Tell Me About A Time When Someone Gave You Feedback And How You Handled That
You know that thing about teachers needing to have a growth mindset? Well, receiving and implementing feedback well is important to showcase that.
This is actually most critical for veteran teachers because veteran teachers would be the ones who in most cases communicate a level of, Ive already gotten this, Ive already arrived, I dont need any extra feedback, says Swartz.
Safeguarding And Equal Opportunities
In any teaching interview there is a question about safeguarding, which may take the form of any of the following:
- What is a teacher’s responsibility in keeping children safe?
- Tell us how you dealt with a safeguarding issue in school.
- What would you do if a child disclosed a personal issue?
Prepare for this by reading a safeguarding policy – preferably for the school you’re applying to or the school you’re at.
You’re also likely to be asked a question about equal opportunities, such as:
- What does the term ‘equal opportunities’ mean to you?
- How would you approach teaching a class of mixed-ability pupils?
- What is your motivation for working in special education?
Approach any of these by demonstrating that you understand the issue at hand. Be honest – if you haven’t been in that situation say so, but talk about what you would do if you were.
What Motivates You To Be A Teacher
Enthusiasm and self motivation are core competencies in teaching. Use the answer guides to prepare for questions about your personal motivation and personal qualities for teaching.
TEACHER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Find out how to answer teacher interview questions about your strengths and weaknesses as a teacher.
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How Would You Deal With A Student Who Is Habitually Late
What They Want to Know: Your interviewer is interested in knowing how you would relate one-on-one with students displaying non-productive behaviors.
If a child is coming into school late on a regular basis, I would first talk with the child to see if there is anything going on in school or at home that is causing him or her to be late. After talking with the child, and depending on what they share, I would discuss with my supervisor the best possible approach to talk to the family about the repeated tardiness.
Are You A Flexible Teacher Explain How
- PURPOSE: Use this question to show your awareness of the diversity that will make up your classroom. How well do you work with students from different socio-economic groups, or with students with differing retention rates? Show how you will be able to adapt your teaching style to meet the diverse needs in your classroom.
- TIPS: Give specific instances of when you have had to be flexible in the classroom. Try to think of students who were starkly different in their retention rates and how you were able to adjust your teaching style to ensure neither was overlooked.
- PREPARATION: Think of the examples you will give prior to the interview so you can say them off-hand.
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How Have You Used Or How Will You Use Technology In The Classroom
What They Want to Know: Interactive classroom technologies have transformed learning over the past decade. Be ready to describe your familiarity with common tools like Smart Boards.
In my last classroom, the students used tablets to create and manage their own website, which proved to be a great tool for communicating with parents and allowing them to see the daily activities their kids participated in.
Show That You Are A Peoples Person:
When you appear for an interview for a lecturer post, you must ensure that all your positive attributes come shining forth so that they are able to choose only you from all the other candidates which have given in their application or have appeared for the interview.
It is vital that above everything else you show that you are someone who is a peoples person and that you are very approachable. If you have this kind of a positive quality then the interviewer will surely want to recruit someone like you, as colleges like to have lecturers that are student friendly.
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What Continuing Education Classes Workshops Training Etc Have You Attended
What They Want to Know: All teachers must pursue continuing education in order to maintain their certification. Use your response to showcase the particular areas of educational theory and practice that you have mastered and that will add value to your school.
The district where I worked previously offered continuing education opportunities in the evenings throughout the year. I attended these sessions regularly. I especially enjoyed the literacy training sessions that focused on early childhood literature and teaching strategies. I have also been lucky enough to attend the yearly Autism Awareness conference held in New York City for the last two years. I try to take advantage of any continuing education opportunities offered to me.
Preparing For A Teaching Job Interview Tips From Principals
No matter how many you have experienced, or how established you are in your career, attending a job interview can be a daunting experience. What do you do when you are unsure how to answer a question? What should you remember to bring along with you? In this Q& A, we speak with three principals about their top tips.
Amanda Wicks is the principal at Caboolture East State School in Queensland and an Executive Member at Beginning and Establishing Teachers’ Association . Anne Ford is a long-serving principal, currently at John Wollaston Anglican School in Perth. She is also a board member of the Principals Australia Institute Certification Advisory Board. Carolyn Clinton is the principal at Risdon Park Primary School in South Australia and is in her 18th year of working as a principal.
Q: What should applicants bring to the interview? What should they leave at home?
Amanda Wicks: If they can bring with them things that they’ve completed during a practicum experience and sometimes in an interview situation those things may not actually be referred to, but it doesn’t hurt to have them with you you’ve got to tell the story of what those experiences have been, what responsibilities you’ve had through your practicum experiences and how you can show that you are developing your teaching and learning practices.
Q: What are some things to keep in mind while you’re preparing to attend an interview?
Q: Can you describe your most memorable candidate? Why were they so memorable?
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Questions About Experience And Background
To ensure you have the right experience and education to be a substitute teacher, the interviewer could ask some of the following questions:
- Why do you want to teach?
- What grade levels do you prefer teaching?
- Why did you pursue your degree?
- What were your favorite classes?
- What do you think makes a great substitute teacher?
- Describe your teaching experience?
- How do you manage your substitute teaching duties?
- What do you like about being a substitute teacher?
- Walk me through your substitute teaching experience.
- What subjects do you like most?
- How many college hours do you have?
Do You Have Any Questions
While it may be tempting to get out of the hot seat quickly by answering with a simple no, this will generally be the final question and your last opportunity to leave a good impression. So, grab a journal or pad and jot some ideas down before your interview and proudly pull these notes out on cue. If you are at a loss for what to ask, peruse the schools website, check out their goals, strategic plan, or recent accomplishments, and refer to them specifically. Your potential principal will likely appreciate your inquisitive side if it is paired with genuine interest in their school.
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What Would You Do If You Suspected Neglect Or Abuse In The Home Of One Of Your Students
What They Want to Know: Teachers walk a delicate line as advocates for their students welfare. Think about how you would respond should you suspect a child has been subject to abuse.
I take my position as a mandated reporter very seriously. I am aware of the districts daily health check system that early childhood teachers are required to implement daily. In my previous position, we also did daily checks when the children would arrive each morning. There was one child in my previous classroom who had odd bruising on both arms and I was not sure if the bruises were from rough play with siblings or friends, or from an adult being physically abusive.
Before I said anything to anyone, I reported what I saw to the principal who guided me through the process to determine the cause of the bruising. Ultimately it was discovered that the bruises were from the childs older sibling. The way my school handled the situation enabled us to ensure the child was in a safe situation without falsely accusing or upsetting the parents.
What Are The Most Common Challenges Preschool Teachers Face
The right answer to this question varies from country to country, but one thing is common for each pre-primary school: problems with discipline. Obviously we can not control what the parents do, how they bring their children up. In each and every preschool class, we will find some children that struggle with discipline, and sometimes even children that may be ugly to their schoolmates, and do not obey the rules at all.
Problems with discipline represent probably the greatest challenge, but you can mention also other things, such as: cleaning, changing diapers, crying children, paperwork, etc. Do not forget to check:How to overcome interview nerves get rid of stress and deliver your best in an interview.
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Do A Background Study On The College Or University:
As mentioned above, when facing an interview you must ensure that you come prepared. If you appear unprepared for the interview, then automatically you will not be confident about what you are saying. You must ensure that you do a thorough background study of the school or institution before coming for the interview so that you are able to answer in a very specific manner. If your answers are rather general and vague then chances are that you will not get the job. Show how your skills and services are something which the school would tremendously benefit from.
General Teaching Interview Questions
These questions help an interviewer understand your personality, interest in the position and background:
- What is your educational background? What was the most rewarding part of attending that particular school?
- What are you currently reading for enjoyment?
- What do you want to be doing in five years?
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What Type Of Classroom Management Structure Would You Implement If You Were Hired
What They Want to Know: Your interviewer is interested in how you would handle a classroom, particularly if class sizes are large in their school.
I take a proactive approach to classroom management, modeling positive behaviors for my students and encouraging supportive peer-to-peer communications. I also identify what triggers stress in individual students, and am prepared to support them when challenges arise.
Q2 How Do You Evaluate A Students Performance
A2. My evaluation, while assessing a students performance, depends on four criterias: content, quality, process, and impact. I use these criterias to determine whether or not students are reaching their goals. By using these criteria to evaluate any given assignment, I am able to make an overall assessment of every student.
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Ask About The Students The Classrooms And The Schools Teaching Philosophy
Inquiring about the students, classroom environments, and teaching philosophy will give you a sense of the schools culture. Consider asking the interviewer to describe the student population or to discuss the student-to-teacher ratio. You might also ask what the school thinks should be prioritized in the curriculum in order to meet the needs of its specific student population.
What Are Hiring Managers Looking For When Interviewing Teachers
If youve never been in a teaching interview beforemaybe youre changing careers or just starting out in the education spacethere are common themes hiring managers tend to look for in qualified candidates, no matter the specific role or workplace:
When planning out your responses to these questions, dont just think about what youre going to say but also how youre going to say it. I always look at body language first, says Calvin Brown, Senior Recruiter at Alignstaffing, an education staffing firm. When someone looks frazzled or caught off guard by a basic question or behavioral questionthose questions that often start with, Tell me about a time whenhe says, I start to question, okay, can you really handle that kind of population or have you handled this kind of situation before?
If you have a situation or a story with a great outcome, absolutely share , says Brown. Stories are also a great ways to highlight your expertise and skill set if you dont come with a traditional background in education. Swartz adds, Even if youre not a teacher with experience, you can still highlight how you go about your work by giving past examples and scenarios of engaging others.
Need some tips for writing your teaching resume? Find a full guide here.
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Q3 What Do You Consider To Be Informal Assessments
A3. This may be a part of your teacher interview questions since accurate assessments are important for student growth. While in-class quizzes and exams come under informal evaluation, other aspects of a students classroom presence also help middle school teachers evaluate their performance. Qualities such as punctuality, preparedness, and behavior all help in assessing a students performance. These aspects help decide how well students understand the learning process and what can be done for improvement.
What Can You Bring To Our School That Makes You Unique
This is your chance to make your claim to fame, and to truly stand out in your teacher interview! Share the passions you have and things youve taken part in. Show the interviewer everything that you have to bring to the table, and offer some ideas of how you can add to the classroom without undermining the existing system.
Photo by Christina Morillo from Pexels
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State In Details The Methods Which You Adopt To Teach:
A lecturer is someone who is expected to be rather versatile. When you are going to face an interview for a lecturers post you must ensure that you let this versatility shine forth so that you let the interviewer know, that once you are employed you will be able to help the students in a number of ways and inspire them to become keen learners, thinkers and intellectuals.
In the course of your interview, make it a point to mention the methods which you will use to lecture. State whether or not, you will make use of the blackboard, show illustrations or models etc to bring the topics to life.
Let Your Light Shine Naturally Dont Force It
You didnt decide to get into teaching to go into the office and have a boring and miserable time every day. Guess what? Neither did the people who are interviewing you. So keep it light and keep smiling. You want to be the bright spot in their day.
Youll have to read the room to draw a line between being hilarious and being inappropriate. Not everyone wants their staff to be a laugh machine, and gimmicks are never a substitute for real teaching skills and the ability to turn curriculum into a real learning experience. You can try out the classroom karaoke with your students down the road, but our advice is to keep it out of the interview. Something really fun and unorthodox could be incredibly effective with students and become part of your repertoire for years to come, but it might not hit the right note with an interview committee. Have fun but keep it professional. You dont want to give the impression that youre putting on an act, or that youre a one-trick pony who feels they need to sell every lesson with something overtly performative.
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Why Do You Want To Teach At This Institution
This another highly common question, and is a perfect example of the fact that preparation for a teacher interview is crucial. This is your chance to share everything you know about this specific school, and prove why youre the right fit to teach here. The interviewer wants to know if you really want to work here specifically, or if youre sending out resumes with your eyes closed and playing your luck.
Q5 How Do You Implement The Use Of Technology In Your Teaching
A5. I believe technology should be at the forefront of any teaching process. I have implemented SMART boards in my classrooms, which resulted in improving the overall scores of my students. In my earlier role, the school provided students with access to computers. As part of my lesson on recycling, I helped students create a website that served as a guide for reducing waste.
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Why Do You Want To Work Here And Not In Another Kindergarten
This is your chance to praise the school for something they do well. Perhaps they have an amazing playground for children, or a great and peaceful location? Perhaps their teachers have an excellent reputation, and you have heard just good things about them?
If you can identify anything that makes them stand out in your eyes, refer to it in your answer. And if you do not see anything special about the particular school, you can simply say that it is the nearest nursery schoolso it will be convenient for you to work for them, and not somewhere else where you will have to drive to work.
