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Sample Interview Questions
The following list of questions are for preparing yourself for an interview. The below questions are commonly asked by employers. There is a set of general questions as well as teaching specific questions for you to go through and practice prior to going to an interview.
In addition there is a short list of questions that you should not answer if asked during an interview. These questions are personal in nature, and are seen as inappropriate to ask.
Sample Questions - General
- Tell me about yourself.
- What are your long-range and short-range career goals and objectives, and how are you preparing to achieve them?
- Why did you choose your career?
- What do you consider to be your greatest strengths? Weaknesses?
- How would you describe yourself? How would a friend or professor describe you?
- How has your college experience prepared you for your career?
- Why should I hire you?
- How do you determine or evaluate success?
- In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our company?
- Describe a situation when you had to use your creativity to the fullest to complete a project.
- Describe your most rewarding college experience.
- If you were hiring for this position, what qualities would you look for?
- What led you to choose you field or major?
- What have you learned from participation in extracurricular activities?
- How do you work under pressure?
- Describe the ideal job.
- Why did you decide to seek a position with this organization and what do you know about us?
- What major problem have you encountered and how did you deal with it?
- Give me an example of how you convinced your supervisor to assign you to a project.
- What are your salary expectations?
Sample Questions - Teaching Specific
- What is the role of the teacher in the classroom?
- How would you describe your last principal?
- What principles do you use to motivate students?
- Describe effective teaching techniques that result in intended learning.
- How has your education and life experiences prepared you for this position?
- What is the most exciting thing happening in the area of education?
- Describe an ideal curriculum in your area of study.
- Describe the physical appearance of your classroom.
- How did you make use of your spare time during university?
- How much time do you devote to the lecture approach?
- If you could choose to teach any concept in your area, which would you select and why?
- What rules have you established for your classroom?
- Describe the format you use to develop a lesson.
- What should schools do for students?
- How do you handle the different ability levels of students in classes?
- How would your students describe you?
- What is the toughest aspect of teaching today?
- What is the role of homework?
- What has been your most positive/ negative teaching experience?
- What activities will you sponsor if you are hired for this position?
- What is your system for evaluating student work?
- 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?
- What are your practices in dealing with controversial subjects?
- What curricular materials have you developed?
- What do you like most about teaching?
- What aspects of teaching do you like least?
- How do you involve parents in the learning process?
- In your opinion, can a school be too student-oriented?
- Why do you want to be a teacher?
- What can you do for this School Board?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- How would you respond if a parent said that you marked too hard?
- How do you implement career education concepts in your class?
- Define current curriculum trends in your area.
- Describe independent study projects your students have completed.
- In what professional associations do you hold a membership?
- Could a student of low academic ability receive a high grade in your class?
- What five words would you use to describe yourself?
- What provisions have you made for the gifted?
- In what areas do you feel you need improvement?
- What is your opinion of holding students after school for detention?
- Do you like laughter in your classroom?
- Describe an assignment that you recently gave to students.
- How do you assist in preventing the destruction of school property.
- What is the role of the student in your classroom?
- What units would you include in teaching?
- Have you supervised student teachers, interns or practicum students?
- Cite the criteria you would use to evaluate a textbook for possible adoption.
- What field trips have you arranged for your class in the past year?
- Describe a lesson plan that you have developed? What were the objectives?
- A student tells you they have been experimenting with marijuana. What would you do?
- How have your classes made use of the library?
- What should your students gain from taking your class?
- How would you change the school-system if you could make any changes?
- How do you cope with stress?
- What two books, concepts or experiences have influenced you most in your professional development?
- What question have I not asked that you wish I would have raised?
- If you are selected for this position, what can we do to help you become successful?
- In what kind of environment are you most comfortable?
- How do you individualize learning in your class?
- How would you motivate the hard to reach child?
- Describe how you made a contribution in the last job or activity you were involved in.
- Do you consider your education as a valuable experience? Why?
- How did you spend your summers? Why?
- Are your grades indicative of your ability?
- What changes, if any, would you make to your education?
- What type of person do you not get along with?
- How do you handle jobs/tasks that you do not enjoy?
- In less than two minutes, describe yourself.
- What values are most important to you?
- How would you define teaching as a job? As a profession?
- How do you receive feedback? Criticism?
- How will you appraise your teaching performance?
- What do you base student evaluation on?
- Describe a situation in which you had difficulty in getting along with someone and how you overcame it.
- What are your prominent work habits?
- What limitations do you have that would impact your performance in this position?
- If you were hiring a graduate for this position, what qualities would you be looking for?
- What failures have you experienced and what did you learn from them?
- What extracurricular activities have you participated in and what did you gain from them?
- Tell me about a recent problem you have experienced and how you went about solving it.
Sample Questions - Inappropriate
- How old are you?
- Are you married?
- Do you have a family?
- What are your religious tendencies?
- How is your health?
- How much money are you currently making?
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