Interview Questions for Educators

Elementary & Secondary Teachers

Most school districts have specific questions and evaluation criteria for their recruiting efforts. Candidates are likely to be evaluated in a variety of areas including motivational skills, classroom management, subject area knowledge, communication skills, lesson planning, individualized instruction, and personal attributes including enthusiasm, sensitivity to cultural differences, maturity and willingness to be part of the "team". The list below gives examples of the kinds of questions teacher candidates can expect to encounter in an interview.

1. Briefly describe your background and experience.
2. What qualities do you have that make you an effective teacher?
3. Describe your discipline/behavior management system and how you would go about implementing it.
4. Imagine you are watching a lesson being taught. What would tell you that this is an effective lesson and why?
5. Describe how you would do long term planning and short term planning (year long/semester and weekly/daily).
6. Describe the kind of (language arts/reading, math, social studies, science) program you would use and how you would implement it .
7. What do you think are your greatest teaching strengths? Weaknesses?
8. What skills and experience do you have in relation to teaching multicultural or underprivileged students?
9. Describe how you would assess students for placement, on-going progress, etc.
10. Describe your views on staff development. What kinds of development would you seek?
11. As a teacher new to a school, what would you see yourself doing to contribute to healthy staff relationships and to become part of the staff?
12. What could a principal expect from you? What would you expect from a principal?
13. What kind of home-school communication would you establish?
14. What would you expect from the parents of your students and what could they expect from you?
15. What special skills/experience would you be willing to share?
16. What is your philosophy of education?
17. Standardized tests are big news in schools today. How would you prepare your students for taking the tests and how would you use the test information?

Higher Education - Two Year and Four Year Colleges

1. What have you done recently and what do you plan to do to further your intellectual growth in your discipline(s)?
2. Describe your major strengths and most serious weaknesses as an instructor/administrator/supervisor. Indicate what you are doing to correct your weaknesses.
3. With which teaching methods or techniques are you familiar and which of them have you actually used? Have you made any changes in your teaching methods or techniques as a result of trying some of these you mentioned?
4. Do you think that it is necessary for an instructor to be present on campus on a daily basis?
5. Have you ever formulated performance or behavioral objectives for a class? How do you feel about such objectives?
6. What types of assignments would you or do you give to students and how would you prepare students for them?
7. Approximately what percent of your class do you expect to fail or drop out?
8. If you had the opportunity, which teaching methods or techniques would you be interested in trying?
9. How and by whom should course content and objectives be established?
10. In which ways have you or would you make use of the counseling services in a community college?
11. How do you evaluate student progress in your discipline(s)?
12. Does teaching in a four-year institution differ from teaching in a two-year community college?
13. Identify some necessary changes in higher education.
14. What should be the role of students in community college governance?
15. How do you see your role as a faculty member with respect to college governance? Do you have any special skills which might make your participation more effective?
16. What are your responsibilities to students beyond classroom instruction and office hours?
17. What contributes to a sense of community in college?
18. What do you think about the value to students of interdisciplinary offerings? Have you ever taught such a course? Would you be willing to participate in the planning, preparation, and teaching of an interdisciplinary course or program?
19. What should be the major tasks of the administration in a community college/four-year university?
20. What are the advantages and disadvantages of tenure?
21. What is your philosophy as to the instructional use of multimedia?
22. What is your attitude towards support of community activities?
23. What is your general attitude about student activities and student services as they relate to the academic program?
24. What experiences have you had in co-curricular activities such as student publications, club sponsors, etc.?
25. Would you be willing to sponsor student activities?
26. Would you be willing to serve as an academic advisor?
27. What is your opinion regarding memberships in professional organizations, e.g., national, state and local associations?
28. What is the historical role of the community college and what is its future place in American higher education?
29. What do you know about the construction and use of programmed curriculums and other innovative instructional techniques?
30. How would you reach students with widely different abilities, backgrounds, and goals?
31. How would you describe your management style?
32. How have you successfully involved students in university committees/organizations?
33. Describe your involvement with international students, students of color, re-entry students, students with special needs.
34. Describe your involvement in university-wide department budget planning and implementation.

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