1. What are your main focuses when delivering a lesson?
Here you should think about what is important when delivering a lesson - how the pupils are responding; what can you do to interest them in the subject.
2. How would you maintain order in an unruly class?
Consider the best way in which to carry out classroom discipline. Are punishments the most effective way to deal with troublemakers, or would a reward system such as a merit chart be better to reward good behavior? Think about adapting the method of discipline to an individual class.
3. What are your strong points as a teacher?
Make sure you illustrate what you excel at enthusiastically. Talk about what you enjoy doing to engage pupils and why.
4. What are your weak points as a teacher?
Try and be a bit modest here - but not too modest of course. Discuss small difficulties you have had in your career and (most importantly) what you have done to overcome them.
5. How would you help an individual student who seemed to be struggling in class?
Here you should address how you would deal with the issue effectively and sensitively. Make it clear you know how important it is that the problem is sorted out quickly so the child isn't prevented from making progress.
6. Describe your personal style of teaching.
Talk about what unique qualities only you can bring to a classroom. Describe how pupils in the past have responded well to your own ideas.
7. How would you go about relaying a pupil's progress to their parents?
Outline how significant the role of a child's parents is in their education. Talk about how you would try to actively involve parents, whilst keeping them well informed of their child's progress.
8. What would you do if you had a disagreement with another teacher?
Make it clear you are a reasonable person who can accept and consider the points of view of others, whilst also trying to put across your own opinion.
9. If a student came to you saying they were being bullied, what would you do?
Discuss how you would deal with the issue sensitively and quickly, making sure the victim feels safe in their school surroundings, as well as investigating thoroughly.
10. What do you think you can bring to our school?
Again enthusiasm is the key here - make it clear how much you would love to integrate into the school community, and always portray positivity with a smile.
These interview questions for teachers should give you a good idea of what you are likely to be faced within a formal interview. Make sure you have plenty of practice interviews with family and friends before the real thing. Good luck!
11. Why did you decide to be a teacher?
This should be one of the easiest questions. What drives you? Why did you decide to pursue an education degree in college? Why did you pick the subject you picked? More than likely there is a good story here that will highlight your passion for what you’re doing. This will give the employer a little insight into your personality and values.
12. What is your teaching style?
Are you a textbook guru? Do you try to adapt all of your lessons into hands-on experiences? Do you coordinate field trips to help bring the classroom to life? Are you more of a quiet leader or do you boast confidence and energy? Do you use a lot of technology in your classroom? (If so – here’s a course on how to utilize the iPad to its fullest extent in class.) Be honest with your employer and back it up with examples or proof. If you’re kids or parents have ever written you a letter thanking you for your hard work – show them. This will tell them that even though you may have a non-traditional teaching style, or a totally traditional teaching style – it works for you.
13. How do you handle disciplining a child who is acting out?
You want to show that you never lose control without sounding like a tyrant. Explain that you set routines that help students stay focused and that you have the rules clearly posted on the wall. Don’t tell them that you’ll just send the delinquent kid to the principal’s office. This shows that you don’t really have a handle on your classroom – and that you’re willing to pass off a problem to someone else. Of course, if you kid commits an egregious act of violence or starts screaming and doesn’t stop, you should send your kid to the office because no amount of “handling” is going to resolve that. Something else that may be a good answer is to suggest that your kids won’t be acting out because your lesson plans are so exciting and interesting.
14. How do you make sure you lessons meet the state standards?
If you’re in the US you’ve probably heard time and time again about the importance of making lesson plans that adhere to the state standards. Reassure your potential employer that you follow closely to the standards and then show them. Bring a lesson plan example with you that shows them the standards typed right into the plan. Nothing’s better than proving to them that the state standards are important to you.
15. How do you communicate with the parents?
Parents are a crucial part to kids getting the most out of their education. Without them to be the enforcers (most) kids aren’t going to willingly run home to do 3 pages of math equations. You need to keep your parents in the loop as to what assignments need to be done, how their kids are doing and any problem areas they might need to work on. You may send home a weekly letter to the parents explaining what happened in class this week and what’s to come for next week. Maybe you have assignments that need to be signed. If you have another creative way to get in touch with the parents – explain it!
16. How do you encourage group work amongst your students?
Most teachers just know when it’s an appropriate time for group work and when it’s not. Demonstrate to your employer that you know some problems can arise during these exercises (introvert and extrovert personality types are highlighted) but you feel it’s an important as it increases the wealth of knowledge through the dissemination of ideas and perspectives. Maybe mention a lesson plan developed to include a group activity and how it worked out well.
17. Describe one of the most successful lessons you have taught in a class. Explain why it worked so well.
Provide a specific excellent lesson that you taught. Concentrate on the
key points of the lesson and how you used the information to make the lesson successful. A basic skill that all professional teachers must have is to plan for lessons in advance. Affirm that you always analyze the strengths as well as the weaknesses of your lessons and show how hard you worked to improve your skills.
18. What strategies will you use to encourage group work amongst your student?
To answer this teacher interview question, you should prove that you understand what the advantages (praising incorporation among students, making the combination between ideas and information convenient) and disadvantages (social loafing, rule by certain personality types) of teamwork are and when a learning situation ¡s suitable for teamwork and when it will be not.
19. What will you do ¡f a lesson doesn’t work well?
Sometimes things go out of the plan.
Provide a specific instance in which a lesson did not run. Concentrate on
analyzing what went wrong and what the weaknesses of the lessons were.
Show the way you did to enhance the quality of the lessons such as making
the content less complicated, utilizing useful resources, learning the
experiences from other teachers and reconsidering your classroom management. You need to know that failures have occurred and you have ability and lucidity to resolve them.
20. What qualities do you look for in a principal?
This kind of question is made in order to ask your opinion about a successful principal and which qualities that a teacher and a principal must-have. Having a vision and a clear goal, planning and motivating, communicating and
visibility, consistency and accountability, caring, nurturing and developing staff and students are the qualities that must be concentrated on.
21. What are your personal and professional goals?
Teachers who are also learners themselves are being looked for by many schools. Show your goals that deal with self-improvement in the teaching skills and the profit which the students, the school and the community can get. Think twice before entering an interview so you can present your goals easily and fluently when being asked.
22. How do you evaluate the success of your teaching?
There is no know-it-all teacher and everyone has to try to be better.
According to the assessment, you can recognize which teaching skills are good and which need to be improved. Describe an example in which your lessons are
reflected clearly and positives and negatives are stressed. Show the specific approaches of self evaluation that you used. It is helpful for you to make successes and enhance if necessary. Some other useful approaches are the
feedback about sessions from students.
23. Tell me about a teacher who has inspired you and what did you learn from him or her?
This kind of teacher interview question is created to discover your values and motivation. You need to prepare some examples in which show their behavior and teaching styles that inspired you. How have you tried to transmit the lesson you learned from him or her to your students? Emphasize qualities that would be valuable in the teaching position you are applying for in your answer.
24. What are your areas of strength in the curriculum?
You need to have an honest self-evaluation of your strengths. Present a clear understanding curriculum and explain why you consider those special districts as your strengths. Identify strengths that you want to enhance and the steps you will or are following to catch your goals.
25. How do you keep your subject up to date?
Teachers have to maintain a constantly developing curriculum. In order to give the high-quality instruction, you should express your willingness and competence to keep your subject district in line. Strong positive access between a teacher’s preparation in their subject issue and their implementation and influence in the classroom is presented in the research. Show specific examples of resources that you have to update and improve your subject knowledge such as agreeing with related publications, joining seminars and on-line research.
