Teacher Employment Questions

GENERAL QUESTIONS

  • Why did you decide to enter the field of teaching?
  • What are your professional experiences?
  • How have your past experiences prepared you for teaching?
  • How would you describe your last principal?
  • What qualities do you have that make you an effective teacher?
  • What has been your most positive teaching experience?  Most negative?
  • How have you communicated student progress to parents?
  • How have you used (or would you use) aides or parent volunteers in your classroom?
  • What activities will you sponsor if you are hired for this position?
  • What do you know about our school district?  What do you know about our community?
  • Why should our district hire you?

SUBJECT AREA AND GRADE LEVEL QUESTIONS

  • How have you emphasized the development of basic skills (advanced skills)?
  • Describe a critical issue in your subject area.
  • Why is your field important for a student to study?
  • Describe an ideal curriculum in your area of study.
  • What should students have gained from having taken your course?
  • What do you feel is your strongest subject (or teaching) area?  What subject is most difficult for you?

TEACHING TECHNIQUE QUESTIONS

  • What principles do you use to motivate students?
  • Describe effective teaching techniques that result in intended learning.
  • Define cooperative learning and give an example of how you have used it.
  • How would you individualize instruction to meet the needs of all your students?

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION QUESTIONS

  • What is your philosophy of education?
  • What is the role of the teacher in the classroom?
  • What is the role of the principal?
  • What is the role of a teacher’s aide in the classroom?
  • How would you use parents in the classroom?
  • What do you consider an ideal class size?
  • What is the most important issue facing the field of education today?
  • What is the most exciting thing happening in your field of study?
  • What should schools do for students?
  • What is the toughest aspect of teaching today?
  • What is the role of homework?
  • What is your system for evaluating student work?
  • What would be the ideal philosophy of a school for you?

ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION QUESTIONS

  • How would your students describe you?
  • How would your colleagues describe you?
  • How would your last principal describe you?
  • How would you appraise your teaching performance?  How do you determine if your students are learning?
  • What forms of assessment do you use?  Do you grade on ability or effort?
  • How do you feel about observations by supervisors?
  • How do you communicate with parents about a student’s progress?

CLASSROOM ORGANIZATION/LESSON PLANNING QUESTIONS

  • What is your educational preparation?
  • Describe the physical appearance of your classroom.
  • Describe independent study projects your students have completed.
  • How do you structure your class to achieve maximum benefit from student/teacher contact?
  • Describe the format you use to develop a lesson.
  • How do you handle the different ability levels of students in classes?
  • How do you handle different ability levels of students?  Different cultures?  The gifted?  Educationally or economically underprivileged?  Limited English-speaking?

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS

  • What have you found to be the toughest aspect of discipline?
  • Describe your most difficult student discipline situation and how you handled it.
  • Explain the structure of your discipline plan.  What rules do you establish in your classroom?
  • What rules have you established for your classroom?
  • How would you handle cheating?
  • How would you handle a student who is a consistent behavioral problem in your class?
  • How would you handle a student sleeping in your class?
  • What would you do if a student has been absent from your class for several days?
  • If a student were to tell you they have engaged in some illegal or immoral activity, what would you do?

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES/KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS

  • What professional development topics interest you the most?
  • What professional organizations do you belong to or would you like to join?
  • How have you recently improved your professional skills?  What are your plans for future education/skill development?