The SCEA Advocacy Series, June 2013
Is My Former Principal Giving Me a Bad Reference? Am I Being Blackballed? I n tr od u ct i o n Teachers sometimes find themselves in a school where they don’t fit or struggle for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, some districts are resistant to allow transfers if they believe there is a conflict. This leaves the teacher without options unless she wants to quit. Whether this teacher begins a job search before quitting or quits first, the potential of a bad reference from her principal can make it difficult to find a position. This paper provides a variety of tips and information related to changing schools and districts.
Job Hunting and Bad References
Things You Can Do
Not all districts handle their screening and interview process in the same manner. In many districts, the principal interviews the teacher and then makes a recommendation to the district. From there, the district conducts reference and background checks. A teacher who has several interviews but is not offered a position may wonder if she is being “blackballed” by negative references. It can be disheartening to find that a former principal is disparaging your professional reputation and interfering with your ability to get a new start. A former principal is entitled to his or her opinion but, it is unfair for an administrator to use the power of their position to influence potential employers and interfere with a teacher’s ability to earn a living and continue her career. Check your personnel file to see if there is anything there to explain why the principal or district is giving you a negative reference. If you find anything, consider writing a rebuttal and make an appointment to talk to someone in Human Resources. Ask what can be done to avoid sabotaging your efforts to seek another position.
If you are reading this article and want to change schools or districts in the future, here are some things to help you as you consider your options and make your plans. Many of these ideas require that you take action long before you begin a job search, so you will be in a stronger position when the time comes. 1. Consider talking to your principal or supervisor about your interest in making a career change. If you have been in conflict with him, this conversation may be awkward; however, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. In fact, given the problems between the two of you, he may be more than willing to help you leave the school. 2. If you decline to give your old boss's name as a reference, and an interviewing principal asks about it, you can say you never hit it off with this person and you doubt he will be a fair judge of your skills and achievements. Then, pivot the conversation to the far more interesting topic of what you have to offer.
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The SCEA Advocacy Series, June 2013
T h in g s Yo u C a n Do continued 3. Be prepared. As a teacher, you probably have a Portfolio already. Take time to organize it and make it look professional and reflective of you, your talent and your work. Remove crumpled papers or artifacts that are in poor condition. Polish the overall look. Prepare a resume. Include committee work, special projects and duties outside of the classroom. 4. You will need Professional References. Most districts require at least one reference from an administrator at your current or last school. If you do not feel you can rely on your principal to give you a fair reference, here are other possibilities:
Assistant Principals Curriculum Coach, or similar professional District Office staff Administrator from previous schools or districts Current and Former colleagues
Ask for these references in writing. If they will give you a positive reference in writing, you can be fairly confident they will not say anything verbally that is negative or inconsistent with what they wrote. It goes without saying that you should not use a reference that is not complimentary or is too vague. 5. Don’t overlook parents and students who said good things about you. It is likely that you will be asked about parents during your job interview, so positive comments from parents will speak volumes to show your skill in developing and maintaining good relationships. 6. Include community work and any hobbies or activities that involve students and education. In small communities where everyone knows everyone, your activities outside of school can influence a job interview.
Pe r son a l S tr e s s , E mo t i o n an d H e a lth Self-Esteem and Confidence There's an old saying: "Just because I'm paranoid, it doesn’t mean that everyone is not out to get me." Even if you believe this, refuse to accept it as the end-all-be-all. Look forward, not backward. Confidence will improve your chance of finding a position. It's not a bad idea to seek professional counseling if you think it would help you. When you interview, you want to appear healthy and confident as opposed to downtrodden, wounded or insecure. A hiring principal is not interested in your past problems; he’s interested in hiring a competent teacher. When you interview, your job is to sell yourself. Develop a new mindset. Develop a “success” mindset. When principals do not respond to your application or invite you to interview, follow up with an email that reminds them of your interest and assure them that you are someone they want on their faculty. Briefly share some positive things about your background and highlight the reasons you would be an asset to their school or district. 2
The SCEA Advocacy Series, June 2013
N e twor k in g an d O th er I d e a s Colleagues... Relationships with colleagues are important to the success of a teacher. Use them to open doors. Introduce yourself to the World... Consider a Facebook, LinkedIn or other appropriate web page. Craft it carefully. This gives everyone an opportunity to discover you. Networking… Learn who you need to know. These connections can make a significant difference. The more allies you have, the easier your search will become. Bond with people who are out of your exprincipal’s sphere of influence. Collegial Support ... Everyone needs a support system. Look for a colleague to turn to for advice or simply to unwind.
Instructional Coach/Team Chairs/Department Chairs/ District Consultants... These staff can be both a reference for you and a resource for inside information about openings and how to navigate the political “system”. Unless you specifically request it, they may decide to share their conversations with you with others. If you want your conversations to be held in confidence, make sure you discuss that with them. Your Principal… If your decision to leave is related to problems with your principal, he should be willing to support your decision so you can leave. There are things he can say about you without sabotaging a reference. Talk to him and ask him to do the right thing. Ask if he will work with you to write a reference
that he will use for phone references. Just because you were not successful in his school (in his opinion), doesn’t mean you can be successful somewhere else. Your Students… Never under-estimate the sophistication of students and their ability to influence others. If you have complimentary notes from students, include the best ones in your portfolio. Use quotes from parents and students in your resume.
Q u e st io n s a Tea ch e r M i g h t A s k in a I n t er vi e w 1. Are there opportunities to advise extracurricular activities, student clubs, sports or organizations? 2. What are some of the things you are most proud of in your school? 3. What are the biggest challenges that you face in your school? 4. What would be my potential schedule? 5. How much preparation time would I have? 6. What do you consider the ideal administrator/teacher partnership? 7. What do you consider are the best qualities of a teacher? 8. When do you believe a student should be sent to the office? 9. Are teachers encouraged to collaborate on units/lessons/cross-discipline-learning? 10. Describe the Parent-Teacher Organization present at the school - is it strong, are there volunteers, are parents 3
The SCEA Advocacy Series, June 2013
I n t er vi ew in g Do s an d Do n ’ t s Do Your Homework Find out what you can about a district or school before you apply there so you make the best decision for you. What are your strengths and weaknesses? These are common interview questions that can be awkward. Talking about strengths may sound like bragging and talking about weaknesses may feel uncomfortable. One approach to the question is to talk about a time when you failed at something and how you responded, and a time when you succeeded at something you do well. First Impressions Have directions in hand and allow time for traffic or unexpected delays. Arrive at least ten minutes early. Introduce yourself to the receptionist and indicate who you are there to see.
Remember the name of the person you will interview with and address them by name. Dress Most principals are influenced by appearance before you have an opportunity to speak. Appearance it their first impression of you. Dress more formally than you would as a teacher. A business suit that is properly fitted is appropriate. Demeanor When the interviewer is speaking, demonstrate active listening by maintaining eye contact. You should not be caught looking around the room. Be attentive and interested. Verbal Communication Show confidence, interest, assertiveness, and enthusiasm. However, be yourself. If you try to force these mannerisms, it will show. Be yourself. Smile, be
courteous and respectful. Use your best conversational skills. You are there to answer questions, so allow the interviewer to lead the interview. Answer questions but don’t overdo it or be too talkative. If you have a bad habit such as the use of “um,” “like” and “you know” when you speak, be aware of it and avoid it during the interview. Be Honest While past failures or conflicts with a prior principal need not be volunteered, don’t try to cover them up. If it comes up in the interview, simply explain the circumstances without giving excuses or blaming others. Discuss what you learned from the situation. Never speak poorly about former supervisors, colleagues, or employers. If you were unhappy, simply explain that it was not a good fit.
Q u e st io n s a P ri n c ip a l M ig h t A s k in a n I n ter v ie w 1. Can you tell us about yourself? 2. What grades/levels have you worked with, and which do you prefer to work with? 3. How would you prioritize planning, assessment, and discipline, from most to least important? 4. What's your process for writing a lesson plan? 5. What would your ideal classroom look like? 6. What are you looking for in a school? 7. What would your previous employer say was your biggest strength and weakness? 8. How would you prepare students for standardized tests (HSAP, EOC, Common Core)? 9. Where do you see yourself professionally in five years? 10. Why should we hire you for this position? What can you bring to this school? 4
The SCEA Advocacy Series, June 2013
M o ck I n t er v i ew Two teachers were given the following interview questions in a mock interview by e-mail. The teacher’s responses follow each question. You will notice significant difference in how the two teachers responded to the same question. After each set of responses, we included a response from an administrator who was asked to react to their responses and share what he wants to hear in an interview. These responses are represented as they were received and were not edited for content, grammar or punctuation.
Why do you want to change schools or districts? 1. I am looking for a progressive district that recognizes that, just as students learn differently, teachers vary in their teaching styles. In recognizing this, the district encourages teachers to be creative and think outside of the box to effectively address their students' various learning needs. 2. I want to raise student achievement (test scores). Principal’s response: I would like a teacher that wants to improve test scores and use divergent learning techniques to bring out the best in each student. I want a teacher that will be at work every day, be on time, and to give 100% while at work. I also expect teachers to be a good role model and involved in the community. I would listen for indications of these qualities throughout the interview. Describe a lesson that went well, one that didn't go well, why it didn’t go well, and what would you change in the future. 1. Good lesson: I taught a common core strategy involving the use of media and digital print ads from the WWII era to teach propaganda techniques. I printed off the advertisements and placed on a chart paper. Students worked in small groups to identify the time period of the ad (social studies emphasis), the purpose for the ad, the message, and the propaganda techniques used. The groups used post it notes to post their answers. Then, using music from the represented era, students moved around the room like musical chairs. When the music stopped, and with post it notes in hand, they went to the nearest group and corrected that group's answers and added more answers if applicable. It is a way to also peer evaluate. Bad lesson: I attempted to teach the impact of slavery on S.C. when teaching "Copper Sun". I asked the students if they knew what war was fought where slavery was a key issue and more than one student answered, "The American Revolution". I should have simply reminded them of the Civil War and the impact of the issue of slavery as it related to the South. It ended up in a loss of instructional time while trying to correct them on the purpose of the American Revolution vs. the issues of the Civil War. 2. A good lesson follows the lesson format in the district-mandated teaching and learning framework. A bad lesson is one that does not follow the district-mandated teaching and learning framework. I would monitor and adjust to conform with district mandates. Principal’s response: A good lesson involves following the state standards for the subject matter, common core objectives, and involves all students using divergent learning techniques. The lesson plan allows for flexibility and allows for work that can be achieved by all levels of student abilities. The lesson also needs to be challenging for higher level students. The teacher should be able to monitor and adjust as needed. 5
The SCEA Advocacy Series, June 2013
What would your principal say about you? (Assume it will be negative and decide how you would prepare this principal for this in a way that makes you look good or at least neutralizes the impact.) 1. One never knows what a supervisor will ultimately say in the end. I did not have enough time in my school to develop much of a relationship with any one supervisor. I would hope that she would be fair in her comments. I believe my observations support my competency as a teacher. 2. You may not get a good reference from my principal. However, you may get good references from the assistant principals. Principal’s response: I would expect the principal to give a good reference. If not, the teacher would need to explain. If the principal does not give a positive response, I would accept a positive reference from an assistant principal or department head. How do you help a struggling learner? 1. I build rapport with the student first. I take an interest in their interests and find ways to utilize their interests to help plan instructional strategies. For example, with my all boys most read below a 5th grade reading level. To help them learn to enjoy reading instructional text, I purchased a classroom edition of the Wall Street Journal for Students. There were articles of interest for both girls and boys. One article in particular that was a hit was on the new LeBron James Nike shoe. I blew it up in several poster size articles and laminated them. We spent a week analyzing each paragraph for understanding and for facts. The next week, we analyzed text elements and any use of propaganda techniques. The boys took a strong interest in it. I then required them to read informational texts outside of the classroom on Nike, the corporation, and celebrity endorsements. They were to bring articles in to share and we spent time analyzing these informational text pieces throughout the semester before PASS. I believe it was successful because it met the students where they had had an interest as well as challenged them in their Lexile reading level. On 3rd quarter benchmark, my students scored the highest on informational text questions. 2. I provide individual attention. Principal’s response: The teacher must mention that individual attention is extremely important. A student will perform for a teacher, if that student really believes the teacher cares about them. The teacher must also take a look at the students past test scores, the students permanent record, etc. to see if there is a reading level problem. The teacher must also be willing to offer individual tutoring and extra help to the student.
More Resources (Internet Links) 15 Popular Interview Questions Answered The Interview: Principals Share 30 Favorite Questions for Future Common Teacher Interview Questions and Answers Teacher Interview Sample Questions Teaching Interview Questions and Answers NEA - Six Steps to Landing Your First Teaching Job NEA - Your First Teaching Job Interview 6