Though preparing for a job interview can be stressful, knowing your audience represents a key factor in successfully completing any interview. Take the time to think about the interview from the perspective of the interviewer. If you consider carefully what questions your prospective employer might ask and what their motivation for asking those questions might be, you will have prepared yourself to answer the questions posed to you with grace and ease.

Spell out your philosophy of education. If you have not yet written one, take some time to write down the three most important points to you within education. Consider why you want to teach. how you think students learn and how you see the teacher's role in the learning process. Support each of your answers with concrete examples of practices you have already employed in the classroom in student teaching or previous jobs.

Collect information about the school district at which you will apply for a job. Check the district's website to learn the school's mission statement. Find out whether the school has an improvement plan. Read any documents related to the school that you are able to procure.

Write down ways in which your philosophy of education aligns with the school's mission statement. Use these correlations and similarities as talking points in your interview. Write down ways in which your philosophy differs from the school's mission statement. Use these differences as ways to highlight what you could offer to the school specifically.

Review all the information you have collected. Research specific questions that an interview might ask you. (You can easily find potential questions online; see the References section for some examples.) Take a position on "hot button" issues such as Response to Intervention, differentiation, inclusion, co-teaching, merit pay and Race to the Top. Ask a friend to conduct a mock interview with you. Practice eloquent and confident delivery of your answers.

Dress professionally and neatly in an outfit appropriate to the job for which you have applied. Use your professional attire to convey some personality as well so "professional" doesn't translate into "boring."

Maintain an animated and enthusiastic attitude; you have applied for a job that will require great resources with regard to energy and creativity. Communicate your love for students and learning through your answers by smiling and making eye contact.

Use the opportunity to ask questions. Find out whether you would really like to teach in this district; remember that this is not just an interview of you but also of the school by you. Be specific in your questions; administrators will more likely remember a candidate who asked informed questions than one who declined.

Send a follow-up email to the administrator who conducted the interview. Thank her for her time, and express your openness to answer any questions she may have regarding your philosophy.