Interviewing is a key phase in the job search process. Teachers need to have excellent presenting and interpersonal skills, therefore interviews are very important. Thoughtful preparing for your next interview will help you feel confident and prepared. In this article, we at founderactivity have prepared a list of 47 teacher interview questions that a hiring manager could potentially ask you.
Teaching is the highest form of understanding.
-Aristotle
If you are looking for teacher interview questions, you have come to the right place! Whether you are a new teacher or an experienced educator, preparing for an interview can be a daunting task. But with a little bit of preparation, you can ace your interview and land the teaching job of your dreams
To gain some insight into a life of a teacher, check out the video below.
How to Prepare for a Teaching Interview
One of the most common ways to get a teaching job is by doing an interview. Before you prepare for your teaching interview, it is important that you know what the interviewer expects from you. The following are tips on how to prepare for a teaching interview:
- Research: Talk to teachers and do some internet research about the school. Learn about the difficulties they face.
- Brainstorm: List the instances when you have handled similar issues.
- Practice: interview questions for teachers. Write down your responses, then practice using 3×5 cards. If at all feasible, talk about a challenge you have faced in the past, what you did, and how it helped your institution or a particular student(s).
- Gather information: A course plan, test results, and transcripts should be gathered. As evidence of your successes, provide pictures.
Teacher Interview Questions and Sample Answers
Check out these frequently asked questions about teaching interviews for tips on how to respond as well as sample responses to aid in your preparation. These questions and answers will help you be better prepared for your next teaching interview so that you can make a great impression and land the job you want. Additionally, find out what abilities and characteristics hiring managers are seeking and receive some extra pointers for acing your next interview.
1. Why do you want to teach?
You will have the chance to talk about your commitment to teaching when this topic is asked of you in an interview. Every teacher has their motivations for pursuing this profession therefore feel free to add personal tales in your answer. Be careful to express your enthusiasm for teaching and any person or situation that motivated you to pursue the field.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “I became a teacher because of my middle school algebra instructor’s effect on my life. I struggle with math, but she took the time to not only teach the concepts in a way that made sense to me. But also to make me realize how equally vital all forms of intellect are. There is no job more essential than educating the future leaders of our society the facts they need to know, but perhaps more importantly, showing them their value, potential and capacity to establish their own ideas by critically thinking and observing the world around them.”
2. What makes you a good fit for this school?
This teacher interview question displays if you did any background research on the district and school. Conducting comprehensive study on the student body, how the community perceives the school, test results and other areas of the school system indicates you’re serious about the role.
Show that you are familiar with both the school and its neighborhood when you respond to this question. Describe how this knowledge has heightened your interest in the institution. A compelling response can contain details on recent exam results, particular programs, or accolades the institution has received.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “This school’s reputation for academic brilliance and for fostering creativity via its esteemed arts department inspires me. I am really driven to present my teaching methods since I’ve noticed a decline in AP exam performance in previous years. I have no doubt that I could raise pupils’ test scores and chances of success.”
3. What characteristics do students want their teachers to possess?
Every instructor has their own distinctive teaching style, but various pupils learn best with different methods, thus a teacher needs to be flexible. A excellent response outlines the attributes you believe are most crucial for a teacher to have, the advantages these traits have for children, and how you have worked to develop them yourself.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “I feel that children want their instructors to be devoted and personable, and they can sense when a teacher does not possess these traits. If kids feel you are working hard and want to help them as they study, they are more likely to succeed. I always maintain an open door policy and make an effort to get to know each kid because of this.”
4. How much do you want to know about your students in order to be most helpful to them?
Another interview question for instructors that is based on the guiding principles of the institution is this one. One administrator could believe that having complete knowledge is essential. Another would respond, “A doctor does not need to be aware of her patient’s preferred flavor of ice cream.” Find common ground while remaining sincere.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “I need to be aware of a student’s learning preferences, interests and difficulties. William was one challenging pupil who disrupted the lesson. I sometimes joined him on the playground. It found out that his brother’s pals were harassing him after school. I spoke with William’s parents, and they had no idea. William became my best pupil, and as a result, my entire class became more calm and simple to instruct.”
5. How would you handle a student you found difficult to teach?
It could be difficult to have all of the students in the same classroom at the same time since they do not all learn or act in the same ways. Student problems can manifest in a variety of ways, from declining grades to interrupting lessons. Interviewers are so interested in learning if you are capable of assisting pupils in overcoming the many challenges they could encounter.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “Pulling them aside and having a quiet discussion about the matter would be my first course of action. My primary inquiries would delve into the motivations behind this student’s actions. Once I realize that, I attempt to work with them just to find a solution. This technique was applied in my previous classroom when I had a kid who struggled to stay seated throughout classes. I discovered that he felt constrained and uneasy when he sat down for an extended period of time.”
6. How does a teacher’s personality affect their success?
This enables you to communicate your idea of success and the methods you use to realize it. A appropriate response would outline some of the character traits instructors should possess as well as some of the challenges they must face in order to achieve.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “To connect with their kids, teachers need to be adaptable, compassionate, disciplined, driven and patient. When creating lesson plans and ensuring that students comprehend the subject on which they will be tested, teachers also need to take into account the local and state testing goals. Teachers must be able to modify their methods so that every one of their pupils may study efficiently.”
7. What role does discipline play in teaching and what is your approach?
Teachers must face concerns with discipline from every now and then and how discipline is treated is a very essential feature of primary teaching interviews. Discipline is a critical aspect of regulating a classroom and relies on the age of the kids, district regulations and teaching style. You should thoroughly explain your approach to discipline and how doing so well may impact the classroom in your response to this question.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “A teacher, in my opinion, cannot be effective without the appropriate disciplinary strategy. I want to lay out my expectations for my pupils so they are prepared for success. Respect cannot exist without discipline, yet it may be challenging to hold pupils accountable. A incentives system is the most effective way I have discovered to stop poor behavior, according to my study into several techniques. Although there are undoubtedly incidents that the school’s behavior program has to address, offering prizes reinforces great conduct and offers kids something to work for.”
Related: 44 Ways on How to Prepare for Second Interview Questions
8. How do you like to communicate and build relationships with parents?
Working with parents and guardians, who have just as much (if not more) power on how your children learn and behave in the classroom as you do, is a necessary part of being a teacher. You may frequently improve your connections with the pupils by developing trust with the people in their life, which will also help you establish some balance between school and home.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “Knowing the significant members of the family in each student’s life is crucial, in my opinion. This is why I want to visit with each student’s family separately at the start of the school year. I’ll also do a survey to learn more about the student’s needs, family dynamics, and home life. Then, throughout the year, I build on that foundation by staying in touch with the kid to discuss any academic or behavioral difficulties as well as to offer happy updates and little victories.”
9. How do you incorporate parents/guardians into students’ education?
This teacher interview question could be posed to you to find out how you would encourage interactions with parents of students. Parents are crucial to their child’s academic achievement, thus instructors must interact with parents in a clear and efficient manner. A smart response would stress the importance of parental involvement in a child’s education and outline your strategies for doing so.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “The support of parents is essential to a child’s education. I think it is crucial to interact with parents and ensure that they play a significant part in their child’s progress. It provide parents with my contact details so they may get in touch with me with any queries they may have on how their kid is progressing. I also give updates on the knowledge and skills my pupils have acquired.”
10. How do you motivate students?
Interviewers are interested in learning how you persuade pupils to do what you want them to. This is a crucial qualification to look for when hiring remote instructors because inspiring people over video demands far more imagination than when teaching in person.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “Giving out awards or bonuses when they perform particularly well is one thing I like to do since I believe it is vital to sustaining a student’s motivation. Whatever I can see students appreciate getting and it varies from student to student, whether it be candy, a star, a sticker, or even just a compliment, might be this. I always attempt to be just and consistent with everyone because I never want kids to feel excluded or favored. But I believe that those brief flashes of awareness are what make kids joyful and eager to learn.”
11. Have your lesson plans been affected by standardized testing at the state levels?
Standardized test preparation is an essential component of the teaching profession, especially for those who work in public schools. You should explain how you included many standards into your lesson plan as well as how you created a rich curriculum that was not just centered on testing requirements when responding to this question.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “Standards must be taken into consideration while creating a curriculum. In order to successfully structure a school year, a curriculum must be well thought out, and pupils must be routinely evaluated. My method is to structure my courses around academic standards, but I do not only instruct with testing in mind. More material than only what the kids need to know for the standardized test is covered in my lesson plans. Regular evaluations allow me to determine how well my students comprehend the subject, and I use my curriculum to ensure that they have learned the skills required for the test.”
12. What do you believe is the role of technology in the classroom?
Nowadays, a lot of teachers include technology in their teaching. Explain your views on technology and how they relate to your teaching in your response. Many educators try to use technology effectively without letting it rule the classroom.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “I believe that using technology in the classroom may benefit kids’ learning. However, technology can also be distracting, so it is important to establish guidelines for utilizing it properly. I give my students tasks that need them to utilize sophisticated technology in order to finish the work because I believe that students should be able to use technology for learning in addition to basic abilities. For example, I may integrate terms of the implementation with their writing projects, so they are steadily learning to format over the year. This enables the students to grow more used to various platforms and positions them for success in the job of the future.”
13. Tell me about your teaching philosophy.
Employers frequently ask about your pedagogical philosophies and approaches to assess your suitability for their institution. You must demonstrate your flexibility and confidence in your own developed beliefs regarding the most effective teaching methods despite the fact that many schools may have established teaching methods.
SAMPLE ANSWERS – “Making my lesson ideas accessible is key to my teaching philosophy. It is frequently more difficult for students to understand the subject when they cannot relate to it. As a literary instructor, my objective is to help pupils identify with characters, locations and concepts, even when those things are dissimilar from their own life experiences. When my professors assisted me in making parallels, I learned to remember stories better as a student. As a student teacher, I prefer to create similarities between earlier classics, like Shakespeare and present events. For instance, contrasting dramatic occurrences with those in popular culture. This aids pupils in understanding the stories and in coming to their own judgments.”
14 How would your past students, peers or administrators describe you?
This teacher interview question is meant to elicit more information about your personality and sense of self. Employers could contrast your response with the recommendations you provided. Strong interpersonal skills and insight can be demonstrated by a detailed and thoughtful response. To bolster your response, use anecdotes and examples from your own experience.
SAMPLE ANSWER – ‘Peers and students alike would characterize me as inspiring, inventive, and motivating. I adore coming up with entertaining activities for my students and incorporating those from other classes. For example, last year I arranged ‘Pi Day’ on October 14 for the complete six-grade class. I created math-themed treasure hunts, relay races, and quizzes. It was amazing to watch all the children work collaboratively, have fun and learn.”
15. Tell me about a time when you worked with a team to solve a problem.
You’ll engage with more people than just parents and pupils. Your interviewer panel wants to know that you can work with just about everyone because you’ll frequently need to collaborate with assistants, school personnel, and other instructors to help pupils achieve.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “In my previous position as a project coordinator, I had to work with our account managers to fulfill a client’s extremely short deadline. We were all a little frantic because the project required a lot of adjustments, but we put our heads together and split the work, even working late a couple days to make sure we finished on time. We could not have done it without cooperating, and I firmly believe that this is also true when a teacher collaborates with other staff members; you cannot do it alone if you want to successfully create a learning environment that supports each kid as an individual and works for all of them.”
16. What are you learning right now?
With this teacher interview question, you may demonstrate your curiosity and commitment to lifelong learning, two traits that are crucial for teachers to possess and to impart to their pupils. In other words, the interviewer is posing the question, “What are some personal interests? How are you growing yourself both inside your professional career and personal growth as well? ”
SAMPLE ANSWER – “I studied French in college, so I recently started using Duolingo to attempt to refresh my memory on some of the fundamentals. I would love to keep improving my fluency so I can visit France and communicate with folks there!”
17. What questions do you have for us?
This teacher interview question is usually posed at the conclusion of the interview. Making a lasting final impression is aided by asking meaningful, well-researched questions that demonstrate your interest in the job. Bring five to ten questions with you to the interview, and write down or make a mental note of any additional questions that come up.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “What would you say about the school’s culture? Which characteristics do you want in a candidate? What are some of the best things the school has done? What after-school activities are available to students?”
Questions about teaching experience and background
These teacher interview questions aid an interviewer in determining your suitability for the job and whether your values align with those of the organization:
18. What about teaching do you like the most?
19. What about teaching do you find most uncomfortable?
20. What do you think are the major issues affecting the educational system today?
21. Describe your approach to teaching.
22. What layout would you choose for this classroom?
23. How do you balance your teaching responsibilities?
24. What is the teaching achievement that you are most proud of?
25. What do you believe to be the biggest issue affecting students today?
26. What do today’s teachers face as their biggest challenge?
27. What attributes distinguish a superb teacher?
28. Write about your worst classroom day. What did you take away from the encounter?
29. How do you encourage participation from your kids in the classroom?
Related: Exit Interview Questions
Bonus teaching interview questions
What is your educational background? What did you find most fulfilling about going to that particular school?
30. What are you enjoying reading right now?
31. What do you want to be doing in five years?
32. List five adjectives to describe yourself.
33. What are you doing to strengthen one of your weaknesses?
34. What pastimes or interests do you have besides school?
35. What sports, organizations, or extracurricular endeavors did you participate in when you were a student?
36. What duties do you see yourself as a member of the teaching staff coaching or advising?
37. Why do you wish to teach this subject or at this level in particular?
38. What qualities do you possess that will advance your teaching career?
39. What topic do you like to teach, and why?
40. What topic do you dislike the least, and how do you prepare to teach it effectively?
41. Describe a difficult student you have taught and the strategies you used to reach them.
42. Describe your experience in professional development.
43. Describe your experience with a certain instructional method or piece of technology.
44. How do you intend to use technology into your teaching?
45. What previous team teaching experience do you have? Did it prove useful to you?
46. How will you address various learning preferences?
47. What employers look for in teacher candidates
While various businesses will seek for different attributes in applicants dependent on the school and opportunity, there are some aspects hiring managers are generally seeking in their prospects:
Relevant skills
Employers will likely first confirm you have got the basic abilities to suit their demands. Depending on the opportunity, they may also be searching for teachers with certain expertise or technical abilities such as linguistic teaching experience.
Qualifications and certifications
Most businesses will also confirm you have got the proper background in education and skills to teach the subject matter. Depending on the school, they can be seeking for particular credentials or experience.
A good fit for the culture
This might include attributes such as being reliable and accountable, being creative and innovative, being patient and flexible, or being a great team player. Being reliable means that you can be counted on to do what you say you will do and being accountable means that you take responsibility for your actions. Actively being creative and innovative means coming up with new ideas and solutions. Ability to be patient and flexible means being able to adapt to change. Being a great team player means being able to work well with others and contribute to the team’s success.
Enthusiasm for the role
It is crucial that instructors love teaching, as well as engaging with students and other teachers. They find excitement in the profession by sharing their passion for the subject matter and helping students learn. This is what makes teaching a fulfilling and enjoyable career for those who choose it.
Related: Strategic Interview Questions to Ask
Tips to prepare for a teacher interview
There are a few measures you may take to position yourself for success in the applicant pool, although every school, company, and interview is different.
1. Research the school
Make sure you can speak to the school’s mission, practices, and values by carefully reviewing the webpages for both the school and its district. By doing this, you could also bring up the school’s problems, allowing you to provide solutions. Research the organization’s social media presence and whatever information you can find on its active leadership.
2. Request informational interviews with school contacts
As a teacher, you could know people at the school where you are interviewing from academic or professional associations. If they are open to it, it could be beneficial to sit down with them and discuss the school with them as well as get advise on how to handle the interview. Additionally, you could decide if you think the school would be a suitable fit for you.
3. Prepare thoughtful interview questions
By doing this, you demonstrate your enthusiasm for the role and your level of interview preparation. These inquiries might also assist you in determining whether your basic values and those of the management of the school coincide. For instance, you might want to think about finding out what type of assistance, such as training or mentorship, you might anticipate.
4. Follow up with your interviewer
As a best practice, thanking your interviewers for their time in a follow-up email following the interview can help you make a good first impression. Make sure to communicate your appreciation and enthusiasm for the position.
In conclusion, you will be able to handle yourself with confidence if you plan ahead, prepare and practice your responses. Consider your options carefully and leave the interview feeling that you have covered all the bases.
What kind of drink can be bitter and sweet? Reali-tea.
