A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on a cold iron. (Horace Mann)
So you have been summoned by an administrative department of a school for an interview for the position of a teacher. You must be feeling both anxious and excited. Well, the best way to overcome your anxiety and up you confidence level is by doing thorough interview preparation.
Know that embarking on the field of teaching is no simple task as it doesn’t only require potential but also a lot of confidence. Therefore, the only effective way to impress a prospective employer and demonstrate them that you are the best fit is by preparing how to answer the interview questions for teachers.
Interview Questions
Take a look at the 5 following common interview questions and see how you can tackle each question in an effective manner.
Question – Tell us about yourself?
This is first most common interview question which you will need to answer at every job interview. You can say that it is the introduction question that allows you to tell the administrative committee about, who you are and where you come from. Keep in mind that interviews do not held for long so keep your answers brief and to the point. Start your introduction with your academic career like what is your qualification, which institute you have been trained from, what certificates you have, etc. Other than qualification, you also need to briefly talk about your past teaching experience.
Question – Tell us the reason why you want to become a teacher
This is the second common interview question that principles or administrative committees of schools usually ask. By asking this question they expect to learn about the motivation that drives you to pursue your career as a teacher. Here they will judge two important qualities of a teacher. First one is the confidence and second is the sincerity or honesty. Therefore, be sincere and be confident when you respond to this question. Your motivation could be a teacher in your elementary or high school, who inspired you to become a teacher or it could be your passion.
Question – Tell us about your teaching philosophy
It is another common yet important teaching interview question that employers expect you to answer. By asking about your teaching philosophy the employers expect to learn your perspective on how children should be taught in schools. Keep in mind that normally this question is asked from experienced teachers. However, they might even ask this question from an inexperienced person just to know how he/she plans to teach their class. It is recommended that you should consult with some friend teachers, ask their teaching philosophy and determine your own.
Question – Tell us some effective methods that are necessary for classroom discipline
To answer this question you need to have some real life teaching experience. Remember that the answer to this question depends on what grade of students you are planning to teach. This is because every grade requires different methods to maintain discipline in the classroom. To answer this question in an effective manner you need to give example of your past experience. Tell them how you used to handle your class, what sorts of methods or strategies you implemented to maintain the discipline in your class and what sort of result you received by implementing your strategies.
