ª¥ But remember the warning about informality: however friendly and co-operat ive the other participants are, do not give way to the idea that you are there j ust to be friends.ª¥ 

ª¥ Routine questions can be rehearsed, but ¡°don¡¯t go on too long,¡± advises th e department head. They may well ask: ¡°What have been your worst/best moments w h en teaching?¡±, or want you to ¡°talk about some good teaching you have done. ¡± The experts agree you should recognize your weaknesses and offer a strategy for over coming them. ¡°I know I¡¯ve got to work on classroom management ¡ª I would hope fo r some help,¡± perhaps. No one expects a new teacher to know it all, but they ho pe for an objective appraisal of capabilities.ª¥ 

ª¥ Be warned against inexpert questioning. You may be asked questions in such a way that it seems impossible to present your best features. Some questions may be plain silly, asked perhaps by people on the panel who are from outside the s ituation. Do not be thrown, have ways of circumnavigating it, and never, ever le t them see that you think they have said something foolish.ª¥ 

ª¥ You will almost certainly be asked how you see the future and it is import ant to have a good answer prepared. Some people are put off by being asked what they expect to be doing in five or ten years¡¯ time. On your preliminary visit, s ays the department head, be sure to give them a bit of an interview of your own, to see the direction the department is going and what you could contribute to i t.ª¥  

ª¥ The headteacher offers his thoughts in a nine-point plan. Iron the application form! Then it stands out from everyone else¡¯s, which have been folded and battered in the post. It gives an initial impression which may get your application to the top of the pile.ª¥ Ensure that your application is tailored to the particular school. Make th