Being a teacher or a professor, coming from a great educational background, you know what is the importance of preparing yourself before an interview. A little preparation could help you walk into that interview with confidence and could also get you hired. Teaching is an extremely profound career option that one can choose to pursue. Being a teacher is a rewarding job that one can do as the teachers involves in practices that include shaping young minds and how better can one contribute to the nation than by shaping young minds and spreading knowledge.
In this article, we will learn how you can turn that interview into a job offer.
Tips to Prepare for a Teaching Interview
Research
Prior to the interview, research the school or the college online and talk to the teachers that are already working there to get an idea of the interview process and the questions.
Pay attention to what interviewers are looking for
It is important to keep in mind what the hiring managers are looking for in the candidate for a position. An interviewer looks for so many things in a teacher who is a good fit for teaching a particular subject. For example:
- Most employers look for basic teaching skills like what is the teaching pattern of the applicant, does the applicant knows how to teach a particular age group of students, and when the teacher teaches, the content taught is engaging and compelling or not.
- How effectively does a candidate teach?
- How does a teacher measure their students’ success, is it through tests or through overall class performances?
- What subject does a candidate have specialization in and other than that subject, what else could they teach?
Prepare for STAR METHOD interview
Preparing for STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) Method is also very helpful for such interviews. The interviewers in such interviews ask so many behavioral questions that require a pattern to answer effectively. These questions start with ‘Tell me about a time when…’, ‘Describe the situation when…’ To display your experience and knowledge in this field you should know how to give answers through this technique.
To know more about this technique of answering questions in an interview, we have another article for you.
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Top 21 Teacher Interview Questions
1. Why did you choose teaching as a career option?
It is an obvious question that an employer can ask you in a teaching interview, to know your story behind choosing this career option. Answer it by mentioning something specific and avoid being vague.
Answer: “I was always influenced by teachers at my alma mater, not like that was the first option I saw and decided to be that one day, but in a certain different way as in my 12th standard I started teaching kids from 5th-8th standard and that is when I knew that this is what I want to do in future. I am passionate about being a teacher.”
2. What is your teaching pattern?
Answer: “I believe in learn by fun teaching pattern. I believe that students learn better when the lessons are blended with practicality. I am also a liberal teacher, so students can come up to me with their doubts at any time. This way, the communication will be running both ways, which helps me teach better.”
3. Why do you want to teach in our school?
Answer: “During my research, I found out that this school offers everything that matches my job requirement. The work values that are followed here, match with that of mine. This school follows techniques of personalized education, which makes me want to work here the most. I want to teach students and not roll numbers and working at your school is an opportunity that I can call my ideal job.”
4. Are you currently learning anything?
Answer: “Learning never stops and in my subject of specialization, technology comes with something new every day. I am learning advanced coding right now to enhance my coding skills. I am also focusing on learning some speaking skills as I am good at it but I want to get better. I am also learning techniques to make coding easy to learn for students so that I can get better at teaching them and they can understand better.”
5. According to you, what kind of teachers does a student idealize?
Answer: “I think a student is more open about his doubts and problems when he thinks that the teacher is approachable and he does not have to fear to ask things from him/her. By the way, a teacher teaches and interacts in a classroom, the students recognize whether or not they are approachable. And in my opinion what is even the point of teaching if the students cannot be upfront with his doubts and other questions.”
6. Do you believe in the technical approach of teaching or the traditional one?
Answer: “I think both hold their own importance. On one hand, it is important that students get their hands on newly invented technical mode of teaching and the other hand, the chalkboard method is also essential for making the class interactive.”
7. How technology has changed the teaching pattern?
Answer: “Technology has changed the teaching method for good. Instead of using papers, students are switching to different tech platforms, saving the environment. They are learning at a different pace which is faster and futuristic.”
8. Do you have any previous teaching experience?
Answer: “Yes, I have two years of experience in teaching (Subject of expertise) at a coaching center for students pursuing higher education.”
9. What subject do you want to teach at our school?
Answer: “My favorite subject is English Literature and I want to share my knowledge with students of the same.”
10. Describe your teaching style.
Answer: “My teaching style can be best defined as transparent and supportive style unless and until students know their boundaries. I believe every student should have a voice in the class and they should be motivated enough to be participative while I teach.”
11. How do you manage students in the classroom when violating discipline?
Answer: “I do not believe in taking strict actions as they are after all kids. But if the behavior is repetitive, I try to approach their parents to know if the kids’ behavior is the same at the home as well, because we never know what a kid is dealing with.”
12. How do you deal with teaching pressure?
Answer: “I try to maintain a positive mindset, I also try to do things that I enjoy in my spare time, to keep a balance.”
13. How do you measure success?
Answer: “When all the students whom I teach pass with grace, shows improvement, try and be more open with me, I consider myself to be a successful teacher when their goals are met through my guidance.”
14. What teaching style do you think teachers should follow?
Answer: “I think teachers should keep switching between different styles as per the requirement of the situation.”
15. What is the importance of discipline?
Answer: “Discipline is vital. Discipline comes with accountability from both sides. A student should be disciplined enough to stick to guidelines and a teacher plays an important role in developing that discipline in the student.”
16. How would your former students describe you?
Answer: “I may or not be all student’s favorite teacher but they would describe me as a teacher who always motivated and encouraged them to do better in studies and in life.”
17. What do you feel is the biggest disadvantage of today’s teaching system?
Answer: “I feel students are at a great loss as they are getting away from classroom learning as everything’s went up online these days.”
18. How do you make a class interactive?
Answer: “I always come up with fun examples and activities that make class participative. For example, when I was teaching a drama to students, I assigned each one of them with a character of the drama and made them learn the whole chapter in an interactive way.”
19. What is parents’ role in students’ education?
Answer: “Parents play an active role in their kids’ education. They should be aware of how their kid is performing in the class. It is their responsibility to provide their kids a positive environment at home, so they can study in peace.”
20. As a teacher, what do you think is the future of the teaching profession?
Answer: “In the future, the profession will have no change but growth. There will be greater accessibility of data, both the teachers and the students will have an open mind and mentality. The technology will do wonders and we will be having more subjects and wider choices.”
21. Do you have any questions for us?
Answer: “I wanted to know more about the school’s teacher student ratio and the environment.
Or What qualities are you looking for in a teacher? Or What are some other activities that are offered to students apart from academics?”
Download the list of questions in .PDF format, to practice with them later, or to use them on your interview template (if you want to crack Interview):
Conclusion
These were the top 21 questions that are commonly asked in a teaching interview. Apart from asking these questions, the interviewer might take a demo of your teaching to know about your knowledge and more about your teaching style. So, be prepared for it. I hope you enjoyed reading this reading. Comment and Share!
We wish you all the best for your interview!
References
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