6 Common Teacher Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

When you get a call from a school administrator inviting you to an interview for a teaching job, how do you feel? Happy? Exalted? Excited? Highly strung? Scared?

You don’t need to worry about the interview if you are a well-prepared and qualified candidate. Preparing for a teaching interview is a lot like studying for an exam. You can review the FAQs, think about what to say beforehand, and do the best you can. If you prepare in advance, the interview questions will seem routine and familiar. You will have the answers on the tip of your tongue, ready to use.

Below is a list of six teacher interview FAQs from my e-book, Guide to Getting Your Dream Teacher Job. How would you answer each question?

1. Tell us about yourself.

This will be the first question in almost every interview. Just give a brief description in about three sentences. Tell them which colleges you graduated from, what you are certified to teach for, what your teaching and work experiences are, and why you would love the job.

2. How are state standards taught?

If you’re interviewing in the United States, school administrators love to talk about state, local, or national standards. Reassure your interviewer that everything you do is up to standards. Make sure the lesson plans in your portfolio have the state standards written correctly. When they ask about them, take your lesson out and show them the close links between your teaching and the standards.

3. How will you prepare students for standardized tests?

There are standardized assessments at almost all grade levels. Make sure you know the names of the tests. Talk about your experiences preparing students. You will earn bonus points if you know and describe the test format because that will demonstrate your familiarity.

4. Describe the philosophy of your discipline.

Use lots of positive reinforcement. You are firm, but you don’t scream. You have the appropriate consequences for inappropriate behavior. Have your classroom rules posted clearly on the walls. Establish common routines that students follow. You adhere to the school’s discipline guidelines. Also, emphasize that you suspect that discipline problems will be minimal because your lessons are so engaging and engaging for students. Don’t tell the interviewer to “send the kids to the principal’s office” whenever there is a problem. You should be able to handle most discipline problems on your own. Only students who have committed very serious behavior problems should be sent to the office.

5. How do you make sure you meet the needs of a student with an IEP?

An IEP is an “individualized education plan.” Students with special needs will receive an IEP or a list of things to do when teaching the child. An IEP can include anything from “extra test time” to “need all test questions read aloud” or “need to use a braille textbook.” How do you make sure you meet the needs of a student with an IEP? First, read the IEP carefully. If you have questions, check with a special education teacher, counselor, or other staff member who can help you. Then be sure to follow the IEP requirements word for word. When necessary, you may be asked to attend a meeting where you can make suggestions for updating the IEP. Your goal, and the goal of the IEP, is to make sure your student has everything he or she needs to be successful in class.

6. How do you communicate with parents?

This question will come up in almost every elementary school interview. It is also quite common in middle and high school. You may have a weekly parent newsletter that you send home each week. For grades 3 and up, students may be required to have a homework book that they must sign each night. This way, parents know what tasks are assigned and when projects are due. When there are discipline problems, call home and talk to parents. It is important to have an open door policy and invite parents to share their concerns at any time.

For more teacher interview questions, I invite you to download my e-book How To Get Your Dream Teaching Job (http://www.iwantateachingjob.com). It contains 50 common interview questions and answers, as well as practical tips for landing the teaching job you want.