Questions you may encounter in a teacher job interview

1. Tell us about yourself.

Answer: I have completed my MA Degree from a reputed university in Malaysia in Mathematics and my scores were splendid. My past academic records were also up to the mark. I have been working as a teacher of Mathematics at a school in junior grade and now want to improve my career. I live with my parents and I am the elder among my siblings. I am single and now planning to concentrate on my career than any other thing. 

2. Why did you decide to become a teacher?

Answer: Well, I am quite sharp in mathematics and my parents asked me to share my knowledge among others. So, I sort out that only teaching is the profession where I would have chance to share my knowledge and experience with the students and they also would be able to practices the real-life skills in their practical life. I think teaching is an excellent profession in terms of contributing to the society. If a teacher can inspire and single student or enlighten a single person, he is quite successful. Very few professionals have the chance to serve the people in this noble manner. 

3. How do you teach to the state standards?

Answer: I teach following the rules and regulations set by the state. Sometimes I have to explain the issues to make them clearer about the topic I am teaching which is also advised by the state standards. 

4. What are your greatest strengths?
Answer: I am very good at mathematics and can solve the mathematical problems within the shortest possible time. Moreover, I am a quick learner and can adapt with any situations at any time. I am capable to make the students or people understand about any specific issues.

5. What is your biggest weakness?
Answer: I am not good at other subjects and memorizing is impossible for me. I cannot memorize but if I comprehend something, I can remember that for life.

6. What are your thoughts on team-teaching?
Answer: This is a good idea for the teachers. A team of teachers would be able to teach far better than an individual. You know, two brains have more ideas than a single one.

7. How will you prepare students for standardized assessments?
Answer: I will go through the prescribed syllabus for them and carefully make the prepared for the assessments in some specific ways. Firstly I will teach them the lessons and assign some home works to do. Gradually I will follow the routine and by then of the term, I hope they would be prepared for the standardized assessments.

8. Describe a successful lesson. Tell why it was successful.
Answer: A successful lesson is the lesson which is learnt by all the students present at the classroom. As the lesson is learnt by all the students, they would be able to answer all the required questions from the entire lesson or no matter if they are made from any of the parts of the lesson. When every single student learns the lesson by heart, then it is considered as the lesson is successful.

9. What is your teaching philosophy?
Answer: I want to make my students skilled in the subject I am teaching on and also want that they should learn something that should be useful in their real life. As a teacher, I want to make them skilled in dealing with the struggles of life. I am not only their teacher rather I also act like their mentors for everything. So, my teaching philosophy is not limited only teaching or making them understand the subject matter, I also try to guide them so that they could be able to survive in the practical life.   

10. What type of classroom management structure would you implement if you were hired?
Answer: I would like to follow the standard procedures for managing the classroom or if you have any preset structure. I would not implement something that is harmful for the students or for the class or brings defame for my institution I am working in. 

11. How have you used, or how will you use, technology in the classroom?
Answer: The use of technology is a must for the classroom. I have made the best use of technology – used multimedia to make my lessons easier. I will also use the similar method here like making some presentations using power point presentation so that the students could get a better understanding. I will encourage students to open a new blog, would encourage them to learn the necessary software usages and would share my lecture and class schedule online. 

12. How do you handle classroom discipline?
Answer: I am strict regarding discipline. I would not allow any student to break the discipline and if such events are found, I will take stringent punitive measures against the student like informing the parents, not allowing them to attend classes for a certain period etc.

13. Have you had experience boosting a student's self-esteem? If so, how?
Answer: Yes, I always do that. Appreciation is the best inspiration for them. When a student is appreciated over something, s/ he get inspiration to continue the work and the self-esteem is boosted to a greater extent. I often appreciate my students and I do it even for their minor achievements in any aspects either it be for their academic activities or in their private life. But the achievements should be positive in terms.     

14. What philosophy guides your work?
Answer: As a teacher, I am responsible to build the future of a student and I have to do my work perfectly. If I am unable to perform my duties perfectly, the student may be unable to succeed in life. Again, there are some teachers who run after money and insincere to teach the students. As a result, the students do not get a quality education. So, I try to be strict and sincere in obeying my duties and responsibilities as a teacher.

15. Would you be interested in participating in after school activities?
Answer: Sure, I would participate in after school activities if I am required to.

16. Can you tell me about a successful behaviour management strategy you have used in the past that helped engage a pupil or group of pupils?
Answer: Sorry, I, in fact did not have experience of such behavior management activities as I did not need them any time in my career. All of the pupils I received were decent enough to behave themselves.  

17. If you overheard some colleagues talking about you, what would they say?
Answer: I cannot figure out any of my faults. I prefer to remain silent always after the class and do not get involved in to gossips or share any of my private events. So, I think they would have nothing much to say about me except my introvert nature. 

18. Why do you want to work in special education?
Answer: Working in special education provides necessary chances to learn many real-life skills and those are highly beneficial for individuals who have participated in the special education. So, I want to work in special education. 

19. Why do you want to work in this school?
Answer: There are several reasons for my desire to work in this school. This is one of the most reputed schools in the entire district and oldest as well. Working here will be a new experience for me and I will have a greater audience. Besides, the school has a selective process of admitting students and it appears that most of the students are smarter than the other students. So, my shared knowledge would be more effective with these students here. 

20. What are the key qualities and skills that students look for in teachers?
Answer: Usually students want that their teacher should be skilled in the subject matter s/ he is to teach. They also want their teacher to be polite and careful to them. The most important thing is that they do not like a teacher who is fearsome. Smart and witty answers from the teachers are also appreciated by the students. But they do not like teachers who are not strict with the academic studies.

21. If we decided not to appoint you, what would we be missing out on?
Answer: I think you would be missing the chance to appoint a perfect mathematician for your students who owns much potential and by the same time you are losing the chance of achieving more benefits that could be assisted from my part. In fact most of the people realize the weight of the things they hold when they drop off them and then they have to regret for their carelessness.   

22. How can you make sure that students have understood a new concept?
Answer: Discussing a new concept with them, I would ask them to explain what they have understood. For this, they do not need to appear on any exams or need to do any home work. If they comprehend the issue, they would be able to make that clearer by them and if they do not understand, I think they would not be able to discuss the issue spontaneously. This is the standard procedure to ensure the comprehension of any issues to the students. 

23. How could you help a student to improve their reading skills?
Answer: Reading more and more helps to improve the reading skill for everyone. So, I would ask them to read out loud in the classroom and it would help to improve their reading skills. 

24. How can the teaching assistant help the teacher to engage children?
Answer: The teaching assistant can help in different ways and mostly they could provide information about the students’ overall conditions like how they are studying or how they are doing in with the academic studies both at home and school, if they abide by the rules and regulations of the school etc.  

25. Do you have any skills that you can use in the classroom, for example music or art?
Answer: Sorry, I do not own such skills. I only own the skill that is I can make the mathematics simpler that the students would be able to understand them quickly and easily.  However I am a good chess player.

26. Tell me about a classroom situation or project where you had to apply an unusual level of creativity.
Answer: Usually I take classes always with multimedia, and when they are absent in the classroom, I have to take classes by my own. I have to use my intelligence and creativity. For instance, once I lost my pen drive containing the multimedia lecture and then I had to use my own creativity at the classroom. I asked the authority to supply me a white board with a marker pen. I used the board and pen to make the issues clearer to the students.

27. Do you think teaching should be fun?
Answer: Yes, I believe that teaching definitely should be fun. If teaching is taken as teaching only, then there are chances that the learning will be of no use if that is not associated with fun. 

28. What would you do if a student wasn't handing her homework on a regular basis?
Answer: Well, in that case my first duty is to inform the issue to the parents of the students. I would also try to convince the student that it is an important part of the school and he should abide by the rule. I would finally encourage him and praise him for any good quality he has. 

29. How do you communicate with parents?
Answer: Usually I invite the parents at the school by issuing letters. When they come to meet me at the school compound, I usually greet them and say about my identity and next arrives the points of their wards – how they are doing, what they are doing. I also try to get information about the students’ activities at home. If I have any suggestions, I mention them clearly to the parents. 

30. What are your classroom rules? How do you make students familiar with the rules?
Answer: I have few classroom rules. The first one is that everyone is allowed to express their feelings or ideas about the subject I am teaching on, but they have to share the ideas gradually. I do not allow students to remain absent in the class without any solid reason. Besides, I ask them to be regular with their home works. When I go for taking a class, I show the rules on a MS PowerPoint slide and ask them to note down the points. 

31. What daily or weekly routines would be incorporated in your teaching?
Answer: In fact, the daily or weekly routines are not be set by myself. So, if the authority wants to include something with me as part of my daily or weekly activity, I would accept that and I think that may be mostly being present after the school or taking part in any other activities and so on.

32. One student hits another student. What do you do?
Answer: I would inquire about the entire event and take punitive measures against the guilty one.

33. A student throws a pencil across the room. What do you do?
Answer: Simply I would ask the student to stop the throwing or I will ask him/ her to stand out of my class as punishment. 

34. Explain what you would do if a student was swearing in your class?
Answer: In such case, I would ask the student to bring parents in the next class or I will not allow him to attend the class until he brings them. 

35. What would you do if a student was complaining about an assignment you've given?
Answer: I would try to understand about the weakness of student with the assignment and then make the topics clearer so that the assignment becomes easier.  I will find out if the student has indeed failed to understand the assignment or has he left it intentionally. In the first case, I will make it easier for him but for the latter one I will give him even harder assignments.

36. What would you do if a parent complained about an assignment?
Answer: In that case, I would ask the parent to meet me and I will make them understand about the necessity of the students or about the difficulty that I have imposed on them so that they could overcome and be successful.  

37. Would you describe yourself as a "tough" teacher or an "understanding" teacher? Explain.
Answer: I am an understanding teacher. I never behave rude with my students and always care for them. I try to understand their troubles and other issues and never be cruel with them if they forget to bring any home work or unable to do the assignment. I try to make the things easier to them, always. 

38. How would you create a behavior modification for a student with ongoing behavior problems?
Answer: I will mark up the behaviors at first and then ask the student to meet me after the class. I will ask him to answer about the specific behaves and will allow him to amend and the chance is given only once. 

39. What are some ways you can avoid behavior problems?
Answer: Ignoring is the best way to avoid problems. So, if I ignore the behavior problems, I think I can avoid them. 

40. Without giving any names, describe the most challenging student you've ever taught.
Answer: He was in his seventh grade and was unable to understand the mathematical terms. So, I had to pay more attention to him, and suddenly I realized that he was stubborn by his nature. He liked to irritate the teachers by this way. Though he understood everything, he pretended that he could not understand what he was said. 

41. What would you do to calm an angry parent?

Answer: A well behave is enough to calm an angry parent. When the parent becomes angry, they just need a sensible mid to heal their anger and I believe I am sensible enough to lessen the angers.

42. Do you think it is appropriate for children in school to be using the Internet?
Answer: No, this is completely inappropriate for the students. Using internet in school will destroy their time and by the same time, they will lose concentration to the studies. So, I firmly believe that children should be forbidden using internet on schools. However they should be allowed to use in when they are in the computer lab. 

43. What was the most frustrating thing about student teaching?
Answer: Frustration appears when after teaching everything by every possible ways, the students cannot make a good result or their scores are not up to the mark. At that time I cannot stop frustration from grabbing me.

44. Describe the biggest challenge you've ever had to face.
Answer: In the beginning of my career, many of the students got failed in their mathematics and I was made responsible for the failure. But the trouble was in somewhere else. The teacher who assessed the examination’s answer scripts made the mistake. He did not take the answer sheet with him that I submitted with the question paper to the authority. So, being unaware of the right answers, he misjudged the answer scripts which made the disaster.

45. What is your definition of a life-long learner?  How can you promote life-long learning in your classroom?
Answer: Life-long learner refers to those who are always eager to learn. They do not stop learning even in their old age. I promote the life-long learning by inspiring students to read books on varied interest. When the interest will be grown up among them, they will keep learning till they live.

46. Would you be willing to help out with extra-curricular activities?  Which ones?
Answer: Yes, I am. Indoor games are my favorite extra-curricular activities and I prefer to participate in chess. I would be able to arrange chess tournaments as part of extra-curricular activity in the school.  

47. Describe the differences between a good teacher and a great teacher?
Answer: A good teacher is the individual who teaches following the rules and regulations. A great teacher is the individual who is able to make the students eager in learning by themselves and enlightens them as individuals. 

48. If you teach a lesson and your students don't seem to be "getting it," what do you do?
Answer: Firstly, I try to figure out if there is any problem with my teaching method and if there are none, then I move to the student to know about his/ her weakness. I try to collect information about the topic I am teaching if it is difficult for the students. So, when everything is done, I try to make the lessons easier for them to get that. 

49. In what ways can you teach students to be accepting of one-another?
Answer: I would try to increase the mutual respect and tolerance limit among the students. The most misunderstandings happen as people do not have mutual respect and the tolerance limit level is almost zero. If the tolerance limit is increased, they could start accepting one another and they could also be benefitted in the rest of their life.      

50. How would you teach the writing process?
Answer: Writing is all about continuation. So, I will ask the students to write regularly. They might take a short break in the week, but after the break they have to start again. They are to continue writing as long as they can and if they could continue the trend; their writing process will be developed. 

51. In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges that teachers face today?
Answer: Most of the teachers want to teach only and thus the students lose interest on studies. As a result, the students do not have a good score while the teachers are blamed for the bad performance of the student. I think this is one of the biggest challenges that the teachers face today. Besides, most of the teachers are of old schools and do not know how to treat with the students. This is also a big challenge for them to overcome. 

52. How can you make your teaching connect to students' real-world experiences?
Answer: The books are written based on some real-life experiences. So, when I will teach lessons from books, it would be imperative for me to provide more real-world examples for them.

53. How do you feel about noise in your classroom?
Answer: Well, I am allergic to noise and do not allow my students to make noise during the classes. If I find someone making noise, I warn him/ her for several times and if my warnings are not entertained, I take punitive measures.