Whether you're profiling a teacher, a star athlete, or the quirky cafeteria chef, nailing the interview is key to tell their best story.

BE PREPARED
Good interviewers show up prepared. They have done their background research and planned their questions carefully. If you don’t already know a person, build trust before you get started. Begin questions with Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? Ask direct and leading questions. Don’t ask “yes” or “no” questions.

KNOW YOUR GOAL
Good interviewers have clear goals for what they want and need out of the interview. What obstacle does, or will the individual face, that may be difficult to overcome? What achievement, talent, practice, or experience did the individual draw on to overcome the obstacle head-on?

DETAILS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
Each story is unique and different from other stories because of the details. That’s why interviewers want to meet the person at the place that is the context for the story, whether it’s the locker room, the drama room, or the physics lab. That way they can do reporting before, during and after an interview. Such places are rich in descriptive detail, which they observe and write down in their reporter’s notebook.

TAKE GOOD NOTES
Encourage the interviewers to screen the information they are getting as they talk with the subject, and write down everything you can about the conversation. They need to pay particular attention to record concrete details – numbers, dates, statistics, key words, distinctive phrases and direct quotations. Once the interview is over, have them sit down and write everything else they observed or heard that they didn’t have time to write down during the interview. It is very important to be accurate. The smallest error can cause embarrassment. Make sure the interviewer can contact the subject to fact check after the interview. Don’t use a tape recorder unless the story is for broadcast.

BE SENSITIVE
If there is a sensitive or emotional issue that is at the heart of the story, it should come late in the interview. Leave time to recover from such moments and collect additional information.

BE CURIOUS
Good interviewers ask questions that interest them because these will most likely also interest the reader.

BE PROVOCATIVE
In that spirit, the interviewer must ask some provocative questions and photograph the special moments in the lives of the people at your school. Like a movie, your school has a cast of characters who are your students, teachers, custodians, food service workers, secretaries, principals, coaches, parents, community leaders and perhaps others.

ORGANIZING YOUR STORY

Good writing follows good reporting and interviewing. Once you have gathered all the information you will need from the field, creating a narrative story structure is the next step. All you need now is a great story, great material that surprises and delights the reader while grabbing and holding the reader’s attention, and great words presented stylishly.