If you often find yourself in a state of panic before an interview, read these tips to help ease your comfort level.

1. Do your research. Before the interview, make sure you find out as much information as possible. Look at the district website, as well as the individual school websites. Become familiar with the programs and policies of the schools.
2. Talk to people in the district. Nobody knows a school better than the people who work there. If at all possible, try to make a connection with a teacher or staff member. If the district provides a job fair, make sure you attend. This is a great opportunity to meet teachers and principals.
3. Prepare questions. As you research the district and the specific schools, make a list of questions. Type it out and ask whatever questions have not been answered during the interview. Let your interviewers know that you are interested and you truly care about the position. Here are some sample questions: Is the grade departmentalized? What is the teacher/student ratio? Does the team plan together? Is there a school-wide discipline plan? What are the major strengths of the district? What media resources are on campus? What is the biggest problem that teachers face?
4. Practice. Get an honest and faithful friend to run through a practice interview for you. Here are some sample interview questions: What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? What do you feel like you can contribute to our school? How do you feel about technology? How do you communicate with parents? Describe your work ethic. How do you handle discipline in your classroom? How do you motivate students?
5. Bring all necessary information. When interviewing, it is very helpful to bring a portfolio with you. Here are some suggestions of what you might want to include: your resume, professional development certificates, sample lessons, students work, classroom management plan, previous evaluations, letters of recommendation, and your philosophy of teaching. This is a great tool to share your ideas. Make sure you know where everything is, so you can easily flip to the correct page. Also, many districts require a copy of your driver's license and social security card.
6. Dress for success. First impressions are invaluable. Dress professionally. Men should wear a suit. Ladies should be dressed in a black or navy suit as well, with hose and close-toed shoes. Make sure you not only feel put together, but you look that way too!
7. Be early. Study your target. Map out your route and be sure to know exactly where you are going. Allow plenty of time for traffic and other unexpected adversities.
8. Have a firm handshake. Whenever you shake someone's hand, show him that you mean business. Also, make sure to sustain eye contact throughout the interview. Eye contact and a firm handshake say a lot about a person.
9. Be yourself. Remember the marvel that you are. Stand up straight and be confident. The interviewers want to know who you are - not just someone you are pretending to be.
10. Send a note to show appreciation. Assuming you still want the job after the interview is complete, promptly send a note to express your gratitude for the opportunity. Do not be pushy; just let the interviewer know that you appreciate his/her time and that you look forward to hearing from them soon. Make sure that all words are spelled correctly and all sentences are punctuated appropriately before you send it.