How to prepare for a teacher interview?

The first step in preparing for a teaching interview starts with doing your research. This includes not only researching the school's history and mission statement. You should also research information on the school's hiring process, including what to expect from the interview.

Depending on the school, you may find information from others who have gone through the hiring process.

Reading through online reviews from current and former employees regarding the hiring process is a great way to find out useful information on what to expect. You can also find information on how long to anticipate the interview, the number of interviews, and commonly asked interview questions.

Most popular interview questions for potential teachers:

• Why did you decide to become a teacher?

• How would you handle a student who is constantly disruptive or defiant?

• How do you cultivate positive relationships with your students and create a sense of class community?

• How do you use data to differentiate instruction and support students identified with specific learning disabilities so all students can learn?

• How do you support literacy for all students, including English language learners?

• Do you incorporate collaborative and project-based learning?

• How do you keep your students engaged and motivated, and how do you promote student voice and choice to help them become self-directed learners?

• How do you teach 21st-century learners, integrate technology, and guide students to be global citizens?

• How do you include parents and guardians in their child's education?

• How do you maintain your own professional development, and what areas would you select for your personal growth?

Now is a good time to also review your teaching philosophy. The teaching philosophy should be a one or two-page description of how and why you teach the way you do. It's important to understand the main themes and supporting examples related to this statement.

If you notice, many of the commonly asked interview questions for teachers focus on questions related to your teaching style.

For the remaining question types, try to come up with general ideas or the gist of what you want to get across. For each interview question, it helps to have your main point followed by two to three supporting details.

Your responses should be clear and concise. You want to respond organically and not like a robot giving a response on command. Finally, at the end of the day, be sure to show your enthusiasm and passion for teaching throughout the interview.