepare your answer.

30. Is there anything you want to add/ anything you’ve missed out on/ any other comments?This is your chance to add in anything that will sell you as the best candidate, such as above-and-beyond research, etc.

Notes

Video 8What to do before, during, and after the interview with a school abroadBefore the interview...


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● A WEEK BEFORE…1. Practise answering your potential interview questions in front of a mirror / video taken on your phone / with a friend. Note how you sit, look, make eye contact, use facial and hand gestures, note the volume & pace of your speech and other behaviours. If they seem unprofessional, you can correct them before the real interview. See if your friend can also interview you over Skype to provide you with helpful feedback on your performance, as well as how you look and sound over the camera. 2. Ask your friend to focus on the content of your answers and your ability to answer the question fully and specifically, yet concisely. Rather than starting into an answer and figuring out where it will go after you’ve said a few filler words, it’s ok to ask for a moment to consider which example would be best, how you want to approach the question, etc.3. Rehearse your answers so you can be sure to include all the information and keywords, all spoken in a confident, clear and enthusiastic manner. The more you reflect and prepare what you want to say, the more confident you will feel for the interview.4. Be familiar with and know current teaching / education initiatives. Regularly check TES, the International School Consultancy, and the school website to try to stay up-to-date on the latest works in education. Understanding what the most recent theories and techniques can make you stand out from the crowd. If you are interested in gaining more knowledge about a specific one that would be beneficial for the school, mention it in the interview as head teachers are always looking for fresh ideas and lifelong learner teachers who are willing to update their skills and grow professionally5. Show how you work well with parents of your students. As parents have a key role in the learning process, particularly with primary school students, you must demonstrate your skills in terms of communication with families. Good communication, patience, and compassion/ intercultural understanding are all important skills that you will need to have when dealing with students' families.6. Show the school how well you would fit into the position and school context. By asking the right kind of questions, you will give the interviewer the impression that you are a perfect fit for the role and school.

● THE DAY BEFORE…▪ You have to be prepared for technological problems, such as the Internet going down.▪ Decide on where to carry out the interview- a well-lit, clean, and tidy room in which to carry out your interview.


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▪ Clear your workspace and any clutter that is behind you so it doesn't show up on the screen.▪ Try to have a blank wall behind you to limit distracting the interviewer▪ Prepare your professional outfit the night before▪ Make sure you get a good night’s sleep.

AN HOUR BEFORE…• You must dress in a professional and appropriate manner, from top to bottom, even though only your top half may be seen in a Skype interview!• You need to act polite and professionally during the entire course of the interview.• You must prepare and practice as much as possible.• You need to show up on time, if not early.• Your mobile phone should be turned off or on silent.• You must remain positive at all times, and never insult a former employer or colleague.• Have a copy of your CV beside you during the interview.• Place Post-it notes around your laptop with important information to remind you to cover everything.• The interviewer will give you the opportunity to ask questions of your own at the end of the interview, so have a list to ask!• However, this is not the time to negotiate wages.

During the interview● Try to make sure you have the house to yourself during your video meeting.

Allow at least an hour for the interview. If this isn’t possible, use a quiet closed-door room, and make sure everyone in the house knows not to disturb you – put a post-it on the door as a reminder to them.

● Have a piece of paper and pen ready so you can use it to easily make notes● Have a copy of your CV in sight, in case you have to refer to dates.● Furthermore, you must anticipate potential tech problems and have a Plan B!

Check your Internet connection, webcam, and microphone/ headphones. Understand how all aspects of your webcam work, especially if you haven’t used it before. Do a trial run with a family member or friend.

● If the audio or video cuts out during the call, stay calm and professional, and do not get angry, as the person on the other end may still be able to see and hear you. If you cannot resume the interview, contact the interviewer by telephone or email to reschedule the interview.


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● Other issues to consider in a Skype interview:• Look at the video camera, not the screen.• Speak in a clear and audible tone. Pace yourself when answering questions, and make sure the interviewer can hear you clearly on the other end.• Introduce yourself as you would in an in-person interview.• Choose a chair that forces you to sit upright and maintain a good posture, but will also be comfortable for the duration of the conversation. Try not to slouch.• Reduce hand gestures, as it can be distracting, or it can block the camera’s view.• Do not make unnecessary noise that the microphone may pick up on or amplify.• Shut down other software programs that are not needed, to reduce the incidence of technical problems.• Have a glass of water near you.• There may be a delay between you answering the interviewer’s question and he or she responding, so just pause a few seconds longer and wait for them to answer.• Remember to smile! Even though you are looking at a camera, you are still talking to a human being on the other end.

● Remain calm and maintain good eye contact with every person in the teacher interview. Be accurate and honest in your answers and if you don’t understand a question, it is better to clarify an interview question than to give an answer that is totally irrelevant.

● At the end of your interview, the interviewer will ask if you have any questions regarding the teaching position or school. Don’t miss this opportunity to ask questions. The research you carried out before the interview will make a difference in the questions you should ask.Have a few questions ready to show that you are genuinely interested in the position, for example:- What sort of Professional Development does the school offer?- Are there many promotion opportunities?- What types of students make up your student body?- (Don't assume that your students abroad will all be well behaved!)- How many students do you have in an average class?- Does the school provide accommodation or rental allowance?- Do you offer staff language lessons?- Are there many other international teachers already there?- Does the school provide health insurance?

● BONUS TIP:www.teachabroadtransformation.com


After the interviewSend an email later that day or the next day at the latest.1) Thank the interviewers for their time and state that you enjoyed the interview/ meeting them/ talking to them. 2) Then compliment an aspect of the school/ department you like, e.g. I am very impressed by your school’s attitude to/ importance you place on...3) State why you would love/ relish the chance to work there because of the important points discussed during the interview. (Three to five bullet points of your best achievements or most relevant traits such as job experience or education.)4) Sign off, “Kind regards, / Yours sincerely.” and then your name.


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teachabroadtransformation.com€¦ · web view2020. 8. 9. · another typical question...

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