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Questions

1. Why Did You Decide to Become a Teacher?

Answers

Reasons to Become a Teacher

Many teachers discover that their love of children draws them to teaching, or
that their own love of learning makes them passionate about teaching.

Some teachers enter the profession because they're eager to make a difference —
people tend to remember their teachers for an entire lifetime, long after school is
over.

Others are inspired by a teacher earlier in their education who had a positive
impact on them. A teacher may be seen as a leader, a mentor, or even a
surrogate parental figure.

Describing a Favorite Teacher


The best teacher I ever had was my history teacher in high school. I preferred
English and science to history, but she was able to see past the dates and facts
and make the subject come to life beyond the basic curriculum. For instance,
we looked through old newspaper articles about historical events and then
wrote our own blogs as if we were journalists living during that time. I was
inspired by her unconventional techniques and I strive to bring the same
passion for innovative ways to learn to my classroom.

 The assistant principal of my high school was a real inspiration to me,


and she is one of the major reasons I pursued a teaching career. Her
ability to guide students, her fairness, and her sense of justice made me
aspire to bring these things to my own classroom.

 While I was student teaching, I had the opportunity to take a student


aside to help him with a particularly difficult math concept that he was
having trouble understanding. When I was able to show him a different
way to approach the problem, and he 'got it', I knew that I had chosen
the right field!

 Yes.Throughout my academic life, I found and came into contact with


several teachers whom I'll never forget mostly because of their
personality and quality teaching. Such a teacher who I remember clearly
was Cikgu Sata who taught us History at my age of 13 and 14 years old.

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 I was then about 13-14 years old and was in Secondary 1 and 2. He had an
admiring personality and a different way of teaching. He was very
punctual and honest and inspired us to be so. He never pressurised us on
studying and always told us stories on different historical events. In his
classes, we never felt bored. He had a gift of making the lessons
interesting and attracting students to his stories. Much of the history I
now know is because of him.

 My major was Science and I have not studied history that much but
whatever interest I grew on history was mostly his contribution. I can still
recall the stories I heard from him. He never misbehaved with any of his
students and all of his students admired him very much. I learned later on
that he was an honest and benevolent man in his personal life. I still
remember him because he was a good man, a wise mentor and a nice
person who taught us things that we still remember.

_____________________________________________________________________

Question:
What Is Your Teaching Philosophy?

Answer:

The Classroom:

I believe the classroom is a living and thriving community--everyone, from


the principal to the students and parents has to work to contribute to and
maintain a positive atmosphere.

Everyone in the classroom contributes as a student, teacher, and thinker. I


learn from students as much as they learn from me.

I respect each person's thoughts and feelings in the classroom--students,


teaching assistants and parents.

Learning:

Give students choices rather than directives and they will feel empowered
to learn.

All students are individual and everyone learns in their own unique way.

Learning is a lifelong process and I want to instill that passion in my


students.

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Teaching:

Teachers should expect great things from everybody, regardless of skill,


talent, ability, or disability.

Teachers should engage with students personally as well as academically. I


respect Whitney Elementary School in Memphis, where teachers walk
their 200 kids home after school to get them back safely while gaining
additional time to interact with them outside the classroom.

You can't teach everything to everyone and true learning requires many
different types of knowledge. I use multiple methods of teaching
(linguistic, visual, auditory, kinesthetic) to speak to students.

_______________________________________________________________

Question:
What Classroom Management Structure Would You Use?

Answer:

Sample answers might include redirecting the student, involving students


by agreeing on a set of classroom rules together as a class, having students
sign a learning contract that they help create at the beginning of the year,
listening to a student in a one-on-one meeting, mediating issues between
students, and involving parents in the disciplinary process.

When you give personal examples of your method, be sure to describe how
it worked well for you. Here’s one example:

 In my first grade classroom, I implemented a system where the


students were each given a clip on a chart. At each infraction, the
students would move their clip along a progression of colors. The
disciplines ranged from a warning, losing half of recess and losing
all recess to a call home or a visit to the principal's office. I made
very few phone calls!

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Question:

How have you used, or how will you use, technology in the classroom?

Answer:

Provide Example of Technology You Used

Provide the interviewer with examples of what technologies you have used
in the past:

 I was lucky to have one of the first 'Smart Boards' in my


classroom. The children were immediately engaged, and eager
to explore the possibilities being offered. We learned together
just what an amazing teaching tool it could be.
 We used tablets in my last class and the students used apps to
enhance their lessons.
 I taught a class that created a blog and a wiki, with all of the
students contributing. Students that were reluctant to speak in
class blossomed when they were able to write their entries.
 One of my classes developed a podcast to share with other
students and their families.
 We connected to guests via Skype for interviews. The students
asking questions and getting answers from experts who were
far away or too busy to come to class in person.
 I use a personal computer or tablet to develop and organize my
lesson plans.

What contributions can you bring to our school?

Every school needs teachers, but this question is to see if you can bring more to the table
than just what you do in a classroom. Think of examples of different activities you ran in other
schools or passions you have that can translate into student activities.

“I truly believe that learning doesn’t end in the classroom. In my last school I actually started a
creative writing club. I noticed that’s something that you don’t yet offer. My students really
excelled and were not only able to put the club on their college applications, but they used it
for help writing their college essays. I’d really like to bring something similar to East
Washington High School.”

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What is the biggest challenge in teaching?

This question will give the interviewer a good idea of where your frustrations lie and what, if
anything, you will need to make up for. Think of something you can work toward making
better and that you feel would be a challenge for all teachers.

“In my career, I’ve found that the most challenging students are the ones who don’t apply
themselves. We all see their potential, but they sit in the back, don’t pay attention and don’t
seem to care about their future. It is these types of students that I really try to reach out to.
I’ve seen kids start really trying when it’s too late to get into college and it can be
heartbreaking. So, I take them aside to let them know that someone is rooting for them and
that I am invested in their future. I’ve seen students really turn themselves around when they
know that someone is in their corner holding them accountable for their studies.”

Can you give me a specific example of when you helped a


student experience success?

Interviewers know that some of the best teachers are the ones who invest in their students’
successes. Even if you haven’t had any official teaching experience, you can pull from your
time student teaching to show them how seriously you take your job.

“One example that has really stuck with me happened while I was student teaching. There
was a girl who was really struggling with her math lessons and you could tell that she would
get very frustrated with herself. Her grades were quickly declining and it was definitely
something she was embarrassed about. I pulled her aside one day and offered to sit with her
during lunch two days a week so she could get some one-on-one attention. I’m not sure if it
was the fact that someone was paying attention to her or that she had been waiting for
someone to reach out, but we quickly started our mini-tutoring sessions and her grades
started to improve. I really think it was this experience that made me realize how much I love
teaching and how much of a difference I can make in kid’s lives. Her parents actually reached
out to the school to let them know how much they appreciated me taking the time to help. To
me it was such a small commitment, but to her it made a big difference.”

How do you stay current in your field?

There are always new techniques and theories popping up in the field of education. Schools
like to see that their teachers stay up to date on the newest technologies and plannings.
Think of different thought leaders you follow or technology you’d like to bring into the
classroom and work that into your answer.

“I think it’s so important to keep a close watch on what others in the field are doing. I closely
monitor a handful of blogs and Twitter accounts from some of the teachers and organizations

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I respect most in order to look for new ideas or projects. For example, during the last
Olympics, Scholastic tweeted some fantastic Olympic-themed games that would not only
teach the children about the games, but also incorporated math. It was a fun way to learn and
everyone in the class got really into it. I may not have been able to do that had I not made it a
point to stay up to date with what others are doing.”

What do you think is the most effective way to communicate


with parents?

Dealing with parents is a very big part of any teaching position. Think about what you’ve seen
that works with parents and throw in any specific examples of steps you’ve taken to ensure
that there is clear communication between you and your students’ parents.

“I’ve found that one of the best things to do is give parents a clear idea of how they can
contact you and how they like to be contacted. During open houses, I ask that parents fill out
forms to let me know their preferred method of non-emergency communication. This way,
they can’t get annoyed if I call and they prefer email. I set those types of expectations up
front. I also like to make it clear that I have their child’s best interests in mind and that we are
in this together. Learning can’t stop in the classroom and parents have to be held accountable
to be sure their student isn’t ignoring his/her studies. This type of open, team communication
has proven to be very effective and creates a positive environment for the student."

When interviewing for a teaching position, keep in mind that the school will be searching to
see if you have the drive to be a success with the students, parents and fellow teachers. Pull
from any past experiences or volunteer work that proves you would be an asset to the school
and that you have the passion they are looking for in a new hire. Interviewing can be scary,
but if you prepare yourself by practicing sample interview questions you’ll go in with a
confidence that you have what it takes. Good luck!

Tell Me About Yourself


“I would describe myself as adventurous and outgoing. Last year I traveled throughout Southeast
Asia, traveling to four countries. I love learning about new cultures and meeting new
people. This is one of the reasons I want to teach at {insert school name}. It has amazing
diversity. I would take this same enthusiam and apply it to learning more about my students and
their backgrounds.”

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Question 1 - What are your thoughts on team-teaching?
Answer - I am sure many of you have participated in team-teaching and realize the benefits of
this strategy. The interviewer who asks this question wants to discover, if you are flexible, enjoy
working in a team environment, have experience in this area, and what your viewpoints are on
the subject.
It is always wise to speak about some of the positive aspects of team-teaching, such as:
It is an effective strategy for teaching large groups of students. Encourages teachers to
collaborate and generate ideas ... two heads are always better than one! Talk about team-
teaching experiences you have had, and the positive results that transpired.
If you haven't had any hands-on experience, you may explain that you enjoy working in a team
setting and are excited about the possibility of participating in this approach. OR, maybe you
have done some reading on the subject and can share some of the insights you gained with the
interviewer ... this will definitely be impressive!
Furthermore, it is vitally important to be honest when answering all questions during the
interview. Organizing your thoughts in advance will serve to help you deliver truthful and
concise responses, while highlighting the skills you possess that are most compatible with the
needs of the school or district.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Question 2 - What are your greatest strengths?


Answer - This question will probably be asked. Now, if you researched the district/school and
found out what they are looking for in a candidate, you will be able to focus your response on
that information, keeping in mind it is important to tell the truth. With every response you must
show your VALUE to the district. This will also give them an idea on how you view your talents
and skills as a teacher. Perception is critical... you must be able to confidently discuss your skills
using a convincing approach.
It is important the answer shows your hard/tangible skills. For example, classroom
management, curriculum development, or technology integration. These skills will show the
interviewer(s) what you can do on the job. Don't stop there, you will set yourself apart from the
pack if you can back up your claims with actual stories. This will build credibility... it shows you
really are good at what you are claiming. Tell them about what you have done to incorporate
technology into the classroom and what was the result. The result part of the story sells value...
and that produces job offers.

Question 3 - What is your biggest weakness?


Answer - Your response could include something that may have been a challenge in the past,
which you have taken steps to rectify. It is important to be truthful, they will be testing your
honesty. In addition, they will be checking to see if you provide a weakness that is critical to
success in the position. For example, the interview will likely end quickly if you answer you have
a difficult time management the classroom. The key to answering the question is to turn a
negative into a positive.
I don't suggest using that the traditional statement, "I'm a perfectionist", it is often overused,
and will tend to sound phony. It is important you don't get defensive and try to justify why you

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are weak in a particular subject area, such as social studies. This would make a bad impression,
because it may be relevant to the position that you are seeking. Whatever you decide to use,
ensure it is not one of the key skills of the position you are seeking. In other words, don't
pinpoint classroom discipline and/management or subject area if you are seeking a teaching
position.
Think of this question as an opportunity to sell yourself. Here is an example: You wouldn't say, "I
have a difficult time organizing my day." Instead, rephrase the answer by saying. "There are so
many creative activities I plan for my students and class time is limited. It is difficult to
incorporate all of the activities that I would like my students to learn from. Over time, I have
realized to prioritize what lessons are the most important to enhance my student learning. I now
realize that I can't do everything I would like to."
The above example shows you are excited about designing new and creative lessons for your
students. In their mind, this will not be a negative. It will position you that much closer to getting
a job offer.

"Describe your classroom's physical appearance." Having prepared ahead of time, you
understand the interviewer[s] attempt to determine:

 Your teaching style,


 Your ability to effectively manage the class,
 The level and quality of student interaction,
 Your teaching philosophy,

Answer - Within this context, you might respond:


"Upon entering my classroom you will find a lively and colorful room completely centered upon
children and active learning. Sight words, the alphabet, numbers, and inspirational quotes cover
the walls while large bulletin boards proudly display students' work. A large area contains a
carpeted reading or group corner specifically for storytelling, show-and-tell, weather discussions
and calendar and day-of-the-week conversations. This classroom includes an abundance of age
appropriate reading materials and student mailboxes where children place personal journals,
home reading books and workbooks in the morning and then collect newsletters or other parent
communication at the end of the day."

Question 5 - Why do you want to work for our school district?

Answer - Your preparation and research is imperative to successfully answer this question.
Provide a few reasons why you're interested in the school or district, and what in particular
sparked your interest. What is your personal experience with the school or district? What do you
know about its student body, faculty members, industry reputation, community involvement,
educational goals and objectives, upcoming initiatives, demographics, or extracurricular
activities? This information will help you to accurately respond to the above question. The word
accurate is important -- don't answer the questions by using old information
The interviewer is looking for evidence that you really know why you want to work there or did
you just send out applications and hope for the best. This research will also help immensely
when answering other questions throughout the interview, so plan to dedicate some time and
energy doing this homework. Effective research will help to tailor your answers, without being
deceiving, to the question above. It is wrong to tailor your answer with incorrect information -
preparation and honesty is the key to a successful interview.

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Question 6 - How do you handle classroom discipline?
Answer - For obvious reasons everyone will have a different answer; it will depend on your
teaching style, grade interviewing for, and past experiences. The interviewer will be looking to
see if you have a plan, you know how to implement it, and if you think that discipline is an
important part of the position. What I have found from coaching clients is they fail to provide a
clear action plan that can be backed up with examples. Also it is important to find out what is
the philosophy of the school or district, this will give you some additional information. A few
things to bring up when answering this question is the following:
It is important to develop ground rules the first week of class, this allows the students to
understand what is and isn't acceptable behavior.

Question 7 - How would you describe a successful principal?


Answer - By asking this question, the hiring committee is attempting to assess the following:

 Do you understand what traits contribute to the success of a principal. As a teacher,


what traits do you value most.
 Your response may indicate or suggest possible conflicts with the current principal.

Responses to this question may include:


It is important that a successful principal...

 has a vision and a plan to reach that vision...combined with the ability to bring faculty
members together to form a cooperative team and motivate them to reach district
goals and objectives.
 be visible... the principal's presence should be evident on a continual basis. He or she
must be easily accessible to both students and teachers.
 has a great sense of humor, and can relate well to a diverse group of individuals.
 genuinely cares about the students, teachers, parents, and the district.

My experience in teaching

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Sample Answers
I spent one year at Boston Teacher Residency. I taught alongside older
professionals. I must say I really enjoyed this experience and learned a lot from older
teachers. Every day was different and I felt like understanding each student better, as we
progressed in the program. This experience ensured me that teaching was a right choice
for my career and now I am motivated to teach alone and put into practice all I learned at
BTR and at the college.

I taught at elementary school for three months, during the last year at the college.
Firstly it was difficult for me, as I found it hard to cope with the discipline in the classroom.
However, after few weeks I found my grounds and learned what worked the best on each
student and how to keep the discipline. It was an extraordinary time and to be honest, I
still miss the children. However, I hope to teach again and am looking forward to apply all
my knowledge and experience in a new job.

Teaching can be a demanding profession. There are times when


students can seem uninterested in learning and disruptive to the
classroom environment. There are plenty of studies and educational
strategies for improving student behavior. But personal experience may
be the best way to show how to turn a difficult student into a dedicated
pupil. I had such and experience -- one where I was able to help change
a student with major behavioral issues into a learning success story.

TROUBLED STUDENT

Tyler was enrolled in my senior American government class for a


semester, followed the second semester by economics. He had impulse
control and anger management issues. He had been suspended many
times in previous years. When he entered my class in his senior year, I
assumed the worst.

Tyle sat in the back row. I had never used a seating chart with students
on the first day when I was just getting to know them. Every time I
talked at the front of the class, I would ask questions of students, calling
them by name. This helped me to get to know the students.
Unfortunately, every time I called on Tyler, he would respond with a
glib answer. If he got an answer wrong, he would become angry.

About a month into the year, I was still trying to connect with Tyler. I
can usually get students involved in class discussions or at the least
motivate them to sit quietly and attentively. By contrast, Tyler was just
loud and obnoxious.

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BATTLE OF WILLS

Tyler had been in so much trouble through the years that it had become
his modus operandi. He expected his teachers to know about
his referrals, where he was sent to the office, and suspensions, where he
was given mandatory days to stay out of school. He would push every
teacher to see what it would take to get a referral.

I tried to outlast him. I had rarely found referrals to be effective because


students would return from the office behaving worse than before.

One day, Tyler was talking while I was teaching. In the middle of the
lesson, I said in the same tone of voice, "Tyler why don't you join our
discussion instead of having one of your own." With that, he got up from
his chair, pushed it over, and yelled something I can't remember other
than the inclusion of several profanity words. I sent Tyler to the office
with a discipline referral, and he received a week's out-of-school
suspension.

To this point, this was one of my worst teaching experiences. I dreaded


that class every day. Tyler's anger was almost too much for me. The
week Tyler was out of school was a wonderful hiatus, and we got a lot
accomplished as a class. However, the suspension week would soon
come to an end, and I dreaded his return.

THE PLAN

On the day of Tyler's return, I stood at the door waiting for him. As soon
as I saw him, I asked Tyler to talk to me for a moment. He seemed
unhappy to do it but agreed. I told him that I wanted to start over with
him. I also told him that if he felt like he was going to lose control in
class, he had my permission to step outside the door for a moment to
collect himself.

From that point on, Tyler was a changed student. He listened, he


participated. He was a smart student, something I could finally witness
in him. He even stopped a fight between two other students one day. He
never abused his breaktime privilege. Giving Tyler the power to leave
the classroom showed him that he had the ability to choosehow he
would behave.

At the end of the year, Tyler wrote me a thank you note about how good
the year had been for him. I still have that note today and find it
touching to reread when I get stressed about teaching.

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AVOID PREJUDGMENT

This experience changed me as a teacher. I came to understand that


students are people who have feelings and who don't want to feel
cornered. They want to learn but they also want to feel as if they have
some control over themselves.

I never made assumptions again about students before they came into
my class. Every student is different; no two students react in the same
way.

It is our task as teachers to find not only what motivates each student to
learn but also what motivates them to misbehave. If we can meet them
at that point and take away that motivation, we can go a long way
toward achieving more effective classroom management and a better
learning environment.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Good Questions to Ask the Interviewer for Teaching Jobs

Questions about the job opening:

 Why is this position open?


 Can you tell me some of the qualities you are looking for in a teacher
for this position?
 What is a typical day like for a teacher in this position?

Questions about support:

 Do you have a mentoring program for new teachers?


 How supportive is the district of continuing education for faculty?
 How is the culture between teachers at the school? Are there
opportunities for professional and social interaction among
colleagues?

Questions about the students and the classroom:

 How many students are in an average class?


 How would you describe the student population?
 What types of technology are available in your classrooms?

Questions about the school:

 What are some of the challenges facing your school this year?

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 What are some of the goals you have for the school this year?
 What are some of the goals for the district this year?
 What are some of the challenges the district faces moving forward
from this point?
 What do you think are the school's greatest strengths?
 Do you feel that there are areas in your school that needs
improvement?

Questions about the community:

 Do you have an active PTA group?


 Do you find a lot of support for your school coming from the
community at large?

Questions about discipline:

 What type of school discipline plan do you have in place?


 What type of anti-bullying measures are you taking in the school? In
the district?

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