Sample Interview Questions: Teacher - All Grades and Subjects
Sample Interview Questions: Teacher - All Grades and Subjects
Sample Interview Questions: Teacher - All Grades and Subjects
by
Dr. Bonnie Boothroy, School Administrators of Iowa, 2008
Teacher All Grades and Subjects
1. What beliefs about learning guide your teaching?
2. What grade level and/or content area(s) do you most enjoy teaching? Why? Least
enjoy and why?
3. Please describe what we might see and hear on a typical day (or in a 45-minute
lesson) in your classroom.
4. How and when do you assess the learning needs of your students? What do you do
with that information?
5. How do you decide what to teach and when?
6. What role do standards for student learning play in your planning and instruction?
7. What is your preferred mode and frequency of working with other teachers at your
grade level or department?
8. What has been your experience working with the Iowa Professional Development
Model? The Instructional Decision Making Model (for Iowa)?
9. What are the unique learning needs of children ages 5-7? Ages 8-11? Ages 12-14?
Ages 15-17? What are the educational implications of these needs?
10. What does the term differentiated instruction mean to you? What is your experience
with this?
11. What strategies do you use to ensure all students in your classroom are actively
engaged in learning?
12. What type of feedback do you provide students and parents? How often?
13. What is your preferred mode of involving and communicating with parents?
14. Tell us about a time you had a conflict with a parent (or teacher, student, or principal).
What was the situation, what did you do, and what was the outcome? What did you
learn?
15. Tell us about a time you had to deliver difficult news to a parent (or student). What
was the situation, what did you do, and what was the outcome? What did you learn?
16. Please describe any curriculum materials you have developed.
17. What do you hope to accomplish the first week of school (or semester or trimester)?
The first month?
18. A typical classroom in our school includes students with a wide range of abilities.
How do you meet the needs of each child, including gifted, at-risk, and special
needs learners?
19. Please answer these questions as if you were a member of our faculty. What do we
want each student to learn? How will we know s/he has learned it? What will we do
when s/he does not learn it?
20. How have you used technology in your classroom?
21. Describe a specific lesson you might teach and how you would incorporate Blooms
taxonomy.
________
Selected questions from: Complete Interview Procedures for Hiring School Personnel by
William L. Gagnon, Jr., Scarecrow Press, 2003.
________
Selected questions from: Complete Interview Procedures for Hiring School Personnel by
William L. Gagnon, Jr., Scarecrow Press, 2003.
B. Boothroy, 2008
Teacher Literacy
1.
2.
3.
4.
Teacher Math
1. What suggestions do you have for a school whose standardized mathematics test
scores are below the proficiency level?
2. If you were invited to address a PTA meeting on mathematics curriculum or testing,
what points would you cover?
3. Describe your experience teaching mathematics using a traditional approach.
Describe your experience teaching mathematics using a problem solving approach.
Which do you prefer and why?
4. At which grade level should algebra be introduced? Why?
5. What is your approach to the use of calculators for homework and on tests? Why?
6. How do you incorporate rigor and relevance in your lessons?
7. How do you answer the criticism that high school graduates dont know how to make
change? (secondary)
8. Tell us about a time you collaborated with a teacher outside the math department
regarding some aspect of instruction. Why did you do this and how did it work?
(secondary)
9. What should be the relationship between the work of the math and science
departments? How can this best be achieved? (secondary)
10. What experience have you had using the Iowa Core Curriculum? What are your views
about this curriculum? (secondary)
________
Selected questions from: Complete Interview Procedures for Hiring School Personnel by
William L. Gagnon, Jr., Scarecrow Press, 2003.
B. Boothroy, 2008
Teacher Science
1. What is the role of inquiry in a science classroom? What does inquiry mean to you?
2. What experience have you had using a kit-based approach? What have you learned
from that experience?
3. What is your experience using science logs or journals? What is the reason for using
them?
4. How do you use the computer as a part of your instruction?
5. What strategies have you used to help students connect classroom work to the real
world?
6. What are your minimum expectations in the areas of physical facility and classroom
equipment in order for you to teach science properly?
7. Tell us about a time a student refused to follow safety procedures or caused an
accident in a classroom or lab. What did you do and what was the outcome?
8. How do you incorporate rigor and relevance in your lessons?
9. Tell us about a time you collaborated with a teacher outside the science department
regarding some aspect of instruction. Why did you do this and how did it work?
(secondary)
10. What should be the relationship between the work of the math and science
departments? How can this best be achieved? (secondary)
11. What experience have you had using the Iowa Core Curriculum? What are your views
about this curriculum? (secondary)
Teacher - Special Education
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
________
Selected questions from: Complete Interview Procedures for Hiring School Personnel by
William L. Gagnon, Jr., Scarecrow Press, 2003.
B. Boothroy, 2008
________
Selected questions from: Complete Interview Procedures for Hiring School Personnel by
William L. Gagnon, Jr., Scarecrow Press, 2003.
B. Boothroy, 2008
________
Selected questions from: Complete Interview Procedures for Hiring School Personnel by
William L. Gagnon, Jr., Scarecrow Press, 2003.
B. Boothroy, 2008
Coach
1. Describe your athletic experience both as a player and a coach.
2. What is your primary role as a coach? What are you trying to accomplish?
3. Describe your coaching philosophy. Should high (middle) school sports be more
about winning or more about providing learning experiences?
4. What does the term student athlete mean to you?
5. How do you build a team?
6. What is your experience with and/or opinion of no pass / no play?
7. Tell us about a time you dealt with students who violated, or were suspected of
violating, the Board policy on athletic eligibility. What was the situation, what did
you do, and what was the outcome? What beliefs guide you in dealing with these
situations?
8. At the beginning of the season, how do you orient and prepare players and parents?
9. How do you motivate players?
10. When you believe a player is not meeting his/her potential due to lack of effort, what
do you do?
11. Tell us about your philosophy of tryouts and cutting as a result of the tryout.
12. Tell us about a time a parent disagreed with a decision you made regarding playing
time for their child. What did you do and how was the situation resolved?
13. What is your background caring for sports injuries?
14. What advice will you give students who ask about nutritional supplements?
15. Have you ever worked with students who used steroids or other performance
enhancing drugs? How did you handle it, or how would you handle such a situation?
16. You will be following a winning coach who is retiring (or coach with a long losing
record). How will this affect your approach?
17. One of your athletes informs you that a teacher is treating her unfairly, and her grade
in that class may prevent further athletic participation. What would you tell the
student? Will you follow up in any other way?
18. What are the challenges you will face as a male coaching a female sport? How will
you address these challenges?
19. Tell us about a difficult situation you faced as a coach. How did you handle it and
what was the outcome?
20. You will be coaching (sport), where weight is a factor and often raises criticism. Tell
us about your expectations with these situations.
21. Coaches sometimes become parent figures and are asked for personal advice. How do
you handle this situation?
________
Selected questions from: Complete Interview Procedures for Hiring School Personnel by
William L. Gagnon, Jr., Scarecrow Press, 2003.
B. Boothroy, 2008
Secretary
1. What previous secretarial experience have you had that would be of benefit to the
position you are seeking?
2. Why do you wish to use your secretarial skills in a school setting?
3. Please tell us about your experiences if you have ever worked or volunteered in a
school.
4. A secretary has a great deal of interaction with students. Tell us about your
experiences working with children in settings such as religious, scouting or similar
youth groups.
5. How do you envision a typical day in the life of a school secretary?
6. You will be faced with both deadlines and frequent interruptions. What strategies do
you use to maintain patience and a positive attitude when interrupted?
7. What strategies do you use to keep your work organized?
8. Tell us about a time you were required to change a process or routine. What did you
do and how did you feel?
9. What experience have you had working with the general public?
10. Tell us about a time you were faced with an irate or dissatisfied customer. What did
you do and how did you feel?
11. What is your experience with bookkeeping functions?
12. Tell us about a negative experience you had in a previous position. How did you
handle it and what was the outcome?
13. How do you prefer to receive feedback or criticism from your supervisor?
14. Parents and community members may ask you about things that are happening in
school. What will you tell them?
15. What can a secretary do to contribute to a positive school culture?
16. I am going to give you a handwritten memo to prepare. Before leaving today, please
use the computer in the outer office and provide a finished document. [Note: The
draft document should contain one or two spelling errors, some words that are
difficult to read, etc. This exercise will help you assess the candidates computer
abilities, as well as speed and accuracy of work.]
________
Selected questions from: Complete Interview Procedures for Hiring School Personnel by
William L. Gagnon, Jr., Scarecrow Press, 2003.
B. Boothroy, 2008
Custodian
1.
2.
3.
4.
________
Selected questions from: Complete Interview Procedures for Hiring School Personnel by
William L. Gagnon, Jr., Scarecrow Press, 2003.
B. Boothroy, 2008