đŸ’» đŸ‘©â€đŸ« Need an AP CV Template? đŸ„ł Sign up for FREE Resources Here
Orla Dempsey Mentoring logo

Search It

Blog

#News

Roles+in+Schools+-+Active+School+Co-ordinators

The Special Role that Active Schools Coordinators Play

While working 1-1 with clients, I listen to what they say about the role they take and infer further information about what that role entails. This helps them clarify whether my sense for their role in their school is right or wrong and it opens up interesting conversations about the minute of the responsibilities of the role.

Today the Active Schools Co-ordinator gets a mention!

In schools, Active School Co-ordinators, I notice

  • are generally active themselves (and really care that pupils get oppor


Continue Reading.....

Dec 6, 2021 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #News, #Teaching & Learning
1 min read
leadership+interview+course+and+preparation

7 questions to ask yourself before applying for leadership roles

Whether you’re applying for leadership roles in education or doing some professional and personal reflection it’s a brilliant idea to reflect on these questions and see where there is room for growth.

  • What evidence do I have that I’m a good team player?

  • Which strategies do I use to manage my time effectively (challenge yourself to come up with 5 strategies)?

  • What does student voice feel like in my classroom?

  • What are 10 results I’ve achieved for my school?

  • What are 5 words to describe my relationship


Continue Reading.....

Nov 29, 2021 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #News, Learning & #Teaching
1 min read
tips+for+after+teaching+interviews

5 things to do to avoid ruminating after an interview

We’ve all been there - that fear that hits when you go out of an interview “I forgot to tell them X” or “I messed up the question about Y” or “I wasn't expecting that question on Z”. Certainly, write down all of your interview questions for your future records but going over and over the interview won’t help.

Here are a few things you can do to distract yourself while you wait to hear back.

  • Meet a friend for coffee

  • Go for a run with your favourite playlist

  • Create a plan to do something different 

  • Dis


Continue Reading.....

Nov 22, 2021 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #News, Learning & #Teaching
1 min read
teachers'+strengths

3 strengths that are overused in teaching interviews

Let’s jump straight in - overused strengths for teachers are:

  • I’m very organised

  • I’m hardworking

  • I’m a teamplayer

While they may be true - they are easy and so, they tend to be overused with candidate after candidate outlining the same strengths. If you want to SHINE - you can choose to outline one or two unique strengths that you have. If you find that you can do a few things to get you thinking.

Here’s what to do instead

  • Ask others what your strengths are and why they choose that strength for you

  • Jou


Continue Reading.....

Nov 15, 2021 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #News, Learning & #Teaching
1 min read
mock+interviews+teachers

4 results you may refer to in the STAR technique

If you’ve been following me for a while now, you’ll know I’m a massive advocate for the STAR technique for teachers answering competency-based questions. In competency-based interviews, interview boards are checking to see if you are competent in certain skills which are necessary for the role and their school.

For example, I may decide that a teacher in my school has to be a team player because we do a lot of in-class support, run various committees to move subject areas forwards and I need to s


Continue Reading.....

Nov 8, 2021 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #News, Learning & #Teaching
2 min read
interview+questions+for+principal+roles

Interview questions for leadership roles in education


If you’re preparing for leadership roles in education, then having a list of up to date interview questions is a must!

Read on to find out the questions shared as recent questions they’ve experienced - by some of my recent clients.

  • Give a brief outline of any relevant experience both before and after you became a teacher.

  • Describe how you would work with the BOM, department and other stakeholders involved in the school.

  • Serious behaviour incident - how would you deal with it as the principal?

  • What w


Continue Reading.....

Oct 25, 2021 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #News, Learning & #Teaching
3 min read
Lets2Bto2Bone2B-289-29

How can I get a teaching job next year?

If you’re tired of the constant vicious cycle of going from contract to contract year after year and you’re tired of getting the same results you can choose to take a different approach. If you’ve been following me for a while now, you’ll know that I’m a big believer in teachers owning their specific expertise, focusing on skills development and on developing a growth mindset when it comes to their careers. 

Here are a few ideas to focus on improving your skills so that you can feel really confid


Continue Reading.....

Oct 18, 2021 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #News
2 min read
substitute+teacher+CV

How do I record individual days subbing?

It’s one of the questions I get asked most frequently - “As a teacher, how do I record my individual days subbing in my CV?” Simply writing a list of dates in your CV - is not appealing to the reader.

It tells me nothing about who you are as a teacher or your skills or the special activities that you got involved in or helped out with. I’m much more interested to learn that you carefully followed the plans set out by the class teacher or that you helped prepared the class for their Christmas conc


Continue Reading.....

Oct 11, 2021 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #News, #Teaching & Learning
2 min read
what+to+ask+at+the+end+of+an+interview_

Leadership Interviews - Have you got questions for us?

Have you got any questions for us? This is the question that sends shivers down the spine of my clients when they are preparing for interviews.

  • What should I ask?

  • What if they think it’s a silly question?

  • What if they feel like I’m testing them?

and yet it’s very important to have something to say here.

Developing Curiosity

Genuine interest in the school cannot be overemphasized - you might like to reflect on this question to get close to what you’d love to know about a school: If you had your choice 


Continue Reading.....

Oct 5, 2021 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #News
3 min read
IMG-20190514-WA0001

7 things I let go of when I left my permanent job

In 2019, I resigned my permanent teaching role and embarked on a new journey. After a wonderful adventure on my travels to USA, Central and South America and qualifying as a Career and Life Coach it was time to cut the strings and start afresh. 

Here are some things I noticed as a result of loosening my grip on books, paperwork, having a permanent job and beliefs that I had to be ‘a certain kind of teacher’. 

I let go of
. 

  • Books, notes and things I thought I’d never let go of - I left so many reso


Continue Reading.....

Oct 4, 2021 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #News
2 min read

Categories