Eek I've got a TA interview,could do with some calm inducing tips.

[PineneedleSoup]

I've been out of teaching a while and would love to be a TA.I think I'd be good at it too.

Problem is since dc my confidence isn't what it was and I'm a bag of nerves in interviews.

Any tips re the TA interview process and how to keep calm?

Tia

Are you a qualified teacher? You should be well set up if so. As for the interview I would emphasise how you would use your skills but also how you would support the teacher so they don't think you would try to take over. Good luck

I'm a TA and have been around long enough to see a few groups come in for interview. This might sound obvious but it's worth saying that the jobs appear to go to the candidate that seemed the warmest from my brief interaction. Be warm and friendly and smile lots and it's yours I'm sure :)

Many thanks.Good tips.

Will try to look warm instead of manic Cheshire cat(it can be a tough call when I'm nervous).

If you work with a group as part of the interview, just ENJOY the interaction with the kids, involve the shy one and 'squash' (gently) the pests.

Humour is useful, and I always suggest making a DELIBERATE mistake, see if the children pick up on it, and praise them if they do: they love catching adults out!

If reading a picture book to a group, make sure everyone can see the pictures.

I was a TA / helper for twenty five years, and always enjoyed interviews as it gave me a chance to talk about, and to, children.

Mention any special skills - music, drama, sports, arts, ICT etc.

Many thanks,good tips,just got to try and keep the nerves in check.

I've just started as a TA and really enjoying it. I was nervous about the interview because I have do not have a teaching background, just some voluntary experience like loads of parents, and also,I hadn't had an interview in about 9 years!

So I read up on lots of TA questions online and they DID come up n the interview. I thought of different scenarios where I had used initiative, coaxed a difficult child, etc. I knew that some of the time would be spent with the children and I just told myself that it was no different to going in and volunteering, which had never really made me nervous. I also mentioned at the beginning of the interview that I was a little nervous as it had been so long - I think this helped me, and raised a smile from them.

I agree that you need to come across as warm and friendly. I smiled a lot and tried to be as genuine as I could. I also said how AMAZING I thought teachers were (this is true) - perhaps that swung it

Good luck!

Oh yes, and when I was interacting with the children, there were a couple of very chatty, confident little ones, to whom I could have spent the whole time chatting, but I sought out a couple of shy, quiet ones who were on their own and involved them. Nevertheless, finding a chatty one at the start helped me ease into the situation!