Job Interview From Nursery Role To Reception

[Guest]

Help! In 3 days I have an interview in a school for a Reception job. because I hae been in a nursery where it is totally child initiated with adults playing a supporting role and because of the age I don't feel as confident as I would like to. I need to do a half hour session, leading to an activity with a focus group...any advice I would be very happy to receive!

[mundia]

Hi natty, congratulations on securing your interview, presume this is for a teaching post?

 

Have a think about something you have done that has gone really well in the past, and then Im sure members can help you develop that idea. It's really important in an interview that you are confident about what you are doing, but also try to be original if you can too.

 

Do you have an area of learning you feel strong in?

[Guest]

I think if you look at where reception children are expected to be by the end of reception, that will give you an idea of where you should be pitching your activity. Last week for example in my class we were working on number bonds to 10 (in a fun way with 10 fish and 2 water tanks) and in CLL were making up and writing their own simple stories.

 

They will be looking for how you interact with the children, how you encourage good behaviour etc.

Be clear about what you want to achieve and do provide the people observing you with a plan for your session with objectives etc and show how you would differentiate.

 

Make sure whatever you choose to do with the children that there is as much active participation by the children as possible either by joining in with a story, song, using talk partners (a big thing in lots of schools think 'if a question is worth asking, it is worth everyone answering')

 

I personally would start with a story and use this as a starting point for an activity with a group. In an interview, I did 'whatever next' and then took in large boxes and marker pens and worked with a group to change the box into something else to have an adventure in like the bear.

 

Good luck

deb

[Guest]

Thanks for quick replies!

I have been told the kids have been into dinosaurs so have come up with this;

I have a story about a baby t rex who hatches but loses her mum. She searches until finds her.

I also have a big round stone I thought kids could pass it round feeling it's weight(it IS very heavy!) and maybe giving ideas what it might be. Then they read the note I 'remember' came with it (I think I found it in my garden.) "Help I lost my mum"

In partners children talk about how to find the mum, then comes the tricky bit for me! Activities. I have ideas but how do I know who to have in my focus group? I am so used to children literally choosing their own activities and us following them.

Ideas for activities

write note to dinosaurs

making safe place for egg (junk modelling) or what children come up with

reading other books on dinosaurs

pay dough eggs with small world dinosaurs

 

I realise this maybe not feasible so I'd welcome advice!

 

Nat

[Guest]

@pay' dough should say play dough (or clay, plasticine etc)

[mundia]

I think your idea lends itself into descriptive language, in order to help find mum, you need to know what mum looks like. Perhaps some posters to display..Have you seen my mum?

 

Remember that in half an hour, you will probably have no more than 15 mins to engage with the small group, so don't be too ambitious (junk modeling might be to much in the time you have, for example).

[Guest]

Hi Busybeedeb and Mundia

I got the job and the kids are in on Monday! Exciting times and Thanks!

x

[mundia]

Great news natty, well done, let us know how you settle in wont you?