Teaching interviews can be daunting, but preparation is key. Most interviews follow similar patterns, with questions designed to assess your teaching ability, classroom management skills, and cultural fit. Understanding common question types and how to structure your responses will help you feel more confident.
Tell us about yourself
This open-ended question is your chance to set the tone. Keep it professional, concise, and focused on your teaching career. Structure your response chronologically, highlighting key experiences and achievements.
Key Tips
- Keep it to 2-3 minutes maximum
- Focus on teaching-related experiences
- Highlight relevant qualifications and achievements
- End with why you're interested in this specific role
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Be honest but strategic. Choose a weakness that's actually a strength in disguise, or one you've actively worked to improve. Back up your strengths with specific examples.
Key Tips
- Choose a weakness you can show you've improved
- Provide specific examples for both
- Focus on teaching-relevant strengths
- Show self-awareness and growth mindset
How do you handle classroom management?
Interviewers want to know you have effective strategies for maintaining a positive learning environment. Discuss prevention strategies, consistent routines, and positive relationships with students.
Key Tips
- Emphasise prevention over reaction
- Discuss building positive relationships
- Mention consistency and fairness
- Include examples from your experience
Describe your lesson planning process
Show that you plan purposefully and differentiate for all learners. Discuss how you incorporate assessment, differentiation, and engage all students in the learning process.
Key Tips
- Mention differentiation for different abilities
- Include assessment for learning strategies
- Discuss engaging all learners
- Show how you incorporate curriculum objectives
How do you assess student progress?
Demonstrate a range of assessment strategies, from formative to summative. Show how you use assessment data to inform your teaching and support student development.
Key Tips
- Discuss both formative and summative assessment
- Explain how you use data to inform teaching
- Mention tracking individual student progress
- Include strategies for different learning needs
Tell us about a challenging situation and how you handled it
Choose a real example that shows your problem-solving skills, resilience, and commitment to student success. Use the STAR method to structure your response clearly.
Key Tips
- Choose a work-appropriate challenge
- Focus on what you learned
- Show positive outcomes
- Demonstrate reflective practice
Conclusion
Remember to listen carefully to each question, pause briefly before answering, and speak clearly and confidently. Use specific examples from your experience to illustrate your points. Most importantly, let your genuine passion for teaching and commitment to student success shine through in your responses.