Completing your personal statement

Your personal statement gives you the opportunity to tell a future employer all about yourself.
 
The temptation is to go through all the things that you’ve done and the places that you have been.
 
That’s ok, but really it is just the starting point and the danger is, it just becomes a list. What you have done is only part of the picture of who you are. Any employer would want a reflective professional on their staff able to make a positive impact on the life of the school. Your comments should give this message.
 
You may have introduced a behaviour strategy to the class or introduced an intervention strategy to improve learners understanding in a particular area. Comment on these sorts of things, but move on to talk about the effectiveness of the things you have done. How much better behaved the children were, how much progress they made in a short period of time.
 
Remember also that you are not just working with children but adults as well. That’s colleagues and parents. It’s a good idea to enrich your statement by reflecting on how your current work demonstrates effectiveness as a team player and an ability to build professional relationships.
 
Another temptation is to use the same personal statement for every application. This might be ok, but its also important to look really closely at the person specification that comes with the job information. When employers are going through applications they will use their person specification as a check list and as a way of making judgements between candidates. Try they to build your personal statement around this person specification. Think carefully about how your own skills and experience can be reflected in the things that they want. Sometimes you might have to think quite hard!

Interview questions
 

What makes a good teacher?
Comment on the emotional qualities that make a good teacher. Don’t forget you’ll be working with adults as well as children. Most importantly comment on the professional skills needed to be a good teacher.
 
How can the classroom environment improve learning?
Displays are important because you can challenge, inform and celebrate. But think also about the organisation of your classroom, tables, storage and general tidiness. Comment also on the organisation of routines within the classroom and how these promote childrens learning. Consider those things that would promote a purposeful working atmosphere.
 
How do you manage challenging behaviour?
Remember no employer would expect you to solve challenging behaviour. Employers will want to hear how you will take responsibility for managing behaviour and promoting good behaviour. All schools will have their own strategies but give examples of things that have worked for you. Avoid saying that it’s the senior managers responsibility not mine!
 
In what ways would you use target setting to improve pupils learning?
Think about the ways in which you would promote targets in class. This would be within a lesson, over the course of lessons, over the whole year. Comment on strategies that have worked for you, designated times, specific activities and the use of the classroom environment. Think about targets in terms of individuals, groups and class. Comment on how marking and feedback supports this process. Think also about how you ensure the appropriateness of targets for the age of the children you teach, whether that’s nursery or A2.