ECT Interview panic

[GilmoreGals]

Hi,

I got an email at 5pm today for an interview on Monday - all I know is year 3 writing lesson.

I had a bad interview today because of nerves (I have anxiety) so if anyone has any tips on how I could nail this one i'd appreciate it.

:)

Have they given you any guidelines as to where students are at right now etc with their learning?

No other information. The email was "a 20 minute writing lesson with a year group of your choosing" I have more experience in year 3 so I emailed back confirming, asking for year 3 and asking any additional information but I have had nothing and probably won't as it is the weekend. I have had a look at the curriculum maps online but they're from 2020 so I don't know if they are up to date.

I had my interview for my first teaching job a couple of months ago. I was so nervous but I sort of gaslighted myself into feeling confident 😅
I would recommend asking if there are any pupils with SEND in the class so you can plan the lesson accordingly.
Read the safeguarding policy on their website. When they asked me a safeguarding question they were impressed that I had done my research and knew who the DSL there was.
Don't feel you have to panic and immediately answer a question with the first thing you can think of. Take a pause to gather your thoughts.

I would pick a specific grammar objective, like adverbs, and do something fun and creative. 20 mins is really short too, so don't prepare too much! Good luck.

Pobble is useful for pictures to prompt ideas for writing. Keep it simple and fun. I agree with focusing on one aspect of grammar. Share write a few sentences and then children can write independently. When they suggest vocabulary, create small lists of synonyms with the class.
I used to get very nervous and interviews and my mind would go blank. To combat this I wrote down all the questions I expected to be asked and write bullet points of what I wanted to say. I then memorised all of this so that I would avoid the panic and forgetting what I knew or what experience I'd had in the classroom eg on a teaching placement.

I agree with what @Ceruleanmoon says, but you don't have to memorise all your interview answers...think ahead to what you might be asked, think about your answers and bullet point them in a notebook. You are perfectly entitled to take a notebook into an interview. When they ask a question, eg. 'What should you do when a child confides something with you that happened at home', take a deep breath, read your bullet points under 'safeguarding' then give your answer. I had answers prepared until headings like safeguarding, Gifted and Talented, Differentiation, Behaviour etc. Good luck!

Check the English curriculum for year 3. Check what it is they need to learn. I would have a writing stimulus, something interesting. I would go online, check their curriculum maps, newsletters and find out what topic they are doing. Make the lesson accessible to all.

Would possessive apostrophes be a good thing to do? It's in the year 3 writing NC. according to the roadmap of the school they covered it in spring 1 so quite a while ago.

If they've already learned how to do it, you'd be recapping not teaching something new. If they can already do it, there won't be much progress seen.

Might be better to introduce something new that builds on what they already know and can do, show them how and have them apply it.