Interview Questions for Teaching Positions

1. Interview Questions for Teaching Positions Compiled and Edited by Sandra Divnick

2. Question Categories • Instructional Skills • Technology Skills • Planning Skills • Classroom Management • Content Knowledge • Community Relations Skills • Teaching Experiences • Personal Qualities • Questions You Should Ask

3. Instructional Skills • Describe your typical lesson. • How will you instruct students with varying abilities? • If students were struggling to learn a skill or concept, what would you do? What techniques help to ensure that students understand? • How do you keep students involved in class? • How would you respond to the view that it seems like there is never enough time to cover the curriculum / master content and skills? • Are you constantly searching for things you can demonstrate to students? Tell us about a recent discovery that you have found. • How do you deal with unmotivated students? Describe some specific motivational strategies you use to get students excited about teaming. • Given the multitude of material that must be taught, what is the optimum way to cover all subjects and still meet individual needs? How does your management of your classroom facilitate this? • How do you feel when a student fails? • What would you do if 50% of a class did poorly on a test? How do you evaluate your own teaching performance? • Have you developed any new ideas about teaching in the past few months? Describe one or two of them for us.  QCs

4. Technology Skills • How would you apply technology to enhance daily instruction and increase student learning? • What activities have these technologies replaced, if any? • How do you feel about having student computers in the classroom? • Are you comfortable with the use of technology in the classroom? • What are your computer skills? What computer software have you used? • What technology-based activities do you have your students do?  QCs

5. Planning Skills • How well organized are you? Why is organization important for a teacher? • How would you rank these in importance and why? Planning, discipline, methods, evaluation. • Do you prefer to do long term or short term plans? How do you plan for instruction? • How closely do you follow your plans? • How do you feel when you don't meet a deadline? What do you do when students do not meet their deadlines? • What are some of the considerations you make when planning your lessons? • What do you include in your daily lesson plans? • How do you go about planning a unit? • What are your thoughts on team-teaching? • How much homework will you assign? How do you know how long it will take your students?  QCs

6. Management Skills • Describe your philosophy regarding discipline. • What techniques would you use to handle discipline problems that may arise in your classroom? • A student is consistently late to your class. How do you handle the situation? • What kinds of rules do you have in your classroom? How are they established? • What do you feel are the most important factors in classroom control? • What techniques do you use to increase the probability that students will behave appropriately? • What is your attitude towards individual vs. total class punishment? • Compare negative and positive reinforcement and describe effects of each. • Describe your classroom's physical appearance.

7. Management Skills • Some people say you should demand respect. Do you agree or disagree? • How do you feel if a student does not meet a deadline? • How do you give your students recognition? Do you think a student can have too much recognition? • How do you encourage students to learn? Can a student be forced to learn? • How do you handle a child who seems gifted, but is a discipline problem? • How do you establish authority/discipline? What do you do when a discipline problem arises? • How do you feel about noise in the classroom? How do you handle noise in the classroom?  QCs

8. Content Knowledge • What coursework have you taken that has made you especially suited for this position? • Describe your educational background and teaching experience related to your subject area. • What kinds of materials and supplies would you need to do your best job? • Are there any materials you have used that you find are especially effective for slow learners or bright students? • What kinds of tests do you like to give? • In which curriculum area do you feel particularly strong? • How do you stay current in your field? • What goals do you hope to achieve in your subject? • Are you familiar with the state’s curriculum standards for your discipline? Describe them.  QCs

9. Community Relations Skills • Are you willing to sponsor any extra-curricular activities? • What kind of person do you like to work for? What kind of people do you find it difficult to work with and why? • How do you integrate your class with the school as a whole? • How would your students describe you as a teacher? • How do you feel about parent contact? Tell me some ways you would involve parents in your classroom. • How do you let parents know the progress of their child? • In your opinion, how effective are parent conferences in solving student problems? • What would you tell a parent who complained about his/her child not having enough homework? • How much do you want to know about your students in order to be most helpful to them? • If a student came to you and said, "None of the other students like me," what would you tell him/her? • What three things do you most want to know about your students? • What would you do if your principal made a decision you didn’t like?  QCs

10. Teaching Experiences • Recount your teaching experiences such as levels subjects taught, years, location, etc. • Tell about your most challenging experience while working with children or in the classroom. • What was your most rewarding experience during student teaching? • How well has your college/university prepared you for the field of teaching? • What experience have you had with students from culturally diverse backgrounds? • Describe the best lesson you have delivered. Why was it successful? • What was the most challenging discipline problem you've encountered and how did you handle it? • Describe a situation in your last job when you felt pressure. How did you handle it? • Give an example of how you handle conflicts. • What was the most frustrating thing that happened to you as a student teacher? the best thing?  QCs

11. Personal Qualities • “Tell me about yourself.” • Why did you decide to become a teacher? • What do you enjoy most about teaching? • Tell me three things you believe about teaching. What is your educational philosophy? • Do you consider yourself a risk taker? (Explain why) • Are you a positive and energetic person? (Explain why) • If a student said she thought you were the worst teacher she ever had, what would you say? • Why do you want to teach in our School District? What are the advantages / disadvantages of working in a school of this type? • You have heard students complaining constantly about another teacher. What would you do? • What are your plans for continuing your professional growth? • What is the last book you read? Have you ever considered publishing a book? • How do you implement an equal opportunities policy in your class? • What are your greatest strengths? What is your biggest weakness? • Are you an empathetic person? an objective person? Give an example. • Where do you see yourself in five years? In ten years?  QCs

12. Questions You Might Ask • I have always been successful with getting parents involved in the classroom: how active are parents at this school? • I am well-versed at integrating computer technology into the classroom: what kind of resources does the school have available? • Do teachers work in teams? If so, how is this organized? • I consider myself a life-long learner, what professional development opportunities will be available? • What is the student/teacher ratio? • I have been instrumental in developing new programs in previous positions I have held. Will the school be implementing any new programs this year, or require input to develop programs already in place? • Will the school be addressing any major issues this year? • If you are new to the industry you may ask, "Is there is a mentor teacher program available?" • When do you hope to reach a decision as to who the successful candidate will be?  QCs

13. Questions for Specials • How often will I see each class? • Will I meet with each grade level, or just the older students? • What materials and resources does the school have in its possession? • What kind of budget is allotted to my department? • Do I have my own room, or will I be a “cart teacher,” traveling from room to room? • Are there extracurricular expectations of me, such as planning or decorating pep rallies?  QCs