Teaching jobs are hard to find, so when you land an interview you want to make sure that you come in fully prepared for the questions that will be thrown your way. While there’s no way to anticipate exactly what will be asked of you, here are some questions that aspiring teachers commonly face in an interview, with an explanation about why they come up:
What would I see and hear during a typical lesson in your classroom?
Those doing the interview ask this because they want to get a sense of a teacher’s style. Will they promote enlightened and animated discussions? Will they use visual aids and other supplements to keep the lesson engaging? Will they make sure that students are staying on task and focused? These are key signs of an effective teacher.
Why do you feel that we teach ___ subject matter in schools?
This is a chance for a teacher to illustrate their passion for a subject, and show that they’re truly invested in the topics that they cover in their classroom. It also helps the person doing the hiring to ensure that the educator they’re bringing on board really understands why the subjects matter, and that they don’t feel that they’re just teaching them because they have to. Passion and enthusiasm are highly important, and this question helps to verify that the candidate has both of these things.
How have you managed a problematic student in the past?
This theoretical question gives some insight into how an educator deals with disciplinary issues within the classroom. Regardless of how “good” the school is, a teacher needs to be able to handle behavior problems, because they will inevitably come up. They must also be able to do so without losing focus, getting flustered, or losing the respect of students. Hearing about this individual’s strategies for dealing with bad behavior can provide significant insight into how they’ll maintain control of their classroom and their pupils.
If you heard colleagues talking about you, what would you do?
The culture within a school matters, especially when it comes to how teachers interact with one another. An educator can be great with students, but if he or she constantly picks fights with other staff members, this individual can become detrimental to the learning institution as a whole. This question ensures that the person in the interview won’t cause drama or stress should they receive an offer from the school.
Coming up with strong, carefully crafted answers to these questions can help an aspiring teacher to feel more prepared for an interview, and may help them to get closer to landing a highly coveted teaching job.
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