Being a professional teacher can be quite an exciting career if you love to teach. And if you dream of becoming one, you will have to get a job. However, to successfully land a teaching job, you might need to answer these 21 teacher interview questions.
Job interviews are well known to be nerve-racking, especially if you have only a little or no experience in answering interview questions for teachers.
In this guide, we present you with 21 teacher interview questions and answers that will inform you and prep your confidence on how to get that your dream teaching job. But first, let’s get to know how to prepare for a teaching interview.
How to Prepare for a Teaching Interview
It will be to your advantage if you do some research about the organization, the job requirements and its elements before the interview.
The more you know about the organization in question, the more confident and precise you will be when you respond to interview questions.
Additionally, you will need to practice with samples of interview questions for teachers and their sample answers from blog posts, publications and articles like this one.
Now that you know how to prepare for a teaching interview, here are some common teacher interview questions and answers that you should memorize before meeting the interviewer.
Common Teacher Interview Questions And Answers
Here are 21 primary teacher questions and answers that you can practice with before going to take a teacher’s interview.
1. Why did you choose teaching as a profession?
This question can be termed to be a bit personal. The interviewer wants to get to know why you have chosen to teach as a career.
A perfect answer may not land you the job but will boost your chances of being employed in the company.
Below are some sample answers that will give you an edge:
Sample answer 1: I chose this profession because I am passionate about it. I believe it is my purpose. Learners are individuals that need to be shaped by the hands of a teacher for them to become productive members of society.
Sample answer 2: The lecturers at the college I attended made big impressions on me; they inspired me to pursue a teaching career. Their teaching methods, physical carriage influence and ability to counsel learners inspired me to become a teacher myself.
2. Do you have any experience as a teacher?
What the interviewer wants is for you to state instances that you have had jobs similar to the one you are trying to get in their company. The interviewer wants to find out if you have adequate knowledge and understanding of the job description.
An outstanding response to this question is to state duties and assignments of previous employment and previous job experiences, relating to the job description you are being interviewed for.
3. Tell us about yourself?
It is sometimes the first question asked during a job interview. This question is asked by the interviewer to determine some behavioral traits or character qualities that make you suited for the job at hand.
Your response should not be you trying to tell the interviewer about your personality but should be an introduction of who you are as a professional.
Your answer should sum up qualities that make you suited for the job, past experiences, proven job successes that relate to the job and highlights of your personality.
Sample answer: I started my career as a personal assistant to a school administrator, and after working a few months for her, I was attracted to teaching.
I’ve always been skilled in communication and educating people about specific topics. I’ve also been building a career as a qualified educator for the last in the last five years.
4. Tell us about your educational background?
This question is asked by the interviewer to determine how academically qualified you are, for the job you are being interviewed for.
The best answer in response is to state all academic qualifications and experience in a summarized and detailed form.
5. What makes you qualified enough to become a teacher in our establishment?
This question is I’m asked by the interviewer to determine your ability to defend your experience and mastery of the teaching profession; you must defend yourself accordingly.
In response, you should state why you best suited for the position in their company or establishment.
Sample answer: I believe I am a good fit for this position in your establishment not only because of my experience and Academic qualifications as a teacher but because I am a goal-driven individual.
I’m always motivated by achieving the best results for employers in agreement with their policies and philosophy.
6. Why have you chosen our establishment to teach?
This teacher interview question will be straightforward to answer when you have done adequate research about the establishment prior to the interview.
What the interviewer wants to know is why you have chosen to work for them aside from the common reasons, such as a job opportunity and a good salary.
Sample answer: I chose this establishment because I enjoy the opportunity of working with an organization or establishment that its goals correspond to mine.
I want my skills and expertise to increase output and to execute tasks that help to achieve goals common to both I and the school.
7. Why do you think you will be a good fit for this teaching position?
This teacher interview question also requires you to tell the individual more about yourself.
Sample answer 1: I believe I’m qualified to help the school achieve its educational goals. I see myself as an individual that is ready to take up challenges and solve problems and achieve objectives set by this organization.
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Sample answer 2: Because I am committed to the teaching responsibilities as a whole and not just to this job, I place a high value on constantly discovering, learning and improving myself as a teacher.
8. What would you say makes you unique as a teacher?
This question is asked for you to tell the individual more about yourself, so when answering this question, you should try to sell yourself as much as possible.
Sample answer: Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve had a keen interest in learning and bettering myself. I believe that if I use the right tools and strategies, this hunger for learning and self-improvement can be picked up by students who can then incorporate these values into their own lives now and in the future.
9. What would you say is your teaching philosophy or style?
This can be said to be one of the most common interview questions for teachers, and it is asked by the interviewer to determine if the teaching style or philosophy of a teacher compliments the schools’ philosophy and goals.
IF you have no idea of what your teaching style or philosophy is, then try to memorize quotes or sample answers of responses to the question” what is your teaching style or philosophy.”
Sample answer 1: I am very flexible in my teaching style. As an experienced teacher, I alter my teaching style as the need arises.
Sample answer2: Every learner is also individual, and individuals learn in their own unique way. My philosophy as a teacher is to do my best to equip learners with knowledge and skills, no matter their distinct learning style.
10. How would you handle difficult learners?
Sample answers 1: In order to curb the bad behavior of difficult learners, I must implement disciplinary methods that have been approved by the school.
Sample answer 2: I will need to establish effective communication and an understanding between ourselves.
11. How would you evaluate learners effectively?
Sample answer 1: There are different methods of evaluating learners, but I will prefer to go with any procedures and methods the school has provided for teachers as a guide.
Sample answer 2: Constant observation is a very effective way of evaluating learners; through informal observation, I will be able to get insight in on their participation and progress as learners.
12. How would you handle classroom discipline?
This question is asked by the interviewer to determine factors that the interviewee possess, such as classroom control, disciplinary methods, the teaching style, and so on.
Sample answer 1: Firstly, I believe I need to know the school policy and guidelines for discipline procedures and implement them accordingly.
Sample answer 2: Providing a comprehensive list of rules and regulations guiding the proceeding of classroom activities, and disciplinary actions if they are broken to students, parent, and other stakeholders.
Sample answer 3: I believe being positive, fair and just will foster discipline among learners.
13. How flexible are you as a teacher?
Flexibility is a crucial quality that interviews might look for in the interviewee, so most times, it is best to respond that you are flexible as a teacher.
Sample answer: As an experienced educator, I believe in flexibility. Every learner has a different level of comprehending an academic topic or subject, so I must be flexible in order to cater to all learners in a classroom.
14. What are your strengths as a teacher?
Sample answer 1: I believe my strengths as a teacher are in how I can personally relate to learners. My communication skills and interpersonal relationships have enabled me as a teacher to efficiently teach learners different subjects.
Sample answer 2: As an experienced teacher, one of the biggest strengths I have is the confidence and composure at which I teach various topics, subjects, and disciplines.
15. What are your weaknesses as a teacher?
It will not be wise to tell the interviewer about weaknesses that will cost you the job. Try to compliment yourself indirectly with your weakness.
Sample answer: One of my weaknesses as a teacher is that I get too familiar with my students and get too personal in trying to tutor them.
16. How will you motivate your students to learn?
This questions your ability to do your job effectively, since your job is actually to teach the students.
Sample answer 1: Well, by ensuring a well-developed Learning Environment that is positive and that encourages students to want to learn.
Sample answer 2: By organizing exciting and engaging class lessons.
Sample answer 3: By creating a reward system, which includes giving small awards, praise or gifts to students for exemplary behavior to encourage them and others to do, I’m better.
17. What is your favorite subject?
Try to be as honest as possible, and even though you don’t like any subject in particular. Then mention any subjects directly connected with the job description.
18. What is it you like about teaching?
What the interviewer wants to know is what aspects of teaching makes you like and want to engage in the profession.
Sample answer 1: Interacting with brilliant and inquisitive learners. My Relations with youthful individuals expand both our range of knowledge, understanding, and skills and also expand my philosophy as I also learn from their ideas and experiences.
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Sample answer 2: What I like most about teaching is when seeing my students put to practise the theories and skills that I have taught them efficiently.
19. What are your salary expectations?
In answering this type of question, one has to be careful because it is quite tricky; it can turn a smooth interview into an awkward one within a few seconds just by overstating salary rates.
Stating your salary expectations the wrong way can cost you a job offer.
You must be wondering why some employers ask this as an interview question in the first place.
Well even though there are general market values for certain positions, some companies place a higher and some lower for certain positions. This indicates that the common rate may be lower or higher than the salary they expect to pay for a certain job position.
Sample answer 1: I’m more interested in finding a position that’s a good fit for my skills and interests. I’m confident that you’re offering a salary that’s competitive in the current market.
Sample answer 2: Well, according to my research and past experience, my understanding is that 75-90K per year is typical based on the role and requirements.
20. Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
This question tends to determine if an individual has got personal plans concerning the job or career in question. It tends to try to find out if you are ambitious and are willing to strive to achieve set goals within a given period.
Sample answer: I see myself in the next five years in a better position mentally, physically, and career-wise.
21. Do you have any questions?
This question is usually the last asked during an interview.
Most people think that this question is not that important; therefore, the usual reply is that they don’t have any questions.
Well, this question is critical, and your interviewer asks it because he wants to find how ready and curious you are to solve problems related to the job description.
So to make a good you should reply to your interviewer with some sensible and relevant questions, some of these questions may include.
1) What are my long term and short term goals?
2) What extra duties do teachers have outside teaching in this school?
3) What is the school’s philosophy?
4) How do you measure teacher success?
5) What kinds of staff development opportunities are available?
6) What is the school’s viewpoint on discipline?
7) What’s the average classroom size?
8) What are the other teachers like?
9) How is the interaction between the school and the parents?
10) Do you have an active Parent Teacher Association?
How to Answer Teachers Interview Questions
Your body language communicates as much as words do, so you must have the right body language to back up whatever you are saying when you answer the question.
Furthermore, it might be challenging to think of an excellent answer to this question immediately since it requires a bit of thinking and reflection. So take a few seconds to prepare your answer, think about the successful jobs and related experience you have had in the past, to prepare your answer.
The interviewer will pay very close attention to your answer, and how it directly relates to how suited you are for the job. So, therefore, ensure that your answer has a significant connection to the elements of the job you want to get.
You also want to be as honest as possible. You have to make sure that your answers remain true to who you are. Plus some interviewers are psychoanalysts, so they tell when you lie, so lying will certainly not get you the job.
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Besides that, be positive, make sure you show how interested and enthusiastic you are to be considered for the company as your answer. Include in your answer, how will the job description conforms to your interests.
A Short and comprehensive answer will always be ideal when you respond to this question. Of course, with the right combination of short responses and past experiences relating to the job.
Conclusion
Commonly, interviewers are more likely to hire someone who presents him/herself well, over someone with a lot of certifications.
You can prepare with the common teacher interview questions and answers that I have provided above. Remember to give examples of personal experiences, and Share stories that have significant connections to the job you are being interviewed for.
Hopefully, this article has given you insights on primary teacher interview questions and answers for a successful job interview.
