Here are ten interview questions teachers should expect when applying for a position:
1–Tell us about your teaching experience at the previous school.
You are expected to talk about what you did in the previous school, student ages you taught, a bit about the subject matter, and why have you decided to change workplaces.
2–Why would you like to work here?
Especially for newly qualified teachers, with no previous teaching experience, the interviewers expect you to talk about your passion for the job, your enthusiasm to take up such a great responsibility, what you have learned about your job while studying and how you can’t wait to apply that in the classroom.
3– Tell us about your classroom management skills.
How do you tackle behavioural issues in the classroom? How do you deal with disruptive students? What practical examples can you give of behavioural issues and how you dealt with them.
4– How do you handle a classroom with mixed abilities?
Can you give an example of an activity you designed for different ability levels? Think of a practical activity, something you have taught in your previous school (or teaching practice) which you have scaffolded for the different learning groups you had in your class, and talk about how it went and why it was successful.
5–How do you teach specific subject matters?
Besides your teaching qualifications, interviewers are looking for clear examples of how you teach specific subjects or concepts. You might be given 10 minutes to think about ways to teach a concept they choose for you. Think about your instructions, comment on possible students’ errors, misunderstandings, and ways to teach it successfully.
6–What are your strengths/weaknesses as a teacher?
For this question, I recommend being very clear about pointing out your strengths. In terms of weaknesses, I’d point out the fact that while I’m not perfect, I’m a professional practitioner who strives to be the best possible teacher in the interest of the school and the students.
7–What methods do you use to communicate with the parents?
Think of clear examples. Something that went very well in the previous workplace, policies that made the communication flow effectively and made the parents part of the learning process.
8–How do you evaluate your students?
What are your methods for ongoing evaluation? How/when do you take notes? Tests/no tests? What kind of tests?
9–Describe your worst teaching day and how you dealt with it.
Give clear examples, what you got out of it and the lessons you have learnt.
10–How do you motivate your students?
Make sure to give concrete examples, such as the way you greet them in the morning, leave notes on the board or on their homework, activities etc.
