The good thing about teaching job interview questions is that you probably already know all the answers – after all, the questions are generally all about you. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you already know how to answer. Impress principals by coming prepared to speak to some questions they are highly likely to ask you.
1.
The question: Why do you want to teach at this school?
What they’re trying to assess: Before bringing any new staff member into their school, principals want to know that the person understands and aligns with the school’s mission. They also want to get a sense of how well you are likely to mesh with the school community and the students. Additionally, principals often look for characteristics in a new hire that fill gaps within their school community.
How to respond: Before interviewing (or even applying) at any school you should be familiar with the school’s mission. In your response, draw direct parallels between aspects of the school’s mission and your personal teaching philosophy. Show that you are aware of who the school serves and describe how you are ready and motivated to support these learners. Be explicit and avoid empty flattery. Highlight skills, strengths or perspectives you bring that complement the school’s needs. Convey how you see yourself as part of the community by sharing why the school feels like a place you can grow and commit to long-term.
2.
The question: How do you use data or student assessments to inform your instruction?
What they’re trying to assess: Foremost, principals are trying to understand your comfort and expertise with collecting and analyzing student data. They want to know what value you place on data and how responsive you are to student progress. Underlying this is an evaluation of your growth mindset – that which you have for yourself and for your students.
How to respond: When discussing data, you want to demonstrate comfort with multiple types of data, so reference both formal assessments (benchmarks, exit tickets, etc.) and informal data (observations, student work, etc.) and how you monitor performance over time. What’s key is how you respond to data, so discuss how you identify growth targets with students and adjust instruction accordingly (by grouping students, adjusting pacing, reteaching, etc.). Emphasize a growth mindset by framing data as feedback to improve instruction and promote student learning.
3.
The question: How do you manage classroom behavior and build a positive classroom culture?
What they’re trying to assess: Relationship-building is key to teacher success and here’s a place principals are looking for clues about how well you engage with your students. They’re looking for proactive management strategies and consistency as well as the type of classroom culture you strive for.
How to respond: Emphasize that behavior management is rooted in connection: explain how you build trust, respect, and rapport with students from the start. Describe how you set clear expectations, establish routines, and explicitly teach behaviors early—before issues arise. Be realistic about the misbehavior by highlighting how you address it in a calm, predictable way while keeping students’ dignity intact and helping them learn from mistakes. Also let your unique perspective shine through: be specific about the classroom environment you value and how your practices support it.
4.
The question: Tell us about a challenge you’ve faced with a student or class and how you handled it.
What they’re trying to assess: Here’s another place principals consider your growth mindset and how you self-reflect. They’re also trying to understand your problem-solving skills and how resilient you are while getting a better sense of the relationships you build with students.
How to respond: Questions about challenges you faced are so common in interviews that you should come prepared with an example of a real, manageable challenge you successfully resolved and have reflected on. Describe the challenge with professionalism and empathy by speaking objectively and avoiding blame. Then, walk through your problem-solving process: explain how you identified the issue, tried strategies, gathered input (from students, colleagues or data) and adjusted your approach. Since you’re talking about real students, Include how you leveraged your relationship with the student(s) to maintain trust and understanding. And since challenges are growth opportunities, end by sharing what you learned from the experience and how that has influenced your practice since.
5.
The question: Can you walk us through a lesson you’re proud of?
What they’re trying to assess: Content knowledge is a critical component of effective instruction, so principals will try to assess how well you know what you’re meant to teach. Beyond that, they’re looking to see how you plan, how clearly you convey instructions and information to students with diverse needs, and how you check for engagement and understanding.
How to respond: You may be asked to actually demonstrate a lesson, but even if you only need to speak to a lesson you’ve previously taught, be sure you come to the interview with a memorable lesson that demonstrates your content knowledge, and highlights meaningful student outcomes. Explain your planning process including what resources you may have consulted to determine objectives, design learning activities and build in checks for understanding. Include specifics about the diverse learning needs you addressed by highlighting accommodations in your plan and how you may have adjusted instruction in the moment based on your formative assessments. Close by identifying the concrete outcomes that made the lesson successful, and what you learned from that lesson that you’ve applied in future instruction.
The takeaway: For a successful teacher interview, come prepared with examples that show how you build and leverage relationships, use data and self-reflection to promote student learning, and continually improve your practice. And be ready to convince principals why their school is the perfect place for you.
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