In 2018, I was looking for a new job. Although it had only been a few years since my last interview, I felt like the interview process had become more intense. Several schools wanted multiple interviews and something new for me, a mock lesson. Some schools allowed me to do a lesson of my choice, while others made me choose or do a specific lesson that the school wanted.
I realized then that the interview process wasn’t going to be as easy as it had been in the past. If you’re here, then you can probably relate. In this blog post, I want to give you some quick tips on how to make sure your mock lesson will be the bomb! For more tips, check out my freebie, The Mock Lesson Preparation Guide.
Have Two Lessons Ready
If you’re lucky, the administrator will let you pick the lesson you want to teach. Just in case, have two go-to lessons that you can present. Pick lessons that will show your strengths. If you’re better at teaching decimals than fractions, then pick decimals. You want to pick something that is challenging enough for the students and something you understand enough to break it down and explain it even deeper if needed.
My mock lessons have never been longer than 15 minutes, so pick something that is at least 15 minutes. Later, shorten them or extend them if you get time constraints.
Use Manipulatives & Props
Even if you don’t get to pick the lesson you’ll teach, make sure you make it as engaging as possible. If you’re applying for math positions, keep counters, clocks, fraction strips, etc. on deck. For reading, make sure you have tools you can use, too, like graphic organizers, books, whiteboards, etc. Have all these things handy, so if a school wants you to present a lesson, you’ll have what you need to make your presentation more engaging.
Have a Reteach and Extension Activity Planned
After your lesson, your interview panel is more than likely going to ask, “what will you do with the students who didn’t get it and those that did?” If you want to stand out, create activities that you would do to meet the needs of all students, and be prepared to share it with the panel.
So, you could use a choice menu as an extension for the learners who mastered that objective. Come up with a small group activity to reteach the objectives to the students who did not meet mastery. Make sure your reteach activity is different than the lesson you presented!
The interview panel probably won’t expect you to have additional learning experiences planned and ready to present. Going this extra mile shows that you’ve taken the time to prepare, and that differentiation is essential in your classroom.
Mock lessons can be intimidating if you aren’t ready. Even if you don’t get to pick what you’ll present, there are ways you can still prepare. The Mock Lesson Guide gives more tips to help you develop what you need for this portion of the interview. In my experience, I am more confident during my interview if I’m as prepared as possible! Get your free guide now!
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