67 Most Common Teacher Interview Questions and Answers
June 22, 2024
There’s no way around it: job interviews are always nerve-wracking. But as teachers always say, “Practice makes perfect.” The only way to steady the nerves and ace the test is through preparation. If you’ve brainstormed your best responses to the questions that most often come up, you’ll be able to head into the interview with an abundance of calm, confidence, and poise. Whether you’re an experienced teacher changing schools or a new teacher just beginning your career, we’ve got you covered. The teacher interview questions and answers below will help you think through all the things that make you a great teacher and a perfect fit for your future school. In this article, we cover:
- Teacher Interview Questions and Answers—General Questions
- Teaching Experience Questions
- Handling Conflict and Challenges
- Workload Management
- Supervision and Growth
- Elementary Teacher Interview Questions
- Special Education Teacher Interview Questions
- Behavioral Questions
- Wrap-up Questions
- More Resources
Teacher Interview Questions and Answers—General Questions
1) So tell me about yourself…
The most dreaded question! It’s difficult to know where to start with such a broad query, but open-ended questions can be a great opportunity to focus on the information that serves you best. This isn’t the right place for your full life story. Instead, before the interview, brainstorm a brief narrative overview of your professional experiences, highlighting roles and skills that are most relevant to the position. To wrap up, explain what you’re seeking in your next position, future goals, and why you’ve applied to this particular job.
2) Why did you decide to become a teacher?
Likely the most important teacher interview questions to nail your answer to, arriving at a strong answer might require more reflection than you think. You’ll want to say something more than “I love kids.” Think back to your own favorite teachers, formative learning experiences, and moments that helped you discover your passion for sharing knowledge. Offering a meaningful anecdote can help you stand out.
3) Why do you want to teach this age group/type of student?
To help generate an answer to this question, it might be helpful to first think about why you don’t want to teach other age groups. Then, think about your future students’ developmental and behavioral needs and offer an answer that shows you understand and enjoy working with that particular grade. If you haven’t taught before but have worked with kids that age through volunteering, tutoring, or other work, mention those experiences. If you’re applying to teach special education, this is a great time to explain why you’re drawn to students with different needs.
4) Why do you want to teach this subject?
One of the most common teacher interview questions, this is a great place to show your expertise and passion for the subject. Share a memory of what first drew you to the topic, an anecdote from a meaningful class, or an example of your favorite lesson plan. It’s also a great idea to discuss relevant educational background, favorite books on the subject, and your ongoing learning.
5) Why do you want to teach at our school?
Answering this question well will require some research. Consult the school and district websites to learn more about their student demographics and initiatives. For private schools, look up their mission statement and specialty programs. If you have contacts in the district or at that school, reach out to ask about school culture. Showing you understand the school’s specific priorities and needs will go a long way.
6) What makes a great teacher?
Rather than listing a few abstract adjectives like “compassion, care, and resilience,” offer a few examples of impactful teaching from your own education or classroom experience. Make sure to connect the skills and attributes you mention to your own teaching practices with a follow up sentence like, “That’s why I always make sure I do X in the classroom.”
7) What, in a few words, is your teaching philosophy?
Avoid cliché students like “I want to help kids succeed” or “Children are our future.” Instead, consider your personality and unique approach to teaching. Are you a community-builder who loves to teach students how to collaborate? Do you specialize in lifting struggling students up? Do you prioritize creativity? This question allows you to give a brief overview of your individual strengths as a teacher with key examples.
8) What do you love learning about?
This question gives you a chance to demonstrate your zest for knowledge. Mention a recent book, documentary, or newspaper article that fascinated you. For bonus points, explain how you would share this knowledge with your students.
9) What are your hobbies outside of the classroom?
No need to pretend you live and breathe work. Hopefully, your interviewer will soon be your colleague, so sharing some of your interests and pastimes will help them get to know who they’ll be working with. Sharing that you play soccer on the weekends or love travel photography will help your interviewer connect with you and show you have healthy ways to unwind after a long week in the classroom.
10) What role do diversity, equity, and inclusion play in the classroom?
Diversity statements are most meaningful when they’re personal and specific. Before your interview, think of at least one example to share from your personal or professional experiences that illustrates the power of DEI in education. Offer a general statement about why DEI measures are important to you and to kids, and then back your statement up with relevant examples.
Teacher Interview Questions and Answers—Teaching Experience Questions
11) What’s your favorite thing about teaching this grade level?
With this question, it’s smart to show you understand both the delights and challenges of working with a particular age group. Share at least one thing about this grade level that brings you joy and one challenge (like early literacy, AP exam stress, or senioritis) that you enjoy tackling head-on.
12) How do you include parents and guardians in students’ education?
One of the most common teacher interview questions, we recommend offering examples of ways you maintain clear and consistent communication with parents about topics like grades and upcoming deadlines. But don’t forget to also discuss how you communicate with parents when issues and conflicts arise.
13) What are 3 adjectives that past students would use to describe you?
In your response, there’s no problem with listing one predictable adjective like “strict” or “hardworking.” But this question is also a perfect opportunity to show what makes your classroom different from other teachers. If you let your interviewer know you’re a “PowerPoint queen,” “grammar nerd,” or a “class cheerleader,” they’ll have a much clearer sense of what makes you you.
14) What type of classroom culture do you cultivate and how?
Similar to the teaching philosophy question in the “General Questions” section, this is an opportunity to highlight your unique strengths with key examples. If you aim to cultivate active learners, explain how. If you aim to spark student curiosity, offer examples of your successes.
15) How do you track and assess student learning?
Test scores, grades, and tracked data will be your primary method of assessing student learning, particularly if you’ll be working at a public school. If you haven’t taught before, mention any relevant experience you have working with data. If you have taught before, discuss your usual strategies for organizing and presenting data and explain how you use data to differentiate student needs by group.
Teacher Interview Questions and Answers—Handling Conflict and Challenges
16) What has been your biggest teaching challenge to date? How did you handle it?
It likely goes without saying that you should choose an example that shows your ability to learn and grow. Perhaps you struggled with behavioral issues in your first year of teaching or faced high levels of student apathy. Share a memory of a classroom challenge, explain how you solved or improved it, and reflect on how you plan to continue addressing the problem at your new school.
17) What are some of your core classroom rules? How do you ensure students follow them?
For this question, it’s best to offer examples of rules that are unique to your classroom. Just about every teacher will require students to raise their hand before speaking, but this is your chance to share creative ways you design, communicate, and implement rules.
18) What’s your approach to student discipline?
Since you’ll likely be interviewing with the school principal, it’s not wise to say you send every troublemaker straight to the principal’s office. Your interviewer will want to hear you’re able to effectively and consistently handle disciplinary issues. Share your go-to classroom management policies and at least one key example of a time when strategic discipline improved your class dynamic.
19) If the majority of your students failed a test or assignment, what would you do?
A question that asks you to demonstrate a high level of self-awareness, your interviewer will want to hear that you pay attention to your own successes and failures as a teacher. Every teacher has a lesson plan flop now and then, but a great teacher takes responsibility and ensures students master the material.
20) What are the biggest challenges students face in our current education system?
To show you’ve done your research, offer an answer that is relevant to your future school’s student demographic. Whether you focus on budget shortfalls, inequity, student apathy, or another issue, it’s wise to show that you know challenges differ between public and private schools, by region, and age group. As you answer, be sure to explain how you help students face these challenges.
21) What are the biggest challenges teachers face in our current education system?
With this question, your interviewer isn’t asking you to vent. Instead, they’re asking you to show an understanding of the challenges professionals face in your field. You might choose to speak about student behaviors, parental involvement, budget cuts, teacher workload, or any other topic. The most important thing, though, is to discuss how you cope with these challenges.
Teacher Interview Questions and Answers—Workload Management
22) How do you balance teaching duties and grading?
23) How do you balance teaching and data collection?
24) How do you plan your lessons?
25) What organizational skills and tools do you use regularly?
The four questions above are all getting at the same core query: are you organized? As you answer these questions, be sure to be as specific as possible about the skills and tools you use to keep yourself organized. Do you start every morning by writing out a to-do list? What about using an app to manage your workflow? Do you use a Pomodoro timer when you grade? Filling your interviewer in on your organizational style will help them see how well you manage a heavy workload.
Teacher Interview Questions and Answers—Supervision and Growth
26) What resources do you use to continue developing as a teacher?
27) What support do you hope for from school administrators?
28) What would you like to learn from a mentor?
The three questions above are all about your level of independence and your willingness to learn. Demonstrating that you’re self-reliant but open to feedback can be a delicate line to walk. As you answer these questions, be frank about weaknesses you hope to work on, offer examples of ways in which you’ve invested in your own growth, and mention a few areas you hope to continue improving through self-study and mentorship.
Elementary Teacher Interview Questions
Although teaching varies greatly by grade, most elementary teacher interview questions will cover the same ground as other grade levels. You can expect to encounter additional questions on topics like:
29) Your ability to teach foundational early education topics like reading, phonics, and basic math
30) Age-appropriate classroom activities that make learning fun
31) Age-appropriate discipline strategies
To answer these elementary teacher interview questions well, you’ll want to illustrate your understanding of young children’s unique needs. If you haven’t taught before, offer examples from babysitting, volunteering, or other positions. If you’re an experienced teacher, share examples of your most effective lessons and activities.
Special Education Teacher Interview Questions
Most special education teacher interview questions will cover the same ground as those geared toward general education teachers, but special education teachers can expect additional questions on topics like:
32) Gathering and tracking data on student behavior and needs
33) Handling students in distress
34) Interpreting and complying with complex policies
35) Your understanding of disabilities and emotional and behavioral disorders
To prepare to answer each of these special education teacher interview questions, brainstorm relevant examples of times you’ve utilized these skills. If you haven’t taught before, offer examples from school, volunteering, or other positions. If you’re an experienced teacher, discuss your typical approach to special ed students.
Teacher Interview Questions and Answers—Behavioral Questions
Behavioral questions are one of the most common types of teacher interview questions. An exercise in personal reflection, these questions ask you to share a memory or two that speak to your ability to handle job-specific duties and challenges.
You might be asked to give an example of…
36) A time you made use of technology in the classroom.
37) A time you worked collaboratively with a colleague.
38) A time you made a challenging concept easier for your students to understand.
39) One of your most successful lesson plans.
40) How you motivate students to learn.
41) How you encourage student creativity.
Most Common Teacher Interview Questions and Answers (Continued)
42) Something you do to encourage social development in your classroom.
43) Something you do to encourage collaborative skills in your classroom.
44) A lesson plan that asked students to engage with real-life issues.
45) An accommodation you’ve made for students with different learning styles.
46) An accommodation you’ve made for students from different cultures and backgrounds.
47) An accommodation you’ve made for non-native speakers.
48) How you’ve handled a mistake with a student.
49) How you’ve handled a mistake with a parent.
50) How you handle student disruptions in the classroom.
Most Common Teacher Interview Questions and Answers (Continued)
51) One of your weaknesses and what you’ve done to improve it.
52) A time you helped a struggling student succeed.
53) A time you intervened when a student was being bullied.
54) A time you had a difficult conversation with a parent. How did you handle the issue?
55) A time you had to make an important decision quickly. What did you do?
56) A time you addressed a student with ongoing behavioral problems.
57) A time you said “no” to a student. How did you handle it?
Most Common Teacher Interview Questions and Answers (Continued)
58) A time you said “no” to a parent. How did you handle it?
59) A time you had to juggle competing responsibilities.
60) A time you struggled to meet an important deadline. What did you do?
61) A time you disagreed with a supervisor.
62) A time you received negative feedback from a teacher or supervisor. How did you respond?
63) A time you received competing instructions. How did you proceed?
64) A time you had to learn a new skill quickly. How did you do it?
As you can see, experiential teacher interview questions can run the gamut. Some will ask you to share examples of the things you excel at. Some will ask you to reflect on your biggest professional challenges. When discussing challenges, be honest—everyone makes mistakes and faces struggles—but be sure to provide stories that demonstrate your learning and growth. With each question, make sure to provide detailed, vivid stories that will help you stand out in your interviewer’s mind. As a final addition, explain how what you learned from your experience will aid you in your future role.
Teacher Interview Questions and Answers—Wrap-Up Questions
65) Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
Of course, we all want to say, “I see myself winning the lottery and retiring early.” But this question is asking you to demonstrate your investment in teaching and your future goals. If you hope to be promoted to school administration, this is a great time to say it. If you plan to earn a graduate degree, your interviewer will love to hear you have plans to continue developing your expertise in the field. Tell your interviewer you’re in it for the long haul and offer a few examples of how you hope to grow as a teacher in the coming years.
66) Why are you a good fit for this position?
It’s difficult for most of us to toot our own horns, but if you’ve reflected on your experiences and found answers to the questions above, you’ll know many reasons why you’ll be a great addition to the school. Give your interviewer a few examples of what you bring to the table and at least one reason why you’re a perfect fit for their particular school culture.
67) What questions do you have for us?
By the end of an interview, all we want to ask is, “Do I have the job?” But this question offers a great opportunity to demonstrate your sincere interest in the position. Come to the interview with 5-10 questions ready. You likely won’t be able to ask them all, but having a variety on hand means you’ll be able to ask at least a few questions that weren’t covered during the interview. You can ask:
Questions to Ask in a Teacher Interview
1) How would you describe your school’s culture?
2) How is the school hoping to grow in the coming years?
3) What would you say is your student population’s greatest challenge/need?
4) How involved are parents?
5) How do current teachers usually collaborate?
6) What are you looking for in a candidate? (This question gives you a chance to reiterate your matching skills).
7) What is your hiring timeline?
Teacher Interview Questions and Answers—More Resources
Looking for more career development resources? Check out our articles on:
- How to Become a Teacher: College-to-Career Advice
- 3 Great Cover Letter Examples for Any Job in 2024
- How to Reschedule an Interview – With Sample Email
Explore all the resources in our Careers section.
Also check out our Teacher Tools such as:
- 151 Best Summer Jobs for Teacher
- How to Become a Teacher
- 50 Best Colleges for Education Majors
- 10 Companies That Offer Tech Apprenticeship Programs
- 100 Best Quotes about Education
- 60 Best Team-Building Activities for Middle and High School Students
- 150 Journal Prompts for Kids, Middle & High School Students
- 102 Last Day of School Activities
