Interview questions for teachers
These are the questions to prepare for in a job interview for teachers: 7 job-specific questions with tips for good answers, the most common questions in every interview, and questions you can ask the employer. With Selja you can also practise the interview for the exact job you have applied for.
Job-specific questions for teachers
How do you plan a good lesson?
Take a concrete example from a subject you teach: the aim of the lesson, activities, variety and how you check that the pupils have learned.
How do you create calm and a good learning environment in the class?
Talk about relationships, clear expectations and fixed routines. Give an example from a class you have had.
How do you adapt your teaching to pupils with different needs?
Show concrete measures: different tasks, extra support, choices and working with colleagues.
Tell me about a pupil you struggled to reach.
Anonymise. Bring out what you tried, who you worked with, and what helped in the end.
How do you work with parents and guardians?
Show that you make contact early, also with good news, and that you are factual and focused on solutions in difficult conversations.
How do you assess pupils along the way?
Explain how you give feedback the pupils can use, and how you let them assess their own work.
What do you do if you discover bullying?
Show that you take it seriously straight away, follow the school's procedures and follow up both the pupil who is affected and those who bully.
Common questions in every job interview
Tell me a little about yourself.
Keep it to one or two minutes. Start with who you are professionally, highlight two or three experiences that are relevant to the job, and finish with why you are applying right now. Skip your whole life story.
What are your greatest strengths?
Choose two or three strengths the job actually requires, and give a short example of each. A strength without an example is just a claim.
What is your greatest weakness?
Choose something real that is not crucial for the job, and explain what you are doing to improve. Avoid tired answers like saying you are a perfectionist.
Why did you apply for this job?
Link what you know and enjoy to what the job involves. Mention two specific things in the job ad that appealed to you, not just that you need a job.
What do you know about us?
Read their website, recent news and LinkedIn page beforehand. Mention something specific, such as a product, a client or an initiative, and say why it interests you.
Tell me about a time you solved a difficult problem.
Use STAR: briefly describe the situation, what your task was, what you did, and what the result was. Spend most of the time on what you did yourself.
Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
Choose a real mistake, take responsibility without blaming others, and spend most of the time on what you did to put it right and what you do differently now.
Tell me about a disagreement with a colleague. How did you resolve it?
Show that you listen and focus on the issue, not the person. Finish with how you worked together afterwards.
What are your salary expectations?
Research the pay level for the job beforehand. Give a range instead of a single figure, and justify it with your skills and responsibilities. The hourly pay calculator here can help you convert between hourly and annual pay.
When can you start?
Check your notice period before the interview, and give a concrete answer. If you are flexible, say so.
Answer with the STAR method
When you are asked for an example, the STAR method gives an answer that is concrete and easy to follow:
- Situation: Where were you, and what happened? Keep it short.
- Task: What was your responsibility or goal?
- Action: What did you do, step by step? Spend most of your time here.
- Result: What was the outcome? Include numbers if you can.
Questions to ask the employer
Which subjects and year groups will I teach?
Makes the job concrete, and clarifies whether you will be a form teacher.
How do the teachers in the year group or subject work together?
Tells you whether you plan together, or whether you are often on your own.
How do you follow up new teachers?
Feel free to ask about a mentor or supervision in the first year.
What is the school working especially hard to develop right now?
Shows interest in the school as a whole, and gives you something to link your skills to.
What does a normal week look like in this job?
You get a concrete picture of the daily work, and can see whether the tasks match what was in the job ad.
What are the most important goals for the first six months?
Shows that you are thinking about delivering from the start. The answer tells you what is actually expected of you.
How do you measure success in the role?
You find out what you will be assessed on, and whether the goals are clear or vague.
Practise the interview with Selja
The best thing you can do before the interview is to practise the questions for that exact job out loud. Interview practice in Selja creates questions from the job ad and your CV. You answer by speaking or writing and get feedback on every answer, so you know what to say differently before it counts.
- See the interview questions for your profession for free.
- Create your CV and cover letter for the job in under a minute, so you get the interview first.
- CV example for teachers
- How to prepare for a job interview
Frequently asked questions
What do they ask in a job interview for teachers?
You get both common questions, like "Tell me a little about yourself", and job-specific questions, for example: "How do you plan a good lesson?" and "How do you create calm and a good learning environment in the class?"
How do I prepare for an interview for teachers?
Read the job ad and find the three most important requirements. Prepare a short example for each, ideally with the STAR method, and practise out loud. Have two or three questions ready for the employer.
Is there a tool for practising an interview for teachers?
Yes. With interview practice in Selja you practise the interview for the exact job you have applied for, speaking or writing, and get feedback on every answer. You can see the most common interview questions by profession for free, and Selja also creates your CV and cover letter for the job in under a minute.