Understanding the post-interview follow-up stage could solidify a teaching job offer. Put your persistence plan in action, and don’t let up.

The job interview isn’t over when your meeting ends – there is still work to do to secure the education position. Following up after the interview is critical to success.

Improve your chances of receiving a job offer or for improving your interviewing performance in future interviews. Proper post-interview follow-up will help you fine-tune your interviewing skills.

The first thing to do after your interview is complete is to evaluate your performance. Analyze your interviewing performance after it is over to understand your interviewing strengths and identify areas for improvement. It would be best to do this within a few hours of your interview while the experience is still fresh in your mind.

Post-interview Follow-up Evaluation Checklist

Write down as many details as you can remember about the interview.

• Note the date the interviewer said they would contact you.
• Were you punctual for the interview?
• Analyze what you did well and what you can improve. Be objective by assessing yourself from the employer’s perspective.
• Did you perform research beforehand on the school and the school district?
• Were any of the interview questions you were asked make you uncomfortable?
• How would you rate your posture, body language, mannerisms, and non-verbal communication?
• Did you stick to the main facts of each question, or did you go off on tangents and ramble?
• Were you able to cover all relevant information to sell your value as an educator?
• Did you have a chance to showcase your teaching portfolio?
• How did the interview panel react when you communicated your philosophy of education?
• Did you adequately display and efficiently communicate your significant achievements?
• How do you feel about the organization or school after the interview – do you view the position more positively or negatively?

After Evaluating the Interview Send a Thank You Letter to the Interviewer

Time is of the essence when sending a thank you letter, a vital job search marketing document. Send the message within 48 hours after the interview.

This post-interview follow-up step is courteous and will give another opportunity to reiterate the value you can bring to the position. The letter will remind the interviewers of your candidacy and continued interest in the teaching position.

If you do not receive a job offer, it is important to remain professional. If you are offered feedback on your performance, take it – and if the interviewer didn’t offer feedback, you should ask for it.

Understanding the reason you weren’t selected is essential to prepare for future interviews. For instance, if something out of your control, like the teacher selected, was already substitute teaching in the classroom, you can feel better about your job interview performance.

If the interviewer provides constructive feedback regarding your interview, you can improve your interview performance.

Congratulations if you receive a job offer.

When you receive a phone call from the decision-maker with a job offer, it could be the right time to discuss certain aspects of the job. Usually, it is best to wait for the contract or formal job offer to talk about the compensation package. If it was a teaching position, you should ask for information regarding the induction program, syllabus, curriculum, policies and procedures, and work schemes. Gathering these important details will enable you to take the necessary steps to prepare for your first day of class.

What is your plan for implementing math across the curriculum? Have you been asked this question at a teacher job interview:

It is important that the response you give to the job interview question is truthful, relevant to the position, and shows value to the school district. The following could be a possible answer, or it may provide some ideas for you to tailor your response:

It’s important to integrate math across the curriculum to create conceptual learning, which results from moving toward connecting mathematics, its ideas, and its application to other study areas.

I implement math across the curriculum through demonstrating mathematics in real-life situations as they apply to other subjects – art, music, physical education, science, social studies, and English – which allows students to recognize the importance of math concepts in all subject areas.

When teaching students lessons in other subject areas, I teach math concepts by utilizing patterns, formulas, probability, statistics, graphs, designing, analyzing data, and central tendencies.

For instance, when teaching Social Studies, I incorporate activities such as determining scale, direction, and coordinates on maps and analyzing graphs and statistics data. And in Phys. Ed, I have students log data regarding their physical activities to determine the height, distance, time, correlations, and statistics. Using math manipulatives when appropriate has always contributed to academic success.

These methods have helped students’ achievement rates and have helped them make better sense of what they’re learning because they can make connections with previous learning and different study areas.

Find yourself dreaming of an administrator’s office instead of the current classroom you share with your students. It may be time to start thinking about moving toward a successful transition from the classroom to administration.

These are relevant job search tips for making a career change or transition from being a teacher to an assistant principal or principal, making the switch to an administrator’s role easier.

Embarking on a career transformation will involve setting goals, researching, managing your time, and overcoming any job search obstacles along your job search journey.

Before you have your new nameplate engraved (come on, you know that’s the FIRST thing you would do!!), let’s determine if you have the credentials to be a viable candidate for an assistant principal,  head of school, curriculum director, or any other coordinator or leadership position.

6 Tips to Transition from Teaching to Educational Leadership Easier

1. Update Your Credentials

The school district(s) you’re targeting may require a graduate degree or certification in a specialized area, such as school administration or educational leadership. If returning to college is in your future, don’t think you must put off your dream of an administrative role until it’s complete. Many school systems offer administrative internships or will move you into the position full-time even while you’re completing your studies.

2. Think Outside the Classroom

When compiling your resume,  cover letter, and LinkedIn profile, you should focus on creating a “big picture perspective” of your responsibilities and accomplishments. If possible, don’t quantify your successes regarding the classroom population; focus on your impact on the school or district.

This way, your resume and cover letter will concentrate more on administrative skills such as leadership, teamwork, dedication to the school community, and involvement with committees and school improvement projects. The key is to market your transferable skills.

3 Uncover Transferable Leadership Skills And Accomplishments

This is one of the essential parts of a career change to educational leadership.

Transferable skills are strengths and areas of expertise you can use in multiple careers. You can “transfer” them to different fields, making you versatile and desirable to potential schools. Even though you may not think you have the skills necessary to become an administrator – look hard enough and realize that uncovering them will be easier if you ask the right questions.

For a career change to the principalship, take time to correctly uncover transferable leadership administrative skills and abilities such as:

• Communicating ideas to others via different mediums
• Working with individuals on a one-on-one basis, as well as in a large group
• Establishing a comfortable and inclusive environment where every person feels welcome
• Setting goals that you and others should aim to reach
• Evaluating others on their performance and behavior and offering constructive feedback promptly

These qualities are not exclusive to the classroom but would work perfectly in an administrator role.

The key to making a career change is marketing your transferable skills in your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile during the job interview. You will list past job responsibilities and relevant achievements when developing your resume. When describing those two items, remember the above skills and others you think are needed as an educator.

For instance, if you led a seminar in your office, do not just state it; explain it: “Organized and conducted a workshop for 30 staff members detailing new sales goals and initiatives.

Conducted a question and answer session and encouraged open brainstorming among the employees.” This accomplishment demonstrates that you can communicate with a large group, answer their questions, and promote public discussion – all essential to leading a challenging class. Highlight achievements like this in your resume and cover letter.

Even if you think your day-to-day tasks are irrelevant, scrutinize them and identify components that would transfer to the classroom environment.

For instance, if you led a seminar in your office, do not just state it; explain it: “Organized and conducted a workshop for 30 staff members detailing new sales goals and initiatives. Conducted a question and answer session, and encouraged open brainstorming among the employees.”

This accomplishment demonstrates that you can communicate with a large group, answer their questions, and promote public discussion – all essential to leading a challenging class.

Highlight achievements like this when writing your resume and cover letter. Even if you think your day-to-day tasks are irrelevant, sift through them and identify components that would transfer to the classroom environment.

Showcase other qualities for your reader, including communication, organization, time management, analytical, and problem-solving skills. If these traits apply to you, list these skills in the introductory paragraph of your resume. Keeping the information in your resume accurate is paramount. Like the example above, you can also allude to these skills while detailing accomplishments.

Your cover letter should also contain all of the above. You want to grab the reader’s attention immediately and let them know that even though you are a career changer, you have what it takes to be a phenomenal educator. Communicate, “I have developed skills A, B, C, and D, and am looking forward to putting them to good use in the school community.” Highlight three to five related achievements, demonstrating that you are well-suited for a leadership position.

The qualities and skills you discovered will be needed when it comes time for the school administrator interview. When the interviewer asks, “Why do you think you would make an excellent school principal?” you will be able to answer quickly with a list of related educational leadership skills.

4. Get Involved In Relevant Community Work

If you’re not already actively participating in the Parent-Teacher Association, school committees, and special task forces aimed at school improvement or raising student achievement, now’s the time. Your contributions will demonstrate that you are doing what it takes to support your district’s key goals and objectives. It also shows you are willing to go above and beyond your role to ensure a thriving learning community.

Not only is volunteering a reward in itself, but it is also something you can add to your resume. Participating in community activities shows potential employers that you are committed, hardworking, and an active team player in the local population. Furthermore, as a career changer, highlighting your relevant volunteer experience is an excellent method for demonstrating applicable skills and hands-on experience, especially if you have minimal formal leadership or mentoring expertise.

Depending on your level of involvement and how relevant your role was as a leader, mention your volunteer experience in your cover letter, reinforcing your commitment and hard work. When it comes time for the interview, remember to discuss your community involvement and the skills you use relevant to that of a leader/supervisor.

5. Read and Research

Look for educational journals, magazines, and Internet websites to learn more about contemporary education’s dynamic changes. Find out who is getting recognition for creativity and innovation, learn about the programs and initiatives they’re implementing, and consider opportunities to incorporate similar changes in your school or district.

To be considered a leader in a school community, you must show that you have done your homework and are well-versed in all the latest teaching methods and issues affecting the present education system. A hiring committee will want to know what you can bring to a school, so it’s a great idea to research some innovative strategies and programs. You can review many career change articles here.

6. Spread the Word Via Job Search Networking

Testing a second career option is exciting and may require stepping outside your cozy zone. Talk to your school principal, assistant principal, and other administrative staff to let them know what you’re trying to accomplish. Most will gladly offer advice and suggestions, and some might even offer to mentor you.

Your current contacts could provide a wealth of information and resources that could immensely help you in your future aspirations in administration education. So it’s definitely in your best interest to tap into this incredible resource to network with others. Ensure your LinkedIn profile is current and focused on your vision and the goal you would like to achieve.

Bonus. Enlist the Professionals

Finally, call us when you’re ready to take the next step. Enlisting our resume and cover letter writing expertise will have you in the principal’s office in no time!

One of A+ Resumes for Teachers’ areas of expertise is uncovering clients’ significant achievements, skills, and strengths to showcase them in a visually appealing resume, cover letter, and leadership philosophy to generate interviews.

Consider many formats and types of teaching cover letters when conducting a job search. The word ‘letters” is plural because you will have a few different types. Tailoring your application letters to meet the different positions and school districts is critical to landing a job interview.

Whether you are writing a teacher cover letter, an assistant principal cover letter, or any other educator’s letter, you need to choose a format that is easy to read and fits your personality.

Ensure the teaching cover letters you write complement the resume you are submitting. These documents introduce you in your absence. Prospective schools are looking for professionalism and not a generalized cover letter template.

As I am sure you know, there are many top tips for writing cover letters. The key is to start implementing the correct ones to strengthen your letter.

If you use a standard form that many teachers use, the reader may take it as an indication that you are lazy or look for shortcuts to get things done. Your form needs to be unique to you and what you can offer the school district.

Use the writing strategies below and the ones at this link, which teaches application letter writing tips, to create a powerful letter. 

Target your cover letter to meet the school district’s needs and what they are looking for in a candidate to fill the teaching position available. It should contain details about you that are current and fresh. It’s doubtful you will grab the reader’s attention using a generic format you downloaded, copied, and pasted from the internet.

It is paramount to show your personality and passion in your letter of introduction. The reader wants to know you are authentic.

6 Tips to Write Different Teaching Cover Letters

Tip 1: Your application letter should introduce your teacher resume:

Cover letters need to say more than “here is my resume.” It’s your chance to convince the principal that you’re the best person for the job; sell yourself. Introduce yourself. Tell them a little about why you want to teach at their school.

Tip 2: Teaching cover letters need to get the reader’s attention:

Grab the attention of the reader immediately or risk losing it for good. Make it clear right from the outset about which job you’re applying for and why you have the necessary expertise to fill the post. Communicate your experience, relevant achievements, and skills, but keep it short and to the point.

 Tip 3: Research the school so you can make a connection:

Please find out the school principal’s name and address the letter directly to them. Remember the teaching position’s specifics and give concrete examples of how you’ve excelled in these areas.

Research as much as possible about the school where you wish to apply to communicate how you share their vision. Many principals will want to meet you in person if they feel you would fit into the school community through your application letter for a teaching position. Show you understand the school’s vision and explain how you can contribute.

Tip 4: Communicate the passion you have for the work:

Be passionate; it’s infectious. Express your enthusiasm for the school and the teaching or other education position to the principal. Talk about how satisfying and rewarding you find this type of work. Talk about how you love a challenge. Discuss being driven to succeed, but whatever you say, say it with passion, the passion you feel about teaching.

Tip 5: Teaching cover letters should show creativity:

In the education field, creativity is a highly valued skill that can set you apart from other candidates. School principals seek innovative educators who can engage students, solve problems, and adapt to diverse learning needs in new and imaginative ways. Use your cover letter to highlight instances where you’ve demonstrated creative thinking in your teaching practice or school involvement.

For example, you might share how you developed a unique classroom activity, designed an interdisciplinary project, or introduced new technology to enhance learning outcomes. If you’ve implemented a successful program or collaborated with colleagues to solve a school-wide challenge, this is a perfect opportunity to showcase it.

Be sure to focus on the impact of your creativity. Did student engagement improve? Did your innovative project foster collaboration, critical thinking, or problem-solving skills? These details not only demonstrate your creativity but also your ability to achieve tangible results in the classroom.

Tip 6: Check and recheck it:

This might sound strange, but if time allows, finish writing your cover letter and put it away; don’t read it for a day or two. Then, take it back out and read it with fresh eyes. You may read it over and think that it’s okay, but if you went too deep, there may be one or two parts that could use improvement. Read it out loud. Does it flow well, or did you stumble when reading?

If you read it and think, “Good grief, what was I talking about?” throw it away and start over. Have someone proofread it for you.

Your cover letter is the document a school principal or hiring authority will read before moving on to your resume. It is your chance to communicate why they should take the time to read your teacher’s resume and consider hiring you for the education position you are seeking.

Review resume writing tips for teachers to determine if your existing resume or curriculum vitae/ CV  communicates your value to a school community.

Can you answer the following teacher interview question:

How would you teach a class if some students did not know how to read yet?

It is essential that the response you give to the job interview question is truthful, relevant to the position, and shows value to the school district. The following could be a possible answer, or it may provide some ideas for you to tailor your response:

I have found that the inability to read is a fairly common problem, especially in lower economic groups or with students of parents who don’t have the resources or skills necessary, like teenage moms.

I try to tie my literature to things the students already know about or their prior knowledge to combat this problem. I start with letter recognition. For 30 minutes each day, I set a reading time for my class.

During this time, I provide book baskets with all interest levels and ability levels at each group’s table to read during free reading time/ SSR.

I then listen to each child read one of the three books they have chosen and show them how to walk through the book through pictures, looking at the pictures to get an idea of what’s happening, then sounding out the word sounds, etc.

I have the students work in small groups and brainstorm ideas while I write about things they know and like. I write a book based on their opinions that they have authored.

To accomplish this, I use leading questions, such as:

“Let’s write a story together. What do you want to write about?

The star pupil of the day gets to choose the topic.

Who is in the story?

Where does it take place?

What does this person look like?” etc.

When it is done (usually takes 1-2 days), the class will continue choral read the story. I will have word wall words listed that they can use to identify the story.

I have found that when it comes to teaching reading to a group of students at a variety of different ability levels, it is best to divide the class into multiple ability groups.

It is easier for students to learn, as well as gain confidence in this way. I run my group time and center times this way. I change the children’s groups to ensure children get to work with different students to broaden their learning.

How would you answer this interview question?

If you build positive student-teacher relationships, your students will be more likely to pay attention to you, and there will be fewer disruptions.

As a teacher, the best way to respect your students and have a better behaved and controlled classroom is by putting forth an effort to get to know your students. Improving student-teacher relationships and building a positive classroom environment will optimize learning.

Let’s discuss methods to build positive, respectful relationships with your students, which are an excellent method to create an effective classroom management plan.

CLICK the arrow, and Candace will read this post!

Building and improving your student-teacher relationships will take effort. Below are a few relatively simple ways to get to know your students better:

1. ‘Getting to Know You’ Worksheets:

A major part of getting to know your students is learning their likes, dislikes, hobbies, passions, and interests, and this strategy works wonders in achieving this. At the beginning of each school year, provide your students with a personal questionnaire to complete to explain their interests and hobbies.

By knowing your students’ interests, you will have something to dialogue with them about, and you can then show an interest in them as individuals. When you can engage in conversations with them on their level about things they enjoy, they will be more likely to listen to you.

2. Dialogue:

We seldom chat with our worst students even though having a real, sometimes a spur of the moment and random conversation with another person is one of the best ways of building relationships and trust.

Dialogue is a unique relationship-builder because it evolves into a connection, and when steps are made to form this relationship, pupils relate to us much more positively. Building respect in the classroom will help manage the classroom effectively. 

3. Active Listening:

Active listening is an effective way of showing you value a person’s opinion. We demonstrate we are listening by making eye contact, stopping other activities from concentrating fully on what is being communicated, and responding to accurate gestures and verbal cues.

This is an effective way to get students to talk without offering any judgments or opinions on what they’re saying. Active listening creates rapport with your students by showing your genuine interest in what they have to say.

4. After-school Clubs:

There is no better way to get to know your students than by simply spending time with them – on their time. This way, they’ll see you do care, and you’re willing to go the extra mile for them. You may find this almost instantly changes their opinions of you.

5. Share relevant personal stories or anecdotes.

By demonstrating a connection between your life and students, you will reach out to students and show you, too effectively, are human. Think of humorous personal experiences that will entertain students and convey a strong life lesson.

Tie as many stories as possible to lesson plans and core curriculum instead of being wholly independent or random anecdotes. This method may also help students remember information. Ensure that anything you share is age-appropriate, cannot be misconstrued, will not offend anyone, and will not put you in a bad light.

After sharing your personal story, asks students if they have ever done or encountered something similar. By implementing this technique, you may even reach out to the quietest of students and get them to open up a bit more to yourself, as well as their classmates.

6. Offer one-on-one support.

Each student in your classroom, regardless of academic or developmental level, should receive individualized assistance at some point.

The struggling students need it the most; gifted children need to be challenged, but the average learner also needs one-on-one guidance to reach their full potential. Make time to offer individualized support before or after class or during lunch or recess.

Walking around the room while students are engaged in their schoolwork or group projects also provides an excellent opportunity to help students. In addition to administering quizzes and exams, this is an effective way to discover students’ strengths and weaknesses and help them overcome obstacles.

By making time for each student, not only will you be able to help them academically, you will be able to connect with them on a more personal level.

7. Maintain an open-door policy.

Let students know you are always there to help them with an academic or personal issue that may arise. Tell them your door is always open, and you are willing to lend an ear. When students approach you about their various issues of concern, use active listening. Actually, listen to the individual’s problem, take the time to process it, and try to come up with a reasonable and practical solution.

Even students can tell when someone is not paying attention to them. Remember, the individual was probably nervous about approaching you in the first place; you need to demonstrate you do care and are willing to help. Offer to help resolve peer conflicts if you notice two or more students do not get along, thus creating a harmonious and goal-driven learning environment.

8. Demonstrate mutual trust and respect.

Remember you were once a student too. Please think of the teachers that made you feel valued; utilize their approaches and model their positive behavior. Don’t forget the teachers you were not fond of or made you feel insignificant; learn from their poor behavior or inadequate teaching skills, and treat your students the opposite way. Showing students you care, trust, and respect them will receive the same sentiments in return.

Treat students as unique individuals, who are not beneath you, but who deserve your utmost support and encouragement to flourish and succeed. When people feel trusted and respected, they feel good about themselves and develop a greater sense of self-confidence and willingness to progress. Use your gifts and past experiences to shape students into well-rounded and respectable human beings.

9. Provide praise and positive encouragement.

Nothing makes a person feel better about herself than hearing words of encouragement. Praise and positive reinforcement can come in many ways: an outright written or verbal “good job!”, an A+ on an assignment, work being displayed on the wall of achievement, a note of congratulations sent home to parents, a “student of the week” award, and many others. Positive encouragement does not mean skipping over areas that need improvement.

If a student is underachieving, constructively let them know that some skills or topics could use some work, but add they are performing very well in other specific areas. Honest feedback will help keep students at the top of their game while shooting to improve and progress. This is also a great tool to boost children’s self-confidence and self-esteem, keeping their levels of motivation high.

10. Greet students when they walk into the classroom. 

Greeting students is a simple gesture; however, it can mean the world to the recipient and brighten their day. Smile at each student and say “good morning” to the group when the class has begun. Say “hi” to students in the hallway as well. Just because your class has ended doesn’t mean common courtesy has to.

When you see your students outside of school, take the time to stop and ask how their day or weekend is going. Make small talk with parents as well. At the end of spring, summer, or winter break, ask students to share their experiences with you and the rest of the class. Being social will make students feel good and show them you care about them, both as students and as human beings.

Emphasizing your most recent, relevant experience is an excellent rule of thumb to avoid creating an unbalanced resume. Give less real estate (resume space) to jobs that go farther back into your past, especially if they add no value to your current job target.

After writing a targeted profile or career summary and a bullet table highlighting your expertise, knowledge areas, or core competencies, you would place relevant employment experience. Depending on your situation, you may or may not put your education next. 

When drafting the employment section, you might be challenged if your most impressive, relevant experience occurred two or three teaching positions ago. Learn how to avoid creating an unbalanced resume by knowing how to combat this issue. Here are some additional teacher resume writing tips to serve as a checklist.

Your resume should highlight your most relevant work experiences and accomplishments, highlighting your value as a teacher. Choosing the correct resume style is essential to presenting your work background in the best possible light.

Even if your most significant professional accomplishments happened quite a while ago, you would still want to highlight them.

However, you want to avoid focusing too much on old jobs that could make it seem like you haven’t done anything significant for a while. Furthermore, it will show future school principals that your skills could be rusty if you haven’t employed them for three or four jobs. This message is not what you are trying to accomplish. A solution that will allow you to include this relevant information while not making it look like you have been wasting your time.

First, see if you have used these skills more recently in another teaching position you may have overlooked. Sometimes, we get attached to our accomplishments and incorporate each one. If you have done similar things in a recent teaching position, showcase these achievements over your prior teaching experiences.

If you can feature these talents in more recent teaching positions, you will demonstrate to school administrators that you actively use these teaching skills.

If a particular teaching experience cannot be duplicated in another job and is imperative to showcase your abilities, then another option exists. Instead of placing it in your work history, make it stand out.

Incorporate it under a heading like “Teaching Highlights.” Use a bulleted list of your most crucial past educational achievements.

Not only is this a great idea for highlighting accomplishments from an older position, but it’s an excellent way to showcase your best and most relevant accomplishments throughout your teaching career.

This bulleted list will help you stand out from the competition and make it easy for principals to find the most pertinent information about the career experience and skills you can offer.

By highlighting prior work accomplishments in this way, you will adequately describe the relevant experience without listing employment dates or specifying which school it occurred at. Moreover, you will bring even more attention to it by putting it near the top of your resume.

Problem solved!

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need help compiling your resume, cover letter, or other job search documents. For 23+ years, we have helped clients advance their careers. If you are interested, you can review the teacher resume-writing packages.

Dealing with an angry parent requires empathy, active listening, and a commitment to resolving the issue effectively.

Do you know how you would answer the following teacher interview question:

Here’s how I would approach the situation:

Firstly, I would acknowledge the parents’ emotions and validate their concerns. For example, I might say, “I understand that you’re feeling upset, and I’m here to listen and address your concerns.”

Next, I would actively listen to the parents’ perspective, allowing them to fully express their frustrations. I would rephrase their statements to ensure I accurately understand their concerns.

Once I clearly understand the issue, I will assure the parent that I am committed to finding a solution. I would convey that the school’s priority is the well-being and success of the students, and we will work together to address any challenges they face.

I would then propose practical steps to resolve the issue, whether by implementing a solution immediately or conducting further investigation. If necessary, I would offer to follow up with the parent within a specified timeframe to provide updates on the situation’s progress.

If the parent remains dissatisfied, I suggest involving the school principal to ensure all parties are aware and engaged in finding a resolution. I aim to reassure the parent that their concerns are being addressed appropriately by maintaining open communication and a proactive approach.

How would you respond if asked this important teacher interview question?

What is the single most significant factor in student success?

Below is a sample answer to help you prepare for your next education job interview.

Many factors contribute to a student’s academic success, and there are many theories about what will help increase your student’s educational success. Setting and communicating reasonable and challenging expectations will help to achieve student success.

The issues that can influence school performance include socioeconomic status, parenting, quality and quantity of time spent away from primary caregivers, parental expectation, the degree of physical and mental health, effects of peer relationships, and meeting of nutritional needs.

Parent involvement and motivation are among the most significant factors in academic success. About 70-90% of students who get As or Bs in school report being encouraged by their parents to do well. Parental involvement may help children understand that education is essential. Such parents may also help with homework, occasionally volunteer at school, and attend conferences or meetings with teachers.

In contrast, at least in one study, about 49% of children who earn Cs or lower report that their parents do not encourage them. Schools also regularly say better performance and academic success are more likely when parents actively participate in their child’s education.

However, if I had to choose only one factor as the most important, I would have highly trained teachers using effective current methods. Over 200 studies (What Matters Most, 1996) have said that a knowledgeable and skillful teacher is the most significant factor in improving student learning.

• Teacher expertise accounts for more difference in student performance—40 percent—than any other factor. Ferguson (2001)
• Students with several effective teachers make dramatic achievement gains, while those with even two ineffective teachers lose significant ground. Sack (1999)
• Based on research in Texas, the importance of having an effective teacher instead of an average teacher for four or five years in a row could essentially close the gap in math performance between students from low-income and high-income households. Hanushek, Kain, and Rivkin. (2001)
• The difference in teacher effectiveness is the single most significant factor affecting the academic growth of populations of students. Sanders (2000)
• The differences in impact by the most effective teachers, the top one-sixth of teachers, can be.
  Credit: Harry K. Wong HarryKRose@aol.com

The achievement gap facing poor and minority students is due to poverty or family conditions and systematic differences in teacher quality. A student taught by an ineffective teacher for two years can never recover the learning lost during those years. As a teacher’s effectiveness increases, the lower-achieving students are the first to benefit from this improvement.

Determining what needs to be taught and correctly implemented is critical to classroom success and teaching with excellence.

If you are already here, you might as well check out our career eBooks, including:

152 School Teacher OR 152 School Administrator Job Interview Questions and Answers

Instantly prepare for your next education job interview to win the job offer of your dreams. The detailed 152 sample responses to these job interview questions will help you WOW the panel. There is no delay—you can download it now!