Prepare yourself for an upcoming teacher interview by thinking about how you would respond to possible interview questions. This list is by no means exhaustive, but I have brainstormed and compiled a lot of questions to help give you an idea. This list is also of benefit to Principals and Heads of Department who may be interviewing potential candidates.
What is your favourite book to read to your students and why?
Describe yourself using 3 adjectives.
Convince me to put my own child in your class.
What do you know about our school?
What have you learned from your most challenging teaching experience?
If you were having a conflict with a parent, how would you handle it?
How do you integrate technology into your lessons?
In 3 minutes, can you explain something to me that is complicated but that you know well.
Share an innovative lesson you have taught. Why do you think it was innovative?
Is it important to treat students fairly, equally or both?
How would you deal with a disruptive child?
Tell me about the real you.
How important is collaboration and building camaraderie with other staff members? How would you go about this?
If I walked into your classroom during an outstanding lesson, what would I see and hear?
What are the key qualities and skills that students look for in teachers?
What can you offer our school that other candidates might not?
What would be your biggest area of weakness and what are you doing to improve it?
Describe your teaching style.
How do you encourage student participation?
How do you cater for different learning styles?
What are some strategies you use to cater for different ability levels in the class?
How would you motivate a reluctant child?
How do you encourage creativity in the classroom?
How do you teach children to use higher order thinking skills?
What would you do if a student wasn’t handing in homework on a regular basis?
What are your classroom rules?
Describe a gifted child. How would you cater for them in your class?
Describe a lesson in which you have used differentiated instruction.
What has been your most satisfying moment of your teaching career so far?
Are you a team player? Explain.
Which extracurricular activities would you be willing to help out with?
What kind of PD opportunities would you be eager to attend?
If you are teaching a lesson and a lot of your students don’t seem to be ‘getting it’, what do you do?
How can you cater for high reading abilities and low reading abilities at the same time?
How would you calm a child who is having an anxiety attack?
How do you communicate with parents?
What would you do and how would you handle it if you were unsatisfied with a particular part of your job?
How would you handle it if your teaching partner resisted a great new idea that you had?
How would you handle constructive feedback from someone in a leadership position?
What are some different ways you could use a teacher aide in your classroom?
Why do we teach Maths in schools?
Talk about your classroom behaviour management strategies and beliefs.
Tell me about a time when you set difficult goals for yourself.
What would your previous colleagues say about you?
How do you align with the spiritual beliefs of our school?
Describe what a typical day would look like in your classroom.
Tell me about a time you had fun at work.
Describe something you are passionate about. If you had one year to develop your skills in this area, how would you spend that year?
What makes students excited to come to your classroom every day?
If we decided not to appoint you, what would we be missing out on?
Why did you become a teacher?
What are your 3 greatest strengths?
Is there anything you want us to know that we haven’t asked, that might help us as we make our hiring decision?
How do you stay organised?
How do you evaluate students?
How do you handle stress?
What books or podcasts are you currently reading or listening to, in order to foster your professional growth?
Describe your classroom from the perspective of your students.
What are 3 words you hope your students will use to describe your class?
Explain your philosophy of teaching.
What importance do you attach to cooperation with colleagues?
What strategies would you employ if a child started in your class who could hardly speak English?
How would you handle a bullying incident in the class?
What is the difference between punishment and discipline?
What values do you highlight in the classroom?
Pretend I’m your Maths student. I can’t stand Maths and I find it a real struggle. What will you do to change my attitude towards learning?
What question did I not ask you that you wished I would have?
