A brief guide to preparing responses to key selection criteria for employment in government schools.

1. Selection Criteria responses
The good, the bad and the ugly

2. Objectives
• To provide you with advice, skills and resources
for advancing your career in (or out of) education
• This session will enable you to structure
responses to key selection criteria, giving you the
best chance to be short-listed for interview

3. The job application process
Career planning and sourcing jobs
• Personal strengths and attributes; print media and
online; networking
Applying for suitable jobs
• Cover letter, CV, selection criteria
Securing the right job
• 1st and 2nd Interview, try-out, testing

4. Applying for suitable jobs
Purpose: To get short-listed for interview
What Objective Perspective
Cover letter Demonstrate you can write, spell, Personal voice, sense
research the school, structure a of self
coherent and compelling argument
CV (resume) Detail your relevant skills, knowledge Legal document,
and experience. Meet the job objective and
requirements verifiable
Key selection criteria Express your role-specific views Theory and
clearly, provide discussion points for philosophy, backed up
interview with evidence of past
behaviour

5. Career planning
• Consider these factors:
– What am I good at?
– What do I enjoy most?
– What feedback do I get from others?
– What has my career progression been so far?
– Where do I want to be in 5 – 10 years’ time?
– What do I need (to do/have/be) to get there?
– What environment will support the above factors?

6. Knowing your brand
Lifestyle Hopes,
dreams and
aspirations
Imagination
Liberty
Innovation
regained
Simplicity Passion

7. What are you known for?

8. Applying for jobs: The KSC
• Key Selection Criteria (KSC) are designed to
assess:
– Content of teaching and learning
– Teaching practice
– Assessment and reporting of student learning
– Interaction with the school community
– Professional requirements

9. Responding to KSC
• 1 page per criterion
• Use paragraphs and bullet points
• 1st paragraph: Re-phrase the criterion and
interpret the theory and its importance
• Main paragraphs: Outline 2 ways in which you
have demonstrated the behaviour/knowledge:
situation – action - outcome
• Final paragraph: How you will apply this

10. Selection Criteria example
“Demonstrate an understanding of how students
learn, effective classroom teaching strategies
and the capacity to work with colleagues to
continually improve teaching and learning.”
• Identify areas to address (3)
• Provide evidence of previous achievement
• Describe what outcomes occurred as a result
• Outline what contribution you will make

11. Selection Criteria response
“Demonstrate an understanding of how students learn, effective
classroom teaching strategies and the capacity to work with
colleagues to continually improve teaching and learning.”
Areas to address Evidence Outcomes Contribution
How students learn
Effective teaching
strategies
Working with
colleagues

12. Example – 1st paragraph
• These three components are essential and
mutually dependent in order for optimal
learning to take place. Throughout my
teaching I endeavour to improve on each of
these and reflect on how I can develop my
own effective style in line with best practice
theory and practice. I shall examine them
separately in turn.

13. Example – 2nd paragraph
• Firstly, it is essential to have a full
understanding of how students learn. This
semester I developed with my mentor a unit
of work on gravity for Year 6. The five key
stages of engage, explore, explain, elaborate
and evaluate were central to this unit and
provided a tight structure within which
students developed their understanding.

14. Conclusions
• Practice makes perfect
• Quality overrides quantity
• Aim to stand out from the crowd by conveying
your passion and expertise: What is it that
makes you DIFFERENT?
• Applying for jobs is an exercise in selling
– Know what you are selling
– Ensure it is what people want
• If in doubt, ask someone for feedback

15. To download this presentation
register at www.schooljobs.com.au
For more information about
Steve Whittington see
www.oxfordeducation.com.au