San Joaquin Valley College Teacher Interview Questions
& Process

I found out about this job opening through the division manager, who reached out to me because we knew some people in common and he was aware of my background. I got an application from the front desk and turned it in within a week. Shortly after, I got a call to set up a one-on-one meeting with the manager. He informed me that the next step would be a 15-minute lesson demonstration for a panel. I was also advised to keep the presentation to 15 minutes.

It started with a face-to-face meeting with the supervisor or dean. Then, I had a few days to get ready for a 10-minute teaching demo. This demo had to cover any subject I was teaching and include a PowerPoint presentation. I gave this presentation to a group of peers and managers. After I left, they talked about it. Later, they called me at home to offer me a written job offer and wanted me to sign it right then. I figured the "Instructor" offer was standard, like starting part-time to learn the ropes before moving up to full-time. But honestly, very few ever get promoted, even after years. It seems like they realized after 2005 that promoting most Instructors wasn't necessary because they're easily replaceable, and part-time staff is better for profits. If you were hired after 2005, you likely haven't been promoted and probably won't be unless you teach a really unique vocational skill. I wasn't given a clear idea of what a typical General Education Instructor's job really entails. The school runs on 5-week terms, with classes 4 days a week, Monday to Thursday. My daily schedule changes every term. Students usually attend either morning, afternoon, or evening shifts, with two classes each. Classes start and end at the same time for everyone on campus. Some terms I'd teach nights, others afternoons, others mornings. Most of the time, though, I taught two classes a day, in two different shifts, covering different subjects. Sometimes my day could start at 9 am and end at 10:40 pm with a big break in between, or even longer breaks of 2.5 or 5.5 hours.

I got reached out to for an interview by a manager from a staffing agency I was working with. The first interview was pretty much the interviewer telling me about the job and the college, and we even took a tour. They finished with some standard questions like "why do you want this job?" and "what experience do you bring to the table?". The second interview involved a teaching demo on a topic I picked. I made a 15-minute Powerpoint, presented it to a group of 4 staff members, and then they asked me some ethical questions.