Applying for a new teaching job is always exciting and daunting. The prospect of a new journey and direction can be incredibly motivating. However, the idea of change and going through the application and interview process can be very intimidating. Over the years a number of my teaching friends have asked me for advice on how best to prepare for a teaching interview. Below are my preparation and interview tips as well a number of sample interview questions.
Preparation Tips
- Practise: Use the sample interview questions below to practise your answers in front of a friend or family member. You don’t need to memorise answers, but the preparation process will help you to speak more eloquently in the interview.
- Familiarise: Look at the school’s website and familiarise yourself with their vision and mission statement. Do some research about what academic and wellbeing platforms are used. Read through the schools’ newsletter and become acquainted with the opportunities that they offer their students. Try to weave this knowledge into your interview.
- CV: Be prepared to talk about your CV. You don’t need to bring a copy, but it is very likely that the panel will ask you a question related to something on your CV. Stay tuned for my blog post next week on how to create an impressive CV.
- Final Questions: There will always be opportunity at the end of an interview to ask follow up questions. Prepare questions that are focused on the school rather than you. For example ‘What is your approach to professional development?’ or ‘How do you accommodate gifted students?’ This is more impressive than ‘When will you be making your decision on who is successful for the role?’
- Responsiveness: Be quick to respond to an interview offer. Make sure your email is professional and well presented. If you are offered an interview during school hours and you don’t feel comfortable leaving your work place, it is completely acceptable to ask for an interview out of school hours.
- School Tour: Ask to visit the school and have tour. Some principals love the opportunity to meet a candidate in advance of the interview in an informal context. Others are too busy and will say that a tour can be arranged after the interview.
Interview Tips
- Dress Up: If you’re male wear a suit if you’re female wear heels and a jacket. You want to look professional. Don’t feel uncomfortable if you are more dressed up than the panel. Remember they are interviewing you and then returning to their other daily responsibilities. You are visiting them in their working environment, you want to leave an impression.
- Arrive Early: I like to arrive to the school an hour before the interview. This gives me plenty of time to find a park and have a final run though of prepared answers. I then endeavour to be seated in reception fifteen minutes before the interview.
- Greeting: Enter with a smile and a firm handshake for every member of the interview panel. At the completion of the interview thank the panel for their time and shake hands again.
- Pause: Take a moment to think before answering each question. Have the first sentence in your head before you start. This will mean that you are less likely to begin with ‘Ahhhh’ or ‘Ummm’. You need to sound coherent and thoughtful. If you begin multiple answers in a tentative manner it can appear that you have never thought about the topic in question.
- Breathe: Throughout the interview make sure that you relax your shoulders and take deep breaths. This will slow your heart rate and enable you to talk slowly.
- Clarification: If you don’t understand a question, ask for it to be repeated. You don’t want to do this multiple times in the interview, but it is okay to ask if you don’t understand a question. It is better to ask for the question to be repeated, than to give an answer that is unrelated.
- Follow Up: After the interview send a follow up email or letter in thanks to each of the panel members. It is likely that the school will be interviewing multiple candidates. An email or letter helps you to stay present in their mind.
Practice Questions:
Teaching Practice
- How did you come to be a teacher and what is your professional experience?
- Why would you like to work at this school?
- What is your philosophy of education?
- What are your strengths as a teacher?
- What does your classroom look like?
- What behaviour management strategies do you use in your teaching?
- What are your professional goals?
- How do you function as a member of a team?
- How would you manage a difficult relationship with a colleague?
- What do you see as a weakness that you’ve had to develop?
Curriculum
- How do you adapt programs and lessons to differentiate for student abilities?
- How do you encourage deep and critical thinking in your classroom?
- Can you describe a lesson where you used technology innovatively?
- How do you see assessment and reporting in the learning journey of your students?
- What strategies would you use for teaching girls/boys/co-educational contexts?
- What strategies do you find most effective for developing Literacy?
- How do you encourage inquiry in Mathematics?
Wellbeing
- How do you support student wellbeing/pastoral care for your students?
- What would you do if parent reported that their child is a victim of bullying?
- What strategies would you use to encourage student leadership?
Leadership
- What is your leadership style?
- What is important in order to implement change successfully?
- How would you manage a member of your team who was underperforming?
- How would you deal with a parental complaint about a staff member?
- What do you see as the major issues related to education today?
Question for you: What tips do you have in preparation for an interview?
