| Sample
interview questions for teaching candidates |
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Not every interviewer will ask you every one of
these questions. However, if you are prepared to address
these questions, you will leave an impression that you were prepared
for your job interview, even if there are additional questions
that take you by surprise.
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Typical teaching candidate questions:
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Why did you decide to become a teacher? |
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Have you ever taken care of someone?
Did you enjoy it? |
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Do you consider yourself a risk taker?
(Give an example to back up your answer.) |
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Are you a positive and energetic person?
(Give an example to back up your answer.) |
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If a student said she thought you were
the worst teacher she ever had, what would you say? |
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If I were your principal and we were
setting goals for next year, what would they be? |
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What is the last book you read? |
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Have you ever considered publishing
a book? |
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Some people say you should demand respect.
Do you agree or disagree? |
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Tell me about yourself. |
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How would you rank these in importance
and why? Planning, discipline, methods, evaluation. |
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If a student came to you and said,
"None of the other students like me," what would you tell
him/her? |
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Are you an empathetic person? Give
an example. |
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How can you tell that a person is a
good listener? |
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Are you an objective person? Give an
example. |
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What do you want to do with your life? |
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How do you feel if a student does not
meet a deadline? |
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It is the first day of class, you are
writing something on the board and a paper wad hits you in the back,
what would you do? Later the same day, if all the students
drop their pencils, what do you do? |
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What was the most frustrating thing
that happened to you as a student teacher? |
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What was the best thing? |
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Do you believe you should build rapport
with students? If yes, how? |
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How do you give your students recognition?
Do you think a student can have too much recognition? |
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How do you encourage students to learn?
Can a student be forced to learn? |
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How do you handle a child who seems
gifted, but is a discipline problem? |
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How do you feel about computers in
the classroom? |
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How do you present a new word to a
class? |
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What are your strengths? What
are your weaknesses? |
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What is the role of the principal?
Does a conflict exist between your perception of a principal's role
and his/her role as your evaluator? |
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Describe your student teaching experience. |
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During your student teaching, were
you ever involved with a situation at school involving racial tension?
If so, how did you handle it? |
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How do you establish authority/discipline?
What do you do when a discipline problem arises? |
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What subjects have you taught? |
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Are you patient? Give an example. |
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Do you ever feel angry towards your
students? |
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What will you be doing in five years? |
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What is your educational philosophy? |
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If you could create the ideal school,
what would it be like? |
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Do you like to be challenged? (Give
an example to back up your answer.) |
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What do you like most/dislike most
about teaching? |
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How do you feel about noise in the
classroom? How do you handle noise in the classroom? |
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How would you handle making a difficult
phone call to a parent? |
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| Also see: |
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Typical interview format |
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Interview attire |
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Sample interview questions |
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Behavioral interviewing |
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Interview DOs & DON'Ts |
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Researching employers — why and how |
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Questions to ask the employer |
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Responding to salary questions |
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On-site interviews |
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Dining
Etiquette |
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Interview expenses |
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After
your interviews / follow up / thank-you letters |
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The
Mock Interview Program |
