Interview Questions for a Teacher's Position

Tap to Read ➤ Poushali Ganguly

Preparing for an interview for a teaching position? Wondering if you'll be able to answer the questions? Don't know what questions might be asked? Don't worry, just read on to know the most likely questions to be asked in your interview.

When candidates are interviewed for the post of a teacher, the interviewer questions the applicant on a variety of topics ranging from general outlook, mental state, personal beliefs, to teaching abilities, and political inclinations. This thorough vetting is done so as to be able to judge how the applicant would act in certain delicate scenarios.

This is essential since teachers are responsible for molding the thought processes and beliefs of children, who are the future citizens. Any wrong indoctrination at the childhood stage, and the child could grow up to be a non-productive member of society at the least, or at the most an anti-social element.

Hence, it is extremely important to appoint suitable and capable people to the post of teachers, if one wants the future generation to be intelligent, circumspect, and rational.

To be able to separate the good from the bad candidates, the interviewer must ask a slew of in-depth probing questions that will reveal the persons inherent personality and nature.

This allows the interviewer to judge if the applicant is right for the job or not. It is essential because the moment the teacher enters the class she is the role model of all kinds of virtues that are desirable in a child. Here are some relevant questions that will help in assessing the capability of the person.

Question About Personal Motivation

What are your professional experiences? What was your favorite course in college, and why? What principles do you use to motivate students? What are your career goals five years from now? Ten years? How would your colleagues describe you?

Why did you choose the teaching profession? How have you recently improved your professional skills? How have you contributed toward the development of the total school program in your current position? What activities will you sponsor if you are hired for this position?

Questions About Instructional Skills

Of what use are behavioral learning objectives in the teaching/learning process? How do you structure your class to achieve maximum benefit from teacher/student contact? Tell us about the best lesson you have taught in a class. Why do you think it was the best lesson? What would be your typical lesson?

What ways would you adopt to instruct students who have varying abilities? If students face difficulty to cope with a skill or concept, how would you help them? What methods of teaching would you use to ensure that the students understands the lesson you teach? If a student fails, what would be your feeling or reaction?

Do you search for things that visually demonstrate a thing, that you have recently taught in class? Is there any such thing that you can show? Are there any strategies that you use to encourage teamwork among your students?

As the syllabus that is prescribed for each class is not graspable for every student, how would you cover the syllabus as well look after individual needs? What would be your way of dealing, if half of the class failed in a particular test? Do you think there should be some changes in the methods of teaching? If yes, illustrate a few of them.

Questions About Discipline and Management

What do you think about classroom discipline? If a student is consistently late to your class, how would you handle the situation? Did you have to face a discipline problem? How did you handle it? Do you have a set of rules in your classroom? How do you put them across to your class?

How do you think a classroom should be controlled? How would you ensure that your students behave properly in the classroom? What are your views regarding punishment? What is your opinion about individual vs. total class punishment? Do you think that negative and positive reinforcements work and how?

Questions Regarding Planning Skills

How organized are you? Why do you think organization is important for a teacher? What does your daily lesson plan consist of? How do you plan when starting a new topic with the class? Do you follow your plans strictly?

How important do you think is the pressure of a deadline? Do you think students should be given deadlines? How much homework do you assign to your students, generally?

Questions Regarding Subject Knowledge

Have you taken a course that you think has made you especially suitable for this position? What materials and supplies would you require to do your job? Are there any materials apart from books that you find are especially effective for slow learners or bright students? Do you think tests help in accurate assessment?

Is your educational background and teaching experience related to the subject area that you want to teach? How do you get the latest information on your subject? Which curriculum area do you feel you are particularly strong in? What are your goals in your subject area?

There are some general questions too that are asked, as in why one would choose teaching as a profession. Teachers structure the lives of children and help them become what they are later in their lives.