Caterina Christakos’ Post

An important read, and a useful conversation topic for our family Thanksgiving tables. We Now Need College Courses to Teach Young Adults How to Make Small Talk https://lnkd.in/gqVAp-xA

Check out WHYY’s coverage of our session and my interview!

Interviews are a time-honoured part of the process of applying to British private schools, in conjunction with written tests. Why is the school application interview important? The interview is important for applications to private schools for several reasons. The first, and most obvious, is to assess whether a child is a good cultural fit for a school. Private schools can have very different teaching styles, and some suit certain children more than others – a healthy appetite for debate, for example, can lead some children to flourish, but might make others uncomfortable or underconfident. The interview is therefore not a judgement on a child’s worth, but a judgment of how well they would work within the school’s ethos. Who conducts the interviews for private schools? Usually, interviews are held with a school registrar or the teacher or staff member in charge of admissions. This, naturally, might lead to concerns over the unpredictability of personalities involved, or of fairness – some registrars might have different approaches to interviewing on different days, or with different children – and so many schools take steps to standardise interviews. For example, at Bedales School, children are assessed over a three-day residential period, where they undertake several interviews and participate in extracurricular activities with staff members – thus taking the pressure off of any one interaction with staff. At Rugby, every applicant is interviewed by at least two people, meaning the risk of interviewer bias is vastly reduced (or, by definition, at least halved). Here’s everything you need to know about how to prepare your child.https://https://lnkd.in/dqUEBQxN #school #akademos #interviews #parenting #privateschools #ukeducation #london #schools

Education. Education. Education.

The interview process is probably the one thing that differentiates applications to British private schools to those elsewhere in the world. Much like the processes for jobs and university applications, interviews at schools are a chance for a representative from the school to assess the would-be relationship between their institution and the applicant. They take into account the child’s character and interests, their social skills and their maturity – in short, everything that isn’t explicitly assessed by written, academic testing. Here are some typical questions that might be asked at interviews are listed below. 1. Why do you want to come to this school? A simple and obvious question, but you’d be surprised how often children don’t really have an answer beyond “because my parents want me to”. That won’t fly – instead, it’s good for your son or daughter to have an idea or two about why they might fit in at the school. What sports do they play? Are there particularly good facilities for music, art or drama? Are there clubs they can join that cater to their hobbies? All of these are great reasons to pick a school. 2. What are your hobbies? This is a nebulous question; there’s not a right or wrong answer, but it is probably safe to say that the answer “reading a book” might stand your child in better stead than “playing Fortnite” or “watching TikTok videos”. As always, you shouldn’t coach your child on what to say, but perhaps check with them what they would say in answer to this question before they go into their interview. 3. What do you like to read? The basic truth is that, no matter how progressive, a school will prefer your child if they read books. That doesn’t have to be in print – they might like to listen to audiobooks, for example – but it is important to prove the candidate is a keen reader. It can be a novel or a non- fiction book; the important part is that the child is passionate about it, can talk about it – and has actually read it! 4. What is your favourite subject? This is a fairly common topic that many children are asked by adults on a regular basis, and so most will have an answer. As always, there’s no right or wrong answer, beyond a truthful one. The question is intended as a conversation starter. 5. What do you like about your current school? A similar question to the one above, this is a good chance for a child to talk about how much they enjoy school, which aspects and subjects are of most interest to them, and their achievements and extracurricular activities. For more information , visit https://lnkd.in/dqUEBQxN #britishprivateschools #britishschools #britisheducation #schoolinterview #interview #interviewtips #uk #ukschools #parents #parenting #parentsupport

Do you know a high school junior? Wondering how you can help support your kids through the #college admissions process over the next year? Sign up to attend Bowdoin College’s special virtual events this spring. #collegeadmissions #collegeapplication

This interview is the sum total of my life & my learnings, unfiltered https://lnkd.in/dhxr_haK

Have you considered being a teacher? To gain experience in a primary school, sign up for our primary morning. Learn about the application and interview process, observe lessons and much more. @torchscitt @get_into_teaching @RMInfantSchool #pgce #pgceprimary #pgcesecondary

In our latest interview, a SEND Teaching Assistant provides valuable industry insights, shares challenges, and discusses responsibilities in supporting students with special needs in mainstream education! Check it out here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e3SqDnFZ #sendteacher #teachingassistant #sendteachingassistant #educationjobs #industryinterview

This article is right on Worth reading Small talk can be acquired Even for introverts Like anything takes a little focus and practice