What's in an interview?

One task administrators perform over the summer months is to take part in staff interviews. It is a task I really enjoy as I realize the importance of bringing in the right people. A collection of right or wrong choices can make or break a school. The interview team typically consists of two to five people for most teaching positions. What do I look for in a middle school candidate? Many items sometimes weighing differently depending on the position we are hiring for. Enthusiasm for the middle school student is a must. Yes, I want them to know the content well but can they teach middle schoolers? Do they understand students developmentally at this age? Do they have the attitude, desire, passion, commitment to make a difference in the lives of kids? Can I pick up on these items in an interview? I believe so. Love of their content and ways to make it interesting to students is important for me to hear. How are students going to be actively engaged during lessons? Will technology tools be used to help engage students and enhance learning? The ability to work with others weighs heavily in my decision. The profession has very much moved to collaborative based and it is critical new teachers are willing to work with staff members including administrators. I want to hear a candidate talk about individualizing the learning and trying to meet the learning needs for each students. This involves using multiple data points. Do I think the candidate will be flexible? They need to be as the profession will test their flexibility and inflexible persons often struggle at this level. I look for candidates I think will not just meet the expectations but will exceed them and be leaders in the future. This means being willing to continue to learn. Will they communicate well with staff members, students, parents? The need to as communication is critical. Seems simple enough, doesn't it?