GTP Interview - Teachers can I pick your brains?

[WedgiesMum]

Hi. I've got an interview for the GTP on the 10th and the format of the interview is as follows:

1. A group interview - purposes: to look at whether the candidate has ensured that he or she has a basic understanding of some of the issues surrounding the profession they wish to enter; to assess communication skills; to assess group skills.
2. A written task to check written English
3. An individual interview

Most of which I can handle, but was looking for advice as to what people think are the 'issues surrounding the profession'. I have a Primary placement and don't know whether they will be looking for just Primary issues or things in general.

I was thinking of things like SATS, the Children Bill, standards for teachers, professional development, numeracy and literacy hour, workforce agreement/NUT opposition, behaviour management. Do you think I am on the right lines, is there anything glaringly missing that I should be thinking about? Any top tips from current/former GTPers?

Any contribution gratefully welcomed!!

TIA

WMxx

Hi, not on GTP, but 8 weeks to go of PGCE, so hope that this helps.

The things that you have put are brilliant, but I would add to that list Inclusion (Special Needs children) and English as an Additional Language as well. There is quite a lengthy but helpful document called Including All Children In The Numeracy and Literacy Hour which you can look at through the DfEE website about SEN. Planning is obviously a big thing too.

There are lots more experienced teachers than me on this site, so there is bound to be much more helpful advice than that, so Good Luck! I have never looked back despite the workload, and am looking forward to starting my new job in September!

Dont forget part of it will be watching how you interact with the others and you will even be watched when eating to see how you interact.

Good luck WM

I think you are on the right lines, and the things Zoe says too about SEN and EAFL.

Have a read of the TES website pages too for current education news, and the BBC Education site is good as well. Also this is the DFES site too for standards stuff.

BTW, I think you'll do great. Let me know how it goes!

Think about things like how to make children interseted in your lessons - differnation, different learning styles, creative teaching - not all work has to be written.

Behaviour managment - don't shout at the children (well not to much - but you may need to shout to warn children of dangers etc), positive reinforment - not sure of what age you are going to teach but things like rewarding good behaviour by praise, certificates, good work board, house points (look at school's rewards system), circle times to talk about problems.

Also think about comminication within school - talking to parents about their children - not always formal meetings but seeing them in the playground etc and writing reports, , other teachers - can you show evidence of how you can show you are a good communcator?

Good luck and hope this is of some help.

I hope that it goes well for you.

Other things to think about, formative assessment, ie the assessment of what children already know or have learned in the lesson, as opposed to summative assessmnet (the old end of topic tests). Self assessmant, getting kids to set their own goals and targets, and helping them to be independent learners.

And if you spend time with children during the day, get to know an used their names asap!

Agree 100% on the importance of differentiation and inclusion.

Good luck!

i will pop back later,....in the middle of cooking tea and enjoying sunshine - but will be here tonight...
primary age teacher for 7 years so hope i can help ....

I interview GTP candidates, so I hope I have some helpful tips. I do interview for secondary GTP, though, so it may not be entirely the same.

In our interviews we only ask two questions:

1. Why do you want to teach and what do you have to offer the teaching profession?
2. Tell us some ideas about how you would teach ... (then we give a topic, an ability range and an age group).

What we are looking for:

Question 1: we are looking for someone who is genuinely enthusiastic about working with children. We like to hear about the things people have done in the past (because GTP is a mature entry route) and what skills and knowledge you will be bringing to the profession. Hearing people talk about their own children is good here, as well as a bit of enthusing. We have heard it a million times about wanting to do something worthwhile and rewarding, but we love it - it reminds us why we are teachers too - just don't make it sound too corny. I once interviewed someone whose only work experience was as a cinema usherette and she talked about the teamworking skills she had developed - we were sold!

Question 2: we do ask people to prepare this in advance and warn them that we are not looking for a perfect lesson plan (otherwise what've we got left to train!). If you haven't been asked to prepare for something like this you probably won't have a question like this. What we are looking for is someone who thinks about the children's needs and learning styles (but it is sufficient evidence of this simply to say "this is hard because I don't know the children, so I don't know what work would excite and motivate them." We are looking to weed out people who think that teaching is all about telling - the empty vessels waiting to be filled with your wisdom type philosophy - because people with this attitude will find it very hard to adjust and become a teacher.

Overall: Remember why you want to become a teacher - for the love of children and helping them to learn. Your list of issues in education is excellent, and we certainly always look for people who are on the ball and know how the system works and what the current hot topics are. But at the end of the day we are there for the children, and that is all they will be looking for. Finally, it is a two way interview. The GTP scheme is very intense and you will be working very closely with your colleagus. If you don't feel happy, don't accept straight away, take more time to think about it. If they won't let you, that's not a good sign!

We take on 95% of the people we interview (because by the time we get to the stage of offering an interview we know the candidate quite well, and they know us quite well) so don't be nervous. Just be yourself and bubble! Good luck.

Biggie at the moment in education (well for HMI and OFSTED) seems to be lesson structure:

• making sure lessons have clear, identified objectives - should be understandable for the pupils too, maybe given to them as a lesson outcome - today you will have produced / understood / learnt about...)

• all lessons should have a starter task, main activities and a plenary - the literacy and numeracy stuff have this structure anyway, but your other stuff should follow similar patterns.

Will be slightly different from primary, but similar basic ideas.

The big/exciting issues that I'm aware of is how to make sure that lessons appeal to children with different learning styles (aural, oral, visual, kinesthetic, it ties in with assessment/self-assessment etc, but it's about how all children can engage and be motivated by what you're doing with them

I am, as ever, in awe of the number of responses and the amount of thought people have put into this. Thank you all so much, this is all really helpful and I will certainly be integrating it into my 'game plan' for the day!! this is something that I have put off doing for a very long time and have decided that this is the time to go for it! I have got a placement with a fabulous school who are really supportive and keen for me to join them, and they are only 5 minutes from where I live!!

If there are any more ideas from anyone I would gratefully welcome them. This is going to be a toughie as there are 5 places and 11 candidates, and as a primary candidate I fall into the second category of priority (the first being secondary teaching) so I know I need to be really impressive on the day.

Once again thank you for your time everyone, I knew I could rely on my MN mates for help.

Hi there Wedgiesmum....

OK - afew bits and pieces

The things you mentioned - SATS, the Children Bill, standards for teachers, professional development, numeracy and literacy hour, workforce agreement/NUT opposition, behaviour management - are all probably things that may be discussed.

Many of the new and not so new things that seem to be current issues in our school are:

• thinking skills (been round years but still sticking around)
• teaching and learning styles
• emotional literacy
• learning to learn/study skills
• assessment for learning

ask hulababy for my email address if you would like it
hth