The Qatar Interview

Qatar Foundations is made up of a consortium of 8 schools. Most of the schools offer the IB program or are in the process of accreditation. The chairperson of QF is Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. The government realizes that the only way to secure the country’s future is to reshape their educational system.

2/8/16- Dressed in my ‘lucky blue suit’ and head wrap I prepared for my last interview. Since this was my first time interviewing for Qatar I didn’t know what to expect, except by now I learned that most of these interviewers asked similar questions. My Qatar interview was in the afternoon so I stayed at a different hotel than the one it was being held at. I met my TeachAway rep in the lobby at the downtown Atlanta, Hampton Inn. There were approximately 11 other applicants there, 7 females, 4 males. We went into a small conference room to listen to an overview of Qatar Foundations with the Superintendent. Afterwards, the TeachAway rep took the first four applicants to a room for quick tips. I was in the next wave of four applicants.

This interview was different than the other two for several reasons.

There were four interviewers representing 5 Qatar Foundation Schools
Some applicants interviewed with more than one interviewer
The interviews were face to face

I interviewed with Dawn, the Director of Qatar Foundations Al Wakra school, a K-6 bilingual school that grows a grade each year. Dawn and I had great conversations. You ever meet someone and there’s like an instant connection. Dawn and I connected like that. After I told her about myself and what I am currently doing she was impressed with my range of teaching experience. (I’ve taught K, First Grade, Fifth Grade, College Students and Coached K-3 teachers all within 5 years) Some examples of questions she asked were:

How do you differentiate instruction?
How do you manage behaviors?
How do you assess children?
What would I see in your classroom?
Am I familiar with RTI and PBIS?
What reading program am I familiar with?
How to teach Reading Workshop to students who can’t read yet?
How was it going from teaching children to Adult learners? (To be honest, teaching adults is a lot like teaching children)

She asked me if there was anything I wanted to tell her. I told her why I wanted to work for Qatar Foundations. She also asked me about my headwrap. I told her I am bald so I can’t change my hairstyles but I can change my head wraps and that is what I do. She said I would fit right in because a lot of women over there wear headwraps. She complimented me on mine. She asked me what grade I would prefer. I told her Kindergarten but that I am flexible. Dawn is from California and has taught overseas for years. We talked about our kids and she gave me some advice for schooling my boys in Qatar. She told me she was highly considering me for the position but that she had other interviews to conduct the next day. I found out that some applicants had to interview with several QF reps. This made me feel a little uneasy because I only interviewed with Dawn.

After the interview, I had to check back in with my Teach Away rep. I told her about the interview and exchanged phone numbers to set up a text chat with four women. I felt great afterwards, all interviews were over, or were they?

Author: phillygirl77

I've lived my whole life in Philadelphia. Daughter of a teacher, I later became one myself. When I heard about teaching overseas, I jumped feet first. Finally told yes, my two boys and I prepared for our new life abroad. Join us on our journey in Qatar! View all posts by phillygirl77