Anxiety from interviews

[lilliesori]

I am a 34 year old teacher and have been on a job search for a full-time teaching position for a year now.  I am struggling with anxiety caused by the stress of the interviews.  FIrst I will set up the scenario.  These are panel interviews from 5-12 people on the panel.  The ask you questions that you need to give concrete examples of related to to teaching, like, strategies, classroom management, philosophy and some question are pretty random, ie. laws that have implemented that have effected you as a teacher.
What happens to me.
1.  Even before the interview I start to devalue myself as a teacher, saying to myself that I am not good enough, that there is so much competition, and that I'll never get the job
2.  Then I can't relax I am so wound up I start to fidget.
3.  SOmetimes when they ask me a question I draw a blank
4.  I start to forget the panel's names.  
5.  I loose my articulateness and forget things I know
I do prepare for these interviews BUT sometimes they can catch you off guard with different questions that you wouldn't expect.
For each position you get a print out of what they are looking for .  Somethings I don't feel I am so well versed in maybe because I haven't worked with it so much and at times I feel like I have to make up an answer on the spot because we should know it as teachers.  I have been teaching part-time for one year and then subbed the year before.  I REALLY badly need a full-time job apart from the fact that I love my profession.

ANy words of wisdom?

[lilliesori]

Thank You !

[lilliesori]

Thank You !

[Paxiled]

Every human is an ignoramus.  All of us.  Some of us are aware of it, others aren't. but "successful" people are just better at networking or bsing than others.  If you look at human accomplishment from the beginning of civilization to the present, does it look like we've progressed very far?  Still fighting wars, still people racist, still people polluting their own children.  These people just appear smarter, they aren't really.  So just be yourself and know there are no geniuses out there, there are just people who are more willing to put themselves out there.  That's the real difference.  Those of us who suffer from anxiety stop ourselves, we're not stopped by objective reality.  Good Luck.

[amish1979]

I know people who have been prescribed beta-blockers to take as-needed for interviews, public speaking, etc.  Athletes, musicians and the like also sometimes take them before performing.  You might want to talk to your dr. about this.