TEACHER INTERVIEWS

(to be used in conjunction with basic interview preparation)

Passion/Enthusiasm for the Profession

· Why did you decide to become a teacher?

· When did you decide to become a teacher?

· What was the last educational article you read?

· With what kind of student do you least/most like to work with?

· Why do you want to work in our district?

· What grade levels or subjects do you prefer to teach?

· What professional development topics most interest you?

· What extracurricular activities can you supervise?

Content Area

· Why did you choose your content area/grade levels?

· What is your favorite subject to teach?

· What is your least favorite subject to teach?

Teaching Philosophy

· What is your teaching philosophy? Describe your teaching style.

· What principles do you use to motivate students?

· Are children born with the ability to learn, or is that provided by you, the teacher?

· What is the most difficult aspect of teaching today?

· What qualities make a "superior" teacher?

Teaching Techniques, Skills, & Knowledge

· Tell me about your past teaching experiences.

· Describe positive/negative student teaching experiences.

· Describe in detail a lesson that you taught.. What would I see you and your students doing?

· What questions do you ask yourself when planning lessons or units?

· What was your best/worst lesson?

· What do you look for to evaluate that learning is taking place in your classroom?

· How do you handle different ability levels of students in your classroom? How do you help those who are below level/above level?

· What are some of the most successful strategies or techniques that have worked for you in the classroom?

· How do you teach reading? If your students score low in reading, what strategies will you use to raise their scores?

· How do you integrate the curriculum?

· What skills do you bring to our school and community?

· What have you done to improve your school/ classroom?

· Tell me about your experience with special education students.

· Do you have (multicultural, urban, learning problems, etc.) teaching experience?

· When do you use an individual, group and/or whole class teaching approach? Why?

Technology/Current Trends

· How have you used technology in your classroom?

· What role should technology play in the classroom and in the curriculum?

· How would you incorporate the Standards of Learning into your lessons?

· What are the pros and cons of Standards of Learning?

· Pros and cons of the No Child Left Behind Act?

· How could you use team teaching to provide your students with a better education?

· What are the pros and cons of team teaching?

· How do you keep up with innovations in education?

Discipline

· What is your philosophy on discipline?

· How do you handle discipline in your classroom?

· What techniques or model do you utilize to ensure good classroom management?

· One of the children in your classroom is misbehaving. How will you address the situation?

· Tell us about the most difficult student that you've taught. What did you learn from that experience?

· One of the children in your classroom is misbehaving. How will you address the situation?

· What steps would you take to handle a student who is a consistent behavioral problem in your classroom?

· Would you send a child to the principal's office?

· How would you handle an attendance problem in your classroom?

· What are some characteristics of a well-managed classroom?

· What are some examples of rules you would have in your classroom? How are they established?

Parents

· What steps will you take to increase parent involvement?

· How do you include parents in their child's education?

· What steps do you take to maintain communications with parents?

· Following the issuance of report cards, a parent comes to your classroom angry about the grades you gave their child. How will you handle the parent?

· Tell us about the most difficult parent that you've dealt with.

· How have you used parents in your classroom?

· How would you handle a personal attack from a parent? (For example: A parent tells you, "What do you know about teaching children, you don't have any!?")

Working Style

· What do you do to maintain communications with other teachers?

· How do you keep the principal informed?

· How would you handle working with someone you do not get along with?

· What are the duties of your assistant? How would you use an assistant in your classroom?

· Define the role of the principal.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS TO ASK DURING A TEACHER INTERVIEW

(to be used in conjunction with basic interview preparation)

· How does the administration work with teachers to improve instruction?

· Are there school psychologists, counselors, or public agencies who help students and teachers?

· What professional skills do you expect of the person you hire?

· How does the staff feel about new teachers? Are there mentoring programs available?

· Tell me about the students who attend this school.

· How involved are parents in school activities?

· Does your district promote staff development activities and conferences? What types of programs have the teachers attended in the last year?

· To what extent do staff members work collaboratively to solve problems and respond to the needs of students?

· Are team teaching opportunities available?

· What are prospects for future growth in this community and its schools?

Mock Interview Questions:

· Tell me a little bit about yourself.


· Let’s pretend it’s almost the first day of school and you are a first grade teacher. How would you prepare your classroom?

· As a grade one teacher, how would you motivate parents to become involved in the classroom and in their child’s education?

· Are you a flexible teacher? If so, explain how.

· What did you find to be the most difficult aspect of student (intern) teaching?

· What ways do you assess and evaluate students?

· What will you do to modify your teaching to meet the needs of a gifted student?

· What would your master teacher or cooperating teacher say about you?

· What are some of the trends, issues, and methodologies in education that relate to your specific curriculum area or grade level?

· Do you know what is going on in education today? Do you have a passion for the profession? In other words, do you stay current?

· What is your classroom management plan?

· What do you do to accommodate a student with an IEP? (Individualized Education Plan)

· Do you enjoy teaching children? If so, how would I know if I observed your class?

· How do you differentiate your teaching? Please provide a couple of examples.

· What can you contribute to our school community/teaching team?