first teaching interview
Congratulations! Congratulations! Someone has approached you with the prospect of hiring you to teach in another school or to serve in another capacity within your own. Despite the fact that this is an important step, there will be a large number of qualified candidates competing for the same job. What can you do to make yourself stand out and land the job?
While your resume, professional portfolio, and references will be helpful, it is the impression that you make during the face-to-face interview that will determine whether or not you are offered the position. Because there are only certain types of questions that a teacher can ask, it is possible to go into a teaching interview prepared and confident.
You should expect to be questioned about topics other than those directly related to your content area. Additionally, you will be asked questions based on your previous experience and knowledge in meeting the needs of all children. Prepare to discuss how you respect and care for the academic, social, and emotional growth of your students, both individually and collectively, by sharing your experiences. You should be prepared to answer questions about classroom management, teacher-student relationships, and student engagement during your interview.
These are the types of questions that will be posed to you. We also have suggestions and links to additional resources to assist you in preparing your responses.
11 QUESTIONS THAT YOU SHOULD PREPARE FOR
1. What made you choose to become a teacher in the first place? Write a short professional mission statement. It should explain not only how you hope to make a difference in students’ lives, but also how being a teacher can enrich your life. You can also refer to the school’s vision statement for how your teaching will reflect these goals.
2. How do you deal with a student who is always disruptive or defiant. These eight strategies will help you maintain student cooperation. This advice for students suffering from oppositional defiant disorder might help you if the interviewers push you to answer the original question.
3. How can you build positive relationships with students and foster a sense of community among them? Your concern for the emotional wellbeing of students who are most at risk. Also, describe how you plan to help them develop their emotional and social learning skills. Also, explain how your students can have a sense o empathy and inclusion so they can support one another on a personal level.
4. How can you use data to differentiate instruction for students with learning disabilities and support all students? Be prepared with two data-rich student assessments. Although they won’t insist that they be the same as the ones you use, you must be aware of testing procedures. To help you prepare your response on how you respond to data, here are 20 different instruction strategies. You can also show your knowledge about these 11 learning difficulties by describing a few of the ways that you collaborate with parents and school resource personnel to meet each child’s individual needs.
5. How can you support literacy in all subjects, English language learners included? Describe how you can help your students improve their reading, writing, and speaking skills. These 12 ways are you able to support English language learners within a mainstream classroom.
6. How do you combine project-based learning with collaborative learning in a meaningful way? If you have used project-based learning, share an example of a specific assignment that your students completed.
The following 10 engagement strategies will assist students in remaining motivated and engaged throughout the school year. You will also describe how to create a student-centered classroom environment that fosters passion, creativity, and a sense of purpose.
Eighth, how can 21st-century learners learn to integrate technology while also guiding students toward becoming global citizens? These are some examples of how technology can be used to enhance content learning.
9. How can you involve your child’s parents and guardians in their child’s educational experience? Give examples of the various ways you inform, engage, and collaborate with them, such as in person meetings, notes, phone calls, or electronic channels of communication.
10. Please describe a few methods by which you can keep your professional development up to date. Would you be interested in reading blogs and watching videos online? Alternatively, would you prefer to subscribe to journals and attend workshops and conferences instead? Discuss the resources you use to stay up to date on educational trends such as growth and benefit mindsets, flexible seating, and other topics.
Discussion topics should include your personal development and how you can improve your teaching effectiveness. When talking about your personal development, avoid using the word “weaknesses.”
11. What are the questions you’d like us to answer?