Interview Preparation
As part of the enrolment process for the PGDip in Teaching, all students are interviewed – in most cases by their “home” school. The purpose of this interview is to find out a bit more about you and assess your suitability to work in an educational setting. It also gives us a chance to see if you align with our organisation and the school’s kaupapa.
When you are preparing for the interview think about:
- Any relevant skills, experience you have that you think would make you a great teacher.
- What you think makes a great teacher and why you believe this.
- What are current/topical issues in education? Take a look at recent news articles about education in New Zealand and what’s going on overseas.
- Wider social/societal issues and how these may impact young people in an educational setting.
- Observing a teacher or teacher(s) in a school-setting if you are able to. You can speak about your observations in the interview if the opportunity arises.
- The New Zealand curriculum
Each school will run their interview slightly differently. Some schools may have a formal interview whereas others may choose to have an informal chat with you.
If there’s important information you’d like to convey that hasn’t come up during the interview, share this information with the interviewer(s) before the end of the meeting.