Emailed about a week or two later with some follow up questions. invited to a hiring event. with interview and demo. lesson plan given beforehand. clear instructions. ability to practice and to do role play before breaking off.
Difficult interview
Application
I applied through other source. I interviewed at Uncommon Schools (Williamsburg) in May 2026
Interview
One of the worst environments for an interview I’ve ever experienced, very tense and insane expectations to set for a first demo of teaching/behavior management, students and staff seemed very tense and unsupported.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
They asked more questions about my perception of uncommon schools instead of my actual experience and skills.
The process took 1 day. I interviewed at Uncommon Schools in Apr 2013
Interview
I interviewed in person. First I observed Morning Circle, which was helpful because I was able to see many of North Star's teaching techniques in action.
I had a 30 minute demo lesson that I had to teach to a first grade class. The lesson was given to me 3 days ahead of time and I was told to internalize it, prep all the materials noted in the lesson, and be prepared to carry it out as scripted in the plan. While I taught the lesson, I was observed by several administrators. None of them spoke during my lesson, but I have been told by other interviewees that principals jumped into their lesson to give them in-the-moment feedback which they had to attempt to implement on the spot.
After, I interviewed with one of the principals who asked me to reflect on my demo lesson and state what I did well and what I would change in hindsight. Then she shared her notes with me about my lesson, describing it as my "glows and grows". We discussed my background and my thoughts on the school's mission and style. Ultimately I was offered the job on the spot.
