Virginia Teacher

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Home : 2001 : July : 17

Virginia Teacher
By Amy Lee

Jenny,

I teach in Virginia and the interview process differs from district to district. I teach 4 hours south of Northern Virginia. I have seen the ads in our local newspaper for Fairfax, King George, and Arlington. These
areas are highly populated and have high numbers of ESL students so I am confident you will get an interview and a job offer.
I had one interview near VA Beach involving the personnel director. He looked at my resume and ask questions about my teaching style and gave me hypothetical situations and what I would do in those situations. Then we visited the school where I would be teaching

to see how I interacted with students then I met the school principal and he asked very few questions. I was offered the job on the spot. I didn't take it because it was too far from my now husband and our families.

My second interview was a panel interview with city district. The personnel director, supervisor of special education, and school principal each asked me questions. It was intimidating because I didn't know it was going to be a panel interview. Please ask what type of interview it is going to be. I have heard a local district asks you to present a lesson plan after they give you the topic. Before I could travel home the personnel director had called me. I didn't take the job because I really wanted to teach in a nearby rural area.

The district I worked for now involved a interview with a personnel director at a teaching fair. Then they would not give me a date of when I was going to be hired. Just like you I needed time to relocate. I interviewed with the supervisor and still I couldn't get an answer. When I told the director the city school offered me a job and needed to know if he had a position he told me exactly what I would be teaching and where. Within the week all personnel information had been sent to me to complete.

Maybe you can check with the college you graduated from about availabe teaching positions if you wanted to stay in NY. My college had my resume online for school districts to view.

I would call or email the VA districts you sent applications to and speak to the personnel directors. Be honest and let them know your situation. The school district near VA Beach offered to help with finding a place to live and reimbursement for moving expenses.

I wouldn't worry. You can always be a substitute which may lead into a permanent teaching position.

Good luck. Let me know what happens.