How to Prepare for your New Teacher Interview

It’s that time of year! School districts are on the prowl to hire new teachers by hosting job fairs and posting vacancies on their websites.

Whether you’re looking to switch school districts or eager to land your very first teaching assignment, let’s break down the whole interview process with preparation tips and help you stand out amongst the other well-dressed, well-versed candidates.

So, I’ll tell you this straight up: there is no way NOT to make this post long and paragraph-y. I want to give you ALL the hints and tidbits and examples and things to nail that teacher interview, so grab some coffee (or wine) as you digest all ‘dis info.

In every district everywhere across the globe, you can expect teacher interviewers are looking for these specific qualities in a candidate. If you don’t possess these characteristics, then get out.

I’m kidding. But seriously…

COMMITTED	ACCOUNTABLE	FLEXIBLE	COMMUNICATION SKILLS	X-RAY VISION
COMPASSIONATE	ENGAGING	TEAM PLAYER	ADAPTIBILITY	TELEPORTATION
ORGANIZED	DATA PROFICIENT	PATIENT	TIME MANAGEMENT	SUPER STRENGTH

*As you prepare for your interview, it’s a good idea to reference all of those qualities and develop some of your answers around them. Ok, I slid in those last three, but those would prove helpful in the classroom. Ask me how I know…

Before your interview:

• Make sure you research the school’s webpage extensively. This will help familiarize you with some of their policies and missions as a campus. It can also help you develop some questions to ask them towards the end of your interview.
• Prepare a portfolio to take with you to the interview. In it, I would include copies of your resume, references, teaching credentials/certifications, your teaching philosophy, goals as an educator, any awards you’ve received or programs you’ve led, etc. If you have taught in classrooms before, I would also include some examples of your lesson plans, your classroom management plan, photos of your previous classrooms, etc. This is just me, but I would make your portfolio very organized and aesthetically pleasing. For example, use bright colors and tabs (especially if you’re interviewing for an elementary position, LOL). There are tons of examples of teacher portfolios online.
• Having your portfolio in front of you at the interview can also provide a point of conversation when answering some of their questions and examples are needed to enhance your responses, so it’s SUPER beneficial to have this!

Michelle with Pocketful of Primary has an EXCELLENT, in depth example of a teaching portfolio you can view below. Check her out! If you haven’t taught before, do NOT let it intimidate you! Just add in what you can.

• Write out and rehearse some answers to questions you expect in the interview.

See below for some example questions and a FREE document you can access with example answers using educational buzz words. Again, these are just a few examples if you need help in guiding your thinking.

• This should go without saying, but make sure you are professionally dressed. You don’t need to bust out the tuxedo or sequins, but please look well put together. Your appearance is your first impression after all!
• Arrive at least 15 minutes early. Being punctual is SO IMPORTANT, so give yourself some extra time.

What to expect when you get there:

• Depending on the size of the district and/or the level you’re interviewing for, you might have one interviewer or SEVERAL. If several, their purpose is not to intimidate you at all. It’s likely a team of teachers who work closely together on a daily basis, and they all want to meet you to see if you’d be a good team player.
• Make sure you make eye contact with every person in the room and shake their hand.
• You might be taken to a classroom, a conference room, or a collection of several rooms during one interview. I’ve experienced them all! Just wear your flexibility pants and go with the flow!
• Pay attention to the “comings, goings, and interactions” of the front office at the campus when you check in for your interview. This will be reflective of the overall atmosphere of this campus. If you find a “stiff” environment with few smiles flashing around and the same feel is present when you meet the interviewers, make note of that in your head. Don’t peace out, yet, though! If it ends up not being a good fit for you, at least you got in some interview practice.

You’ll see me mention this several times in this post, but YOU are interviewing THEM, too.

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From my experience in teacher interviews (and I’ve been in plenty of them on both sides of the table), the session is typically split into three sections of questioning: personal questions, teaching method questions, and your interviewee questions. You can see below for some examples in each category.

Examples of Interview Questions to Expect:

1. Personal Example Questions

• Tell us a little bit about yourself. – For this question, have a little blurb planned. Obviously, don’t give your whole life story or read off your resume details. That’s incredibly boring. It’s ok to paraphrase your teaching route background, briefly state some things about your family or passions in life, or list some of your personality traits, etc.

I know you are selling yourself here, but it’s important to be the perfect balance of “interesting and teacher-y, but brief” with this question. You still have the whole interview to go!

• Why did you decide to become a teacher?
• What is one strength and one weakness you have?
• How would prior colleagues describe you?
• What is your teaching philosophy?

2. Teaching Method Example Questions

• How do you build rapport with students?
• Describe your teaching style.
• How do you cater to different learning styles?
• What are your classroom management action plans?
• Can you describe/walk me through a successful lesson plan?
• How would you handle a disruptive student?
• How do you plan to stay connected with parents?
• How do you plan to track student progress/success?
• Can you describe an instance where you problem-solved quickly in the classroom?

If you’d like to see some example responses to some of the above questions, you can download the FREE document below.

3. Example Questions for Them

Remember, like I said above, you are interviewing them, too, to see if they are a good fit for you. Always have at least a few questions prepared for them to answer. In every one of my interviews, I always asked them the first question below. It makes them think, it’s a huge talking point, and I loved hearing their varying words and justifications about their campuses!

• If you could describe the overall atmosphere here at (INSERT SCHOOL NAME) using one word only, what would it be and why?
• What kinds of technology do you have available for teachers and students in the classroom?
• What are some of your campus goals?
• How would you rate the level of parental involvement at your campus?

Other Helpful Tips:

• Use educational BUZZ WORDS like growth mindset, differentiation, collaboration, goal setting, data-driven teaching, engagement, higher-level thinking, relationship, innovative, student choice, integration, flexibility, etc. You’ll find several of these sprinkled throughout my example responses you can reference in the document above.
• It’s impossible to predict every single question or scenario they will ask you to respond to, so don’t make yourself a nerve ball when preparing! Obviously, take some time to properly prepare, but think of it as a simple conversation you are having with a new friend about something you are very passionate about.

After your Interview:

• Always, always send a prompt follow up email to your interviewers thanking them for meeting with you. It shows that you appreciate their time and consideration, and it keeps you fresh in their mind as they move through the hiring process.
• Wait patiently for news! Remember, they likely have several candidates to interview for one position, so don’t fret if it takes several days to hear a response from them.

I hope these interview preparation tips help you feel more confident in your upcoming teaching interviews! Just breathe…you’ve got this.

If you liked this article, you may also like the posts below. Just click on the images to view. Also, stay tuned to my blog for upcoming posts that will include resume templates and other helpful information for new teachers! Thanks!