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Potential Interview Questions

Use action verbs to begin each description of a duty or accomplishment.

Sample Questions
Strange Questions or Attitudes

Sample questions

Why are you interested in this position?

What do you know about our company, and why would you want to work for us?

In your view, what is the role of a teacher?

How would you define success as a teacher?

What part of teaching do you most (and least) enjoy? Why?

How has your education helped you prepare for this position?

How has your work experience helped you prepare for this position?

What are your strengths (and weaknesses) as a teacher? [In answering this question, be honest about at least one weakness, but keep the ratio of positive to negative high. And when you mention a weakness, be sure to discuss what you have done and what you are planning to do to improve in that area.]

Tell us about an example of a conflict you've experienced in a teaching situation and how you've resolved it.

Tell us about a teaching experience that has brought you a lot of satisfaction.

What would the ideal teaching job be for you?

What are your long-term goals or plans?

How do you maintain interest in the routine parts of teaching, such as grade keeping?

What is your working style—more independent or collaborative? What are the risks of either extreme?

Have you ever had a performance appraisal before? What good things did the evaluation say? What goals were set for improvement?

What are the qualities of a good manager?

How do you handle error correction?

What is your philosophy of classroom management?

What type of assessment do you use in the classroom?

We have several candidates with similar qualifications. Tell us some reasons why we should hire you?

Strange Questions or Attitudes

If your interviewer gets chatty and informal (perhaps at lunch), remain on your best behavior; you are still being interviewed and examined. He or she might begin to gossip about a boss or co-worker, encouraging you to tell stories about your present or former boss or co-workers—don’t do it!

You may be presented with off-color jokes or racist or sexist remarks or innuendo, to see how you would react to such behavior from a colleague or important client. If you can deftly change the topic of conversation without giving or taking offense, that may be the best path. If the behavior is truly offensive to your values, you may have to confront it, but remain tactful and don’t lose your temper.

Be yourself, but be your best self. Choose how you believe you should act, rather than reacting emotionally to behavior or questions that may seem unprofessional.