Questions to Expect During a Teaching Interview: Questions Asked in Teaching Interviews

Being well prepared for unexpected questions during a teaching interview enables your interviewer to create now horizons of opportunity for you. Perhaps you wonder what kind of interview questions you can expect during a teaching interview and are uncertain as to how you can prepare for them ahead of time.

Consider the following guidelines.

Begin with the basics

Your cover letter and resume should cover the information that your interviewer will need and will prove helpful to him or her, as long as it is up to date and accurate. It should be appropriate for the kind of teaching position you are seeking.

Prepare answers suitable for the teaching position

Depending upon which level of students you would like to teach and where the potential teaching position will be, you can expect a whole battery of questions aimed in that direction, so prepare your answers ahead of time. For example, as a baby boomer seeking employment, will you like to teach other baby boomers and seniors who are preparing to return to work? Perhaps you prefer to teach in a local company or global organization. Does your teaching ability extend beyond traditional education?    

Maintain a professional attitude with respect to answering interview questions

While you may not always have the perfect answers for every question, particularly ones you do not expect, your attitude towards your interviewer affects the likelihood of getting the position. Act professionally, be polite and take the interviewer’s questions seriously.  

Answering unusual questions

Many questions that your interviewer will ask may appear unusual or non-pertinent. Perhaps you think they are not appropriate or may be inapplicable to the position for which you are applying. Since you do not know your interviewer’s chain of thought, or what he or she is looking for in answers, try to respond to every question as honestly as possible. For example, are you knowledgeable with respect to current world events? What could you teach others about coping with political transition? You may be amazed at your interviewer’s reason for asking unusual questions.

Questions about your personal life

Your interviewer may take a sincere interest in you, your personal or family life. While you may not feel comfortable answering these kinds of questions, they will reveal to him or her how you feel about yourself, your family and others. They will ultimately reflect you as a person, how you live and function in your personal world and the community.

Previous experiences teaching

Your previous teaching experiences are important, even when they are not from a structured kindergarten, public or private school or high school. Being able to relate good, teaching experiences is important. Relate effective resolution of problematic teaching experiences, as they show your interviewer how you will cope with students. Be prepared for questions about your experiences with respect to hobbies, where you have served in a teaching or leadership role, including those on a volunteer level. 

College and university level questions from interviewers

On a college or university level, interview questions are more complex, particularly when they pertain to realms of past or current research. The initial question is how knowledgeable you are in a specific realm and whether you are qualified to teach. Your cover letter and resume should be verifiable in terms of providing academic records and previous teaching experience. Being able to provide reliable references will increase your credibility. Showing your ability to mentor or tutor other students may also be important.  

Questions about skills, training and other expertise

With the advance of computer technology, as well as other kinds of technology, there will be a barrage of questions about your skill sets and degree of expertise. Because of the growing global horizon via the Internet and other forms of electronic communication-like tablets, cell phones, smart phones and wireless phones, as a teacher you need to be prepared for questions that can lead to new teaching tasks. There may also be a growing number of questions about your counseling skills, health care skills including basic first aid and CPR. Could you carry out a mock disaster-training program?       

Preparing for the unexpected in any interview presents a challenge that you should be willing and able to face with a positive and constructive attitude towards the potential position and life in general. Remember that your motivation level will be evident and will affect those who you will be teaching.