What Approach or Strategy Do You Use to Learn New Information?

Sample Answer: I find I learn new material best by writing down notes as I read or as I am listening to
someone giving a lecture. The process of writing down the important details works in two ways: first, it
helps me absorb and think carefully about the new information and second, my notes serve as a study
guide that I can reference going forward.

What Continuing Education Classes, Workshops, Training, Etc. Have You Attended?

Sample Answer: The district where I worked previously offered continuing education opportunities in the
evenings throughout the year. I attended these sessions regularly. I especially enjoyed the literacy
training sessions that focused on early childhood literature and teaching strategies. I have also been
lucky enough to attend the yearly Autism Awareness conference held in New York City for the last two
years. I try to take advantage of any continuing education opportunities offered to me.

Questions About You as Part of a Teaching Team and Classroom Community

Schools want to foster a sense of community within the school, especially in the classrooms. You will
likely be asked questions about your ability to work as part of a team of teachers and administrators, as
well as your abilities and experiences bridging the gap between the students in the classroom and their
families at home.

What Interests You About Our District?

Sample Answer: As the parent of a 4th grader in the district, I have experienced firsthand how warm and
welcoming the teachers and administrators are. The feeling of community the school district works hard
to foster and maintain is something I have never experienced in any of the schools I attended or taught
in. Everyone knows my daughter’s name, my name, and you can tell that everyone in the school is
genuinely happy to be there working with the students and their families.

A strong sense of community is the key to providing the best possible education to children of all ages.

Would You Be Interested in Leading Any After-School Activities?

Sample Answer: During the summer, I am the director of a theater camp offered by the art center in
town. I would love to take part in any drama clubs or performances the children participate in
throughout the year. Or, if there isn’t a drama club, I’d certainly love to start one, if that’s something that
the school would be interested in. While theater happens to be my personal passion, if there are any
other activities that are especially in need of support and that I might be a good fit for, I’d be willing to
help out however I can.

Questions About Students and Parents

As a way to assess your teaching style and communication skills, you may be asked about how you would
handle students and parents.

How Would You Deal With a Student Who Is Habitually Late?

Sample Answer: If a child is coming into school late on a regular basis, I would first talk with the child to
see if there is anything going on in school or at home that is causing him or her to be late. After talking
with the child, and depending on what they share, I would discuss with my supervisor the best possible
approach to talk to the family about the repeated tardiness.

How Would You Engage a Reluctant Student?

Sample Answer: If a student seems reluctant to participate during a specific subject, I would use my
experience working with different types of learners and adjust my teaching strategies to engage the
student in a way that they feel more comfortable to participate. This may be by having the student(s)
work with a partner, or creating my lessons around a topic that the student may be more likely to be
interested in.

What Would You Say to an Angry Parent About Their Child’s Grade?

Sample Answer: If I have a parent who is upset about a grade their child received, I would offer to meet
with the parent and provide supporting evidence of the lessons the child received in preparation for the
assessment. I would then ask the parent(s) to help me brainstorm ways that their child may prepare for
and perform better on assessments. For example, I once had a child who consistently struggled with his
weekly spelling work.

Before his parents contacted me, I reached out to them after he handed in his second weekly test
incomplete. I asked the parent if we could think of some strategies the child could use both in the
classroom and at home to improve the student’s spelling skills. Every situation is different, of course, but
if I am able to offer a retake of the assessment, I would be more than happy to do so.

What Would You Do If You Suspected Neglect or Abuse in the Home of One of Your Students?

Sample Answer: I take my position as a mandated reporter very seriously. I am aware of the district’s
daily health check system that requires early childhood teachers to implement daily. In my previous
position, we also did daily checks when the children would arrive each morning. There was one child in
my previous classroom who had odd bruising on both arms and I was not sure if the bruises were from
rough play with siblings or friends, or from an adult being physically abusive.

Before I said anything to anyone, I reported what I saw to the principal who guided me through the
process to determine the cause of the bruising. Ultimately it was discovered that the bruises were from
the child’s older sibling. The way my school handled the situation enabled us to ensure the child was in a
safe situation without falsely accusing or upsetting the parents.

If You Noticed a Child Being Bullied in Your Class, How Would You Deal With the Situation?

Sample Answer: One of the most important large group activities I do with my class at the beginning of
the year is writing our class rules together. I make it a big deal; together we come up with and agree to
the rules, and we all sign the poster in a commitment to do our best to follow the rules while also
helping others to follow the rules throughout the day. One of the most important rules on our poster is
to not bully other children.

I use this group activity as an opportunity to talk about what it means to bully, and what to do if a
student is bullied or they see someone being bullied. Part of the lesson is making anti-bullying posters
that we hang in our classroom and in the halls. If I witnessed bullying, I would talk to all the children
involved separately, and I would also revisit our anti-bullying lesson and posters with the whole class.

When You're Asked to Teach a Mini-Lesson

Before or after the interview you might also be asked to teach a mini-lesson to a group of students, or
teachers pretending to be students, during your interview.
Be sure that you know exactly what you need to prepare for each interview, which should be clearly
stated in an email or over the phone, most likely when you are arranging your interview date and time.

Your Turn to Ask the Questions

Often at the end of an interview, you will be asked if you have any questions for the interviewer. This is
when you become the interviewer and have the chance to ask some well thought out questions.

Review the list of good questions to ask during an interview for teaching jobs. It is important that you
come prepared with questions in order to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the position and your
interest in learning more about the role, the school or the district.