You’ve been given a job offer and you’re so excited that a school wants to you teach with them. The temptation to accept right away is great, but there are some essential questions you should ask after you get a job offer.
Whether you’re an experienced teacher or just out of school, you should consider if a workplace aligns with your values, career aspirations, and personality before making any decisions. After all, accepting a new job in education has a huge impact on every aspect of your professional and personal life. In the all-hands-on-deck environment of a school, knowing upfront whether the workplace you’re in is the right fit matters even more.
So how can you be sure you ask the right questions after you get an offer? Start out with these four suggestions and see if the answers lead you to believe working at the school is a match made in heaven.
The people you work with on a day to day basis matter. During the interview process, make sure to spend time talking to future teammates, both informally and formally. What challenges do they face? Do they complete projects or initiatives together or as individuals? What inspires them to come to work every day?
As an educator, growing your capacity as a teacher has a large impact on your students’ success—and your career trajectory. Be sure to ask your future supervisor how the school will invest in your development. Are their opportunities to attend conferences and participate in professional development sessions? Most importantly—does the team value frequent, helpful, and specific feedback that supports your growth?
Many days, teaching can feel like a thankless job. It’s important that teachers feel supported and empowered to bring their whole selves to work each day—and get rewarded when they’re doing the right thing. This starts in the interview—do you feel appreciated and comfortable, even in a brand new space? During the interview process, you can ask whether supervisors celebrate or acknowledge milestones, achievements, or personal successes. All of these things impact one’s long-term success in the role—and help prevent burn out!
When you find an organization that values the same things you do, whether it’s putting the needs of children first, believing in the success of every child, or committing to getting the details right, you’ll know you’ve found the right fit. Be sure to review the mission statement of the school or organization to discover what they value, and ask how these values are demonstrated in the school or office during the interview process.
All of these questions can help ensure that your education job hunt ends successfully!