Common Teacher Interview Questions and Best Answers

Common Teacher Interview Questions and Best AnswersCommon Teacher Interview Questions and Best AnswersWhats the best way to prepare for a teacher job bewerbungsinterview? You can build self-confidence and reduce the stress of the interview by planning how to respond to questions ahead of time. Start by asking yurself, What can I do to enaya my candidacy gets careful consideration for a teaching job? How will I make myself stand out? Then marshal examples and anecdotes that will help you to create a memorable impression. What the Interviewer Wants to Know School principals and any other members of a hiring committee craft the questions they ask in order to determine whether you will be a good fit for their school as well as a champion for the policies established by their school district. Learn as much as you can about the schools you are applying to so that youll be better able to anticipate the sort of questions youll be asked about yourteaching philosophyand classroom managemen t style. 145 Watch Now How to Answer 4 Common Teacher Interview Questions 12 Common Teacher Interview Questions and Best Answers Review this list of questions you might be asked during a teacher job interview, with examples of the best way to respond to each. Questions About You as a Teacher Share your enthusiasm for teaching, working with students, and examples of how you would teach your class.Be prepared to answer questions about why you are interested in the job, how you teach different types of learners within the same class, and how you handle challenges in the classroom. You should also be ready to discuss your teaching and classroom management philosophies. 4. Why did you decide to become a teacher? What They Want to KnowTeaching is one of the fruchtwein challenging of professions, with a high degree of burn-out. Youll be askedthis questionso the hiring committee can gauge your enthusiasm for and commitment to teaching. From the time I was young, I have loved learn ing and appreciated the great teachers who opened new worlds for me. Its the only career I ever considered, because I truly want to follow their example and, now in my turn, instill a joy of learning in my own students. Expand2. What type of classroom management structure would you implement if you were hired? What They Want to KnowYour interviewer is interested in how you wouldhandle a classroom, particularly if class sizes are large in their school. I take a proactive approach to classroom management, modeling positive behaviors for my students and encouraging beistandive peer-to-peer communications. I also identify what triggers stress in individual students, and am prepared to support them when challenges arise. Expand3. How have you used, or how will you use, technology in the classroom? What They Want to KnowInteractiveclassroom technologieshave transformed learning over the past decade. Be ready to describe your familiarity with common tools like Smart Boards. In my last clas sroom, the students used tablets to create and manage their own website, which proved to be a great tool for communicating with parents and allowing them to see the daily activities their kids participated in. Expand Questions About You as a Learner The interviewer or hiring committee will want to know how you personally approach learning, your teaching qualifications and credentials, any continuing education you have received, and how you stay current with technological advances and new approaches to learning. 4. What approach or strategy do you use to learn new information? What They Want to KnowThis question addresses whether you consciously think about individual learning styles both your own and those of your students. I find I learn new material best by writing down notes as I read or as I am listening to someone giving a lecture. The process of writing down the important details works in two ways first, it helps me absorb and think carefully about the new information and second, my notes serve as a study guide that I can reference going forward. Expand5. What continuing education classes, workshops, training, etc. have you attended? What They Want to KnowAll teachers must pursue continuing education in order to maintain their certification. Use your response to showcase the particular areas of educational theory and practice that you have mastered and that will add value to your school. The district where I worked previously offered continuing education opportunities in the evenings throughout the year. I attended behauptung sessions regularly. I especially enjoyed the literacy training sessions that focused on early childhood literature and teaching strategies. I have also been lucky enough to attend the yearly Autism Awareness conference held in New York City for the last two years. I try to take advantage of any continuing education opportunities offered to me. Expand Questions About You as Part of a Teaching Team and Classroom Community Schoo ls want to foster a sense of community within the school, especially in the classrooms. You will likely be asked questions about your ability to work as part of a team of teachers and administrators, as well as your abilities and experiences bridging the gap between the students in the classroom and their families at home. 6. What interests you about our district? What They Want to KnowYoud be amazed at how many entry-level teaching candidates fail to research school districts before their interviews. Hiring committees ask this question to see if youve been interested enough to do your homework and learn about the needs of their school district. As the parent of a 4th grader in the district, I have experienced firsthand how warm and welcoming the teachers and administrators are. The feeling of community the school district works hard to foster and maintain is something I have never experienced in any of the schools I attended or taught in.Everyone knows my daughters name, my name, a nd you can tell that everyone in the school is genuinely happy to be there working with the students and their families. Expand7. Would you be interested in leading any after-school activities? What They Want to KnowGood schools are always looking for ways to enrich their students lives. Being willing to lead after-school activities like sports teams, clubs, or academic teams will be a strong point in your favor. During the summer, I am the director of a theater camp offered by the art center in town. I would love to take part in any drama clubs or performances the children participate in throughout the year.Or, if there isnt a drama club, Id certainly love to start one, if thats something that the school would be interested in. While theater happens to be my personal passion, if there are any other activities that are especially in need of support and that I might be a good fit for, Id be willing to help out however I can. Expand Questions About Students and Parents As a way to assess your teaching style and communication skills, you may be asked about how you would handle students and parents. 8. How would you deal with a student who is habitually late? What They Want to KnowYour interviewer is interested in knowing how you would relate one-on-one with students displaying non-productive behaviors. If a child is coming into school late on a regular basis, I would first talk with the child to see if there is anything going on in school or at home that is causing him or her to be late.After talking with the child, and depending on what they share, I would discuss with my supervisor the best possible approach to talk to the family about the repeated tardiness. Expand9. How would you engage a reluctant student? What They Want to KnowThis question is meant to prompt discussion about how you motivate students with different learning styles. If a student seems reluctant to participate during a specific subject, I would use my experience working with different typ es of learners and adjust my teaching strategies to engage the student in a way that they would feel more comfortable to participate.This may be by having the student(s) work with a partner, or creating my lessons around a topic that the student may be more likely to be interested in. Expand10. What would you say to an angry parent about their childs grade? What They Want to KnowOne of the hardest challenges in teaching is having to communicate with disapproving parents. Principals need to know that their teachers can work calmly to defuse criticism. If I have a parent who is upset about a grade their child received, I would offer to meet with the parent and provide supporting evidence of the lessons the child received in preparation for the assessment.I would then ask the parent(s) to help me brainstorm ways that their child might prepare for and perform better on assessments. For example, I once had a child who consistently struggled with his weekly spelling work.Before his parent s contacted me, I reached out to them after he handed in his second weekly test incomplete. I asked the parent if we could think of some strategies the child could use both in the classroom and at home to improve the students spelling skills.Every situation is different, of course, but if I am able to offer a retake of the assessment, I would be more than happy to do so. Expand11. What would you do if you suspected neglect or abuse in the home of one of your students? What They Want to KnowTeachers walk a delicate line as advocates for their students welfare. Think about how you would respond should you suspect a child has been subject to abuse. I take my position as a mandated reporter very seriously.I am aware of the districts daily health check system that early childhood teachers are required to implement daily.In my previous position, we also did daily checks when the children would arrive each morning. There was one child in my previous classroom who had odd bruising on both a rms and I was not sure if the bruises were from rough play with siblings or friends, or from an adult being physically abusive.Before I said anything to anyone, I reported what I saw to the principal who guided me through the process to determine the cause of the bruising. Ultimately it was discovered that the bruises were from the childs older sibling. The way my school handled the situation enabled us to ensure the child was in a safe situation without falsely accusing or upsetting the parents. Expand12. If you noticed a child being bullied in your class, how would you deal with the situation? What They Want to KnowBullying is a huge problem in schools. What steps would you take to recognize, prevent, or respond to it in your classroom? One of the most important large group activities I do with my class at the beginning of the year is writing our class rules together. I make it a big deal together we come up with and agree to the rules, and we all sign the poster in a commitment t o do our best to follow the rules while also helping others to follow the rules throughout the day. One of the most important rules on our poster is to not bully other children.I use this group activity as an opportunity to talk about what it means to bully, and what to do if a student is bullied or they see someone being bullied.Part of the lesson is making anti-bullying posters that we hang in our classroom and in the halls. If I witnessed bullying, I would talk to all the children involved separately, and I would also revisit our anti-bullying lesson and posters with the whole class. Expand Tips to Answer Teacher Interview Questions During your interview, youll need to do more than just give generic responses to the questions youre asked. The best candidate will be able to explainhow they are qualified for the joband why they would be a good fit for the school. It makes it much easier for a hiring manager to make a decision when the applicant spells out why they would be a gre at hire. Make It PersonalTake the time to personalize your responses to interview questions. Include highlights from your background, skills, and professional experience that are relevant to the job that youre applying for. Focus on skills most relevant to the field. Here is alist of the teaching skillsinterviewers are most interested in. Of course,communication,organization, andcritical thinkingare high on the list of desired qualities. If yourereturning to the classroom after a career break, be prepared to address the gap in your experience. Provide ExamplesThe interviewer will likely ask youbehavioral interview questions, which require you to provide an example of how you did something. For instance, an interviewer might say, Tell me about a time you handled a behavioral issue with a student. These kinds of questions require you to think of examples from past teaching experiences. To answer these questions, explain the situation and what you did to either solve a problem or achie ve success. Then, describe the result. Even if the question is not a behavioral interview question, it is often helpful to provide a specific example. For instance,situational interview questionsask you to consider a possible future situation at work. An interviewer might ask, How would you handle a parent who thinks you graded his child unfairly? Although these are about future situations, you can still answer with an example from a past experience. It helps to create a list of anecdotes you can draw on, focusing on situations where your action had a clear, positive outcome. Research the SchoolResearch the school district and the schoolwhere you will be working if you get hired. Youll be able to find plenty of this information on the school districts website. Also, if you have a connection to any teachers who work in the school, the district, or any parents whose children attend the school, ask them for their insight into the job. The more familiar you are with the academics, extra -curricular activities, sports, student profiles, and the curriculum, the better equipped youll be to ask meaningful questions and provide nuanced answers to interview questions. Be Prepared for a Panel InterviewWhen you interview for a teaching job, you may be expected to interview with a variety of different constituents. You may be required tointerview with a panel, which could include the school principal, administrative staff, other teachers, and parents. In some cases, you may need to an interview with a search committee that is charged with screening applicants before moving on to a formal interview for the job. Prepare to Teach a Mini-LessonBefore or after the interview you might also be asked to teach a mini-lesson to a group of students, or teachers pretending to be students, during your interview. Be sure that you know exactly what you need to prepare for each interview, which should be clearly stated in an email or over the phone, most likely when you are arranging your interview date and time. How to Make the Best Impression Often at the end of an interview, you will be asked if you have any questions for the interviewer. This is when you become the interviewer and have the weg to ask some well-thought-out questions. Review the list ofgood questions to ask during an interview for teaching jobs. It is important that you come prepared with questions in order to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the position and your interest in learning more about the role, the school or the district.