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When interview feedback hurs

When interview feedback hurts…

Interview feedback causes lots of confusion - should I look for it? Will it be useful? How do I improve when I get it anyway? And many teachers feel that even though they look for it - they feel that it’s not useful because it’s too general or seems irrelevant somehow.

Addressing hurtful interview feedback

Worse still, interview feedback can hurt sometimes. How do you stop the feedback from hurting you inside?

If you’ve had many interviews and no job offers and you’ve got lots of feedback, here is …

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Advice+to+NQTs

Advice for NQTs starting their first job.

Beginning your first job can be overwhelming. You’re newly qualified, you’ve finally gotten a job, perhaps you’ve had to move across the country but you are delighted to get a chance to do what you’ve always wanted for yourself. Your dream of beginning a teacher has begun. I was the same back in September 2008.

Today I'm taking you back to my own NQT days - to July 2008 -  with a letter I would have loved to receive from my 'older' self so that you too can get some perspective and learn some of t…

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What+to+put+in+for+special+interests+SAF

What should I write as my special interests in my Standard Application Form?

I’m often asked by clients - what should I put in as my special interests in the special interests section in my Standard Application Form? I answer simply - whatever it is that you’re interested in. Some of my clients keep this area purely focused on areas that they are interested in within the curriculum e.g. Aistear, Inclusion, Special Educational Needs etc. Others include their hobbies - and that’s a lovely inclusion too - especially of they use those hobbies in school sometimes. My take on …

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Questions+for+AP+positions

Principal Interviews: Domain 4 - Developing Leadership Capacity


"Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others" — Jack Welch


The quotation above, outlines one of the key responsibilities for leaders. Whether it be in the beginning stages of leadership e.g. self-management, personal development, courage and growth - to leadership at community level e.g. encouraging and helping others to do those things - developing leadership capacity is vitally important.

When you're applying for A…

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Domain+3+-+Leading+School+Development

School Management AP Applications: Domain 3 Leading School Development

From remote teaching, adapting to the new curriculum, School Self Evaluation, facilitating various employment options and now Covid restrictions - schools are developing at a speed which is faster than ever.

When preparing your AP, deputy principal or principal application form - and preparing for your interviews, you may choose to think about:

How might you go about leading school development?

• School Development: How aware are you about how the school is developing at present? Getting a birds-ey…

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Managing+an+organisation+-+domain+2

AP Applications: How to Prepare for Domain 2: Managing an Organisation

AP, DP and Principal Applications

The second in the series for experienced teachers applying for positions in management roles in their school or beyond - looks at how you can outline your experience managing an organisation.

If you have extensive experience behind you, over the years - you may have facilitated various initiatives, mentored many new staff in the school and adapted to many curricular changes. So, how can you succinctly and effectively communicate these management competencies i…

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Sample Questions for Domain 1  Leading Teaching and Learning

Sample Questions for Domain 1 - Leading Teaching and Learning

When preparing your application form and for interviews for management positions in primary and post-primary schools, it’s important to have examples prepared under the four domains – Leading Teaching and Learning, Managing the Organisation, Leading School Development and Developing Leadership Capacity.

The interview board will be looking for relevant, concrete examples of times that you have shown leadership qualities as evidence of your ability to perform at management level in the school. It’s…

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Sample letter for students to request teaching placement in schools

Sample letter for students to request teaching placement in schools

I have been contacted by a number of students who would love some guidance about how to write effective letters and emails requesting schools to host them for teaching placements. I got you covered!

When you are sending out your email or letter to schools, it will be important to show them that you have some degree of understanding and empathy for each school and the individual setting that they have and the challenges that they face. This is all part of tailoring your application. 

Another im…

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How can I make my Standard Application Form stand out and other FAQs

How can I make my Standard Application Form stand out? - and other FAQs

If you've been interested in my business for a while now and you’re curious about what I do, you may have some questions.

These are the questions I'm frequently asked:

How can I make my application stand out?

The first and most successful way to make your job application stand out (in a good way!) is to provide top quality content. That is imperative. It won’t matter what else you do if you have typos, poor content and if you’ve done poor research into the school.

Secondly, ensure that you outline a…

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How to write a letter of application cover letter for teaching jobs

How to write a letter of application/cover letter for teaching jobs

Firstly, let’s get the basics right. It’s important to keep it short, follow a professional format and try not to rehash what’s already in your SAF or CV. You do'’t want to bore them with blatant repetition. The letter of application is designed to be a brief introduction to yourself and to welcome them to read more about you in your Standard Application form or CV.

The length of your letter of application

3/4 of a page to 1 page is the maximum for a letter of application. I see it happen all the …

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