Interview Questions (2009)

A couple of questions

On a few of my interviews I have had questions that I don't believe I answered effectively. How would you answer them?

"How Would You Effectively Use a Paraprofessional?"

I talked about having the aide do small group work with higher-level students, and helping observe students during lessons.

"What is the IEP Process?"

I have not done any but have only observed and learned about them in school. I mentioned gathering all the documents and necessary information about their present levels, creating new goals and presenting them to their parents for approval.

"How do you motivate your students to learn?"

I pulled out different examples of lessons that I have done that have stimulated students to want to participate.
 
Interview Questions Today

Here are some I had today.. they were tough and I was unprepared!

How do you evaluate your own teaching performance?

If I walked into your classroom, unannounced,in the midst of a successful lesson, what would I see?

Tell me about a lesson that did not go well. Why did it fail? What would you do differently if you had to teach it again?

Provide a detailed example of how you would teach wellness to your students.

If 80% of students are struggling with an important concept, what would you do with the remaining 20% that have mastered concept?

Why do want to work for us?

How would you establish and maintain good communication with the parents of your students?
 
Aliceacc said:
I think it's a tough question. But the whiteboards might raise a flag-- if they're not already in the classroom, that's more money.
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Really Good Stuff offers dry erase paper on a roll to cover old chalk boards, but you could buy a roll and turn the students desks into white boards. Yes, it costs some money, but it will last a long time if using it this way. Plus, it is new and different which principals usually like.
 
So, in preparation for my recent interview, I read this whole entire thread and the 2008 one. All but one question, if I remember correctly, was found on one of these threads. The one question that did not appear to be on either thread was this question:

Interview Question: What professional development workshops have you attended?

Now, if you've been teaching for a while, hopefully you've had a chance to attend a couple of these (some really are worthwhile!!).

Now, if you are still in college, I know that my university held workshops for teachers and students were allowed to sign up and attend!! So, I did attend one that was on art and how to integrate art into the curriculum. So, if you're still in college, defiantely look into it!

Now, for people who are subbing, I would ask the district if you could maybe somehow sign up for one??? I don't know if they would allow it or not but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Just wanted to throw this question out there!
 
AudreeArrington said:
That was the question I had to write before the interview. I hope he just wanted to see if I could write and communicate on paper, but I thought it was a vague question.Describe the golden age of education. :)
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The golden age of education is NOW.

Not because of the computer or the Kindle or the IPOD or the smartboard. But because NOW is the time when this particular group of kids is being educated. This is their one and only chance to receive a free public education-- to open doors to their future. To see the possibilites that exist, and to shoot for the stars. Education can do that for kids, and NOW is their golden opportunity.


I could add more, but you get my drift.
 
Ok, I had an interview a while back where I thought the questions were extremely redundant. One of the questions was about what would you do if you had a student who was doing poorly in the class? I gave an answer and then the question was asked again and again several times like if the student was still doing poorly in the middle of the semester, then at the end of the semester, then at the end of the year, etc, what would you do?
The other question that was asked repeatedly was what I would do if the students didn't have textbooks and I answered that, but then they asked what would i do if towards the end of the semester, they still didn't have textbooks, and got asked that again several times. I basically ran out of answers and kept repeating myself because really, how many times can one question be asked over and over again. How would you guys respond to those questions.
 
Interview Questions:

Describe specific actions that you have taken to teach your students to apply or relate concepts of one content area to other content areas in meaningful ways.


Describe ways that you have sought to organize the content you teach in a meaningful way to make it accessible and easy for students to learn.


Explain specific ways that you feel you have made contributions to your total school environment.
 
Help Me!

Here is a question i need to answer:

Together, Teacher A and Teacher B teach a class of 25 students three periods a week; both teach the same subject area, have equal years of teaching experience and are new to School 123. However, Teacher A and Teacher B have different styles of classroom management. Teacher A believes in setting definitive rules for all student behavior and activities in the classroom, while Teacher B believes that students should always work cooperatively and direct their own learning.

A few months into the school year, School 123's principal provides feedback to Teacher A and Teacher B that she has concerns about student performance based on the latest periodic assessment results and a recent observation of the classroom. The assessment revealed that students performed at various grade levels (above grade level, on grade level and below grade level). However, students — regardless of performance level — demonstrated little to no growth in their academic performance compared to the diagnostic assessment results from the beginning of the school year.

The principal also notes that when she observed the class, only about a quarter of the students seemed engaged in the lesson. The principal asks both Teacher A and Teacher B to submit a plan that addresses her concerns over the next 30 days.

CASE STUDY ANALYSIS

Please address the following three questions.

a) What are some possible issues that are contributing to the classroom's problems?
b) What plan would you suggest that Teacher A and Teacher B submit to address the principal's concerns? Provide specific examples illustrating what Teacher A and Teacher B would do over the next month.
c) How should Teacher A and Teacher B demonstrate that they have successfully addressed the principal's concerns?
 
txteach2b said:
Someone mentioned putting the questions from this thread on notecards. I have done that, and they're saved on my computer. If anyone wants a copy, just PM me. I have all the questions except for the ones posted today.
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Hi txteach2b,
I am brand new to this "forum stuff". I taught in NJ for 15 years (minus a couple months here and there for Maturnity Leaves), now we are living in PA and I just became PA Certified in Special Education. Interviewiing scares me, so I wanted to be prepared and found this site. (It is awsome!!) I was wondering if I could get a copy of the notecards you have saved. I would greatly appreciate it!!! Let me know
 
Interview Questions

Here are some interview questions I must answer on a sheet of paper they sent me. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

1. What do you want to accomplish as a teacher?
2. How will/do you go about finding out about students' attitudes and feelings about your class?
3. An experienced teacher offers you the following advice "when you are teaching be sure to command the respect of your students immediately and all will go well". How do you feel about this?
4. How do you go about deciding what it is that should be taught in your class?
5. A parent comes to you and complains that what you are teaching his child is irrelevant to the child's need. how would you respond?
6. What do you think will provide you the greatest pleasure in teaching?
7. How do you go about finding what students are good at?
8. Would you rather try a lot of way-out teaching strategies or would you rather try to perfect the approaches which work best for you? Explain.
9. Do you like to teach with an overall plan in ind for the year, or would you rather just teach some interesting things and let the process determine the results? Explain.
10. A student is doing poorly in your class. You talk to her and she tells you that she considers you to be the poorest teacher she has ever met. What would you do?
 
Interview Question:

Looking into the future, after 35 years of teaching, what would you want parents, students, teachers, and administrators to say about you?

--I said something like "I helped each student reach his full potential academically". It didn't seem to be the answer the interviewer wanted. I know it might be a personal question, but what are some good answers?
 
NewTeacher said:
Here are some interview questions I must answer on a sheet of paper they sent me. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

1. What do you want to accomplish as a teacher?
2. How will/do you go about finding out about students' attitudes and feelings about your class?
3. An experienced teacher offers you the following advice "when you are teaching be sure to command the respect of your students immediately and all will go well". How do you feel about this?
4. How do you go about deciding what it is that should be taught in your class?
5. A parent comes to you and complains that what you are teaching his child is irrelevant to the child's need. how would you respond?
6. What do you think will provide you the greatest pleasure in teaching?
7. How do you go about finding what students are good at?
8. Would you rather try a lot of way-out teaching strategies or would you rather try to perfect the approaches which work best for you? Explain.
9. Do you like to teach with an overall plan in ind for the year, or would you rather just teach some interesting things and let the process determine the results? Explain.
10. A student is doing poorly in your class. You talk to her and she tells you that she considers you to be the poorest teacher she has ever met. What would you do?
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Why don't you try to answer the questions first, and then we can help you from there. :)
 
Question: What a student that doesn't like you would tell me about you?

I said: I hope at least he enjoys my sense of humor and thinks I'm fair...
 
Here were my questions from my HR screening interview today:

-How do you know what to teach?
-Tell me about a time you had to deal with a disrespectful student.
-How do you communicate with parents?
-How do you know when a student "gets it."
-What do you do when a student has not "gotten it."
-Tell me about guided reading.
-Tell me what DRAs you have experience with.
-Why do we utilize DRAs?
-Describe the role of a special educator as you see it.

When I interviewed with this district 2 years ago they asked me to describe how I would functionally utilize the Zone of Proximal Development and Bloom's Taxonomy in my teaching. I was prepared for those questions this time, but they didn't ask.
 
Here are some questions a friend was asked today. I go in tomorrow. Any help would be appreciated!

1. What are three instructional strategies that you employ? i.e. If I walked into the classroom, what might I see happening?


2. Give an example of a pre-reading strategy, a during reading strategy, and a post reading strategy.
 
hollyb713 said:
Here are some questions a friend was asked today. I go in tomorrow. Any help would be appreciated!

1. What are three instructional strategies that you employ? i.e. If I walked into the classroom, what might I see happening?


2. Give an example of a pre-reading strategy, a during reading strategy, and a post reading strategy.
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#1. hmmm is this questions asking for specific strategies or more so "best Practices" in teaching? i think i would say hands-on lessons, collaborative group work and a literacy rich environment

2. pre-reading-picture walk, look through the book at the pictures, make predictions, conections, etc.
during-use post it notes to mark questions, interesting sections, new words etc.
after-complete a retelling chart, or some other form of graphic organizer
 
"If you were to compare your teaching style to any historical figure, who would it be and why?"

I got asked that today and it kind of threw me off, but I said Socrates.
 
Nguyenap87 said:
"If you were to compare your teaching style to any historical figure, who would it be and why?"

I got asked that today and it kind of threw me off, but I said Socrates.
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Annie Sullivan.

I am determined. I will not give up on a child. I will pull you, kicking and screaming if necessary until it makes sense to you.
 
Here's a question I got asked on my interview:

"Many students here at Blah ISD are very involved in extracurricular activities. How will you make sure these students learn the material in your classroom, especially during the times when they may be gone three days out of the week?"
 
Unbeknownst said:
Here's a question I got asked on my interview:

"Many students here at Blah ISD are very involved in extracurricular activities. How will you make sure these students learn the material in your classroom, especially during the times when they may be gone three days out of the week?"
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it seems a little weird to me that students would be allowed to be absent three days a week for extracurr activities. That kind of puts a weird vibe on education for me. what did you say to this?
 
I said for the times they will be absent the most, I will put pivotal lessons (ones that are the foundation that successive lessons are built upon) on the back-burner in anticipation for when they return.

I also said, "However, students being involved in extracurricular activities will be almost a non-issue in my classroom. This is because as teacher, I want to develop mastery inside the classroom, so students who are involved in a lot of other activities will not have the added task of teaching themselves the material at home, because mastery will be accomplished during school time.
 
If you interview in urban schools located in areas of known gang activity, be prepared to get asked a questions- about it. Been asked "How would you deal with a class where there can possibly be rival gang members in the classroom?"

Other interview questions from last week:
How would you teach/what will you do on a Friday afternoon, after lunch, when students can become easily distracted?
 
EZLN1 said:
If you interview in urban schools located in areas of known gang activity, be prepared to get asked a questions- about it. Been asked "How would you deal with a class where there can possibly be rival gang members in the classroom?"

Other interview questions from last week:
How would you teach/what will you do on a Friday afternoon, after lunch, when students can become easily distracted?
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how do you respond appropriately to a question about something that you really have NO experience with or may not even know what exactly it is? For example, someone just posted that they got asked about DRA's. Now I know what a DRA is and does in the most basic sense but i can't tell you mush more. How would i answer a question and still come out as a strong candidate about something that is clearly important to them?
 
roseteacher12 said:
how do you respond appropriately to a question about something that you really have NO experience with or may not even know what exactly it is? For example, someone just posted that they got asked about DRA's. Now I know what a DRA is and does in the most basic sense but i can't tell you mush more. How would i answer a question and still come out as a strong candidate about something that is clearly important to them?
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Teachers don't know everything.

Just let them know you are not familiar with that particular subject, perhaps have them explain what it is a bit, and then say, "Ohh, that's a lot like [insert strategy you do know]."

Done. :)
 
roseteacher12 said:
How would i answer a question and still come out as a strong candidate about something that is clearly important to them?
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P.S. There's also a lot in how you answer the question rather than just the answer itself.

If you're confident no matter what during the interview, then you're a strong candidate in anyone's book.
 
couple questions

Hi! I just came across these boards and I'm so glad I did! I bombed my first interview this week and I have another one coming up in a couple days. I "heard" what a couple of the questions would be so I wondered what you guys thought.

I guess the first question is to tell about your educational background... isn't that something they can find out on my resume?? What else do I add to beef it up?

A question I bombed on was a special ed one... I actually almost forget what they asked because I was so embarrased to have to say I didn't know what it was. But I THINK it was something about RTI. I looked it up, but I'm still not sure of it. Anyone have any info on that in case I get that question again??
 
nlm3415 said:
Hi! I just came across these boards and I'm so glad I did! I bombed my first interview this week and I have another one coming up in a couple days. I "heard" what a couple of the questions would be so I wondered what you guys thought.

I guess the first question is to tell about your educational background... isn't that something they can find out on my resume?? What else do I add to beef it up?

A question I bombed on was a special ed one... I actually almost forget what they asked because I was so embarrased to have to say I didn't know what it was. But I THINK it was something about RTI. I looked it up, but I'm still not sure of it. Anyone have any info on that in case I get that question again??
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I teach math RTI so I may be of some help to you. RTI stands for Response to Intervention. If you type this in google, you'll find some good websites. In RTI, most school districts have three tier groups. In my district we have it set up so that tier one is in class instruction for all students. Tier two means, working with kids in their main classroom. The teacher may pull some kids during center time, for example. Tier three is pull out intervention with math and language arts teachers.
 
Interview Question

INTERVIEW QUESTION: What will you do if you are met with opposition by your students? How are you going to handle difficult students? (This is for an online school) I am completely stumped!!!
 
Interview Question

INTERVIEW QUESTION: Aside from your education and experience, what will you do to help better educate your students? What methods would you implement to aid their education? (This is for an online school) Please help i'm stumped!!
 
From my interview yesterday.

How do you plan for instruction?

What's the biggest issue you face in your current position?
What's the biggest issue about moving into a new poistion?

Describe our classroom managemnt.

Take me through a lesson.

Choose 3 things from your portfolio to show us.
 
From my interview on Monday:

- Tell us about yourself
- Why do you want to work in our district?
- When should you contact parents/ what kind of communication should you have with them?
- How does data inform your instruction?
- How do you respond to a kid who keeps interrupting class, and a kid who refuses to do any work?
- If we walked into your room, what would it look like?
- How do you form a positive environment in class and how do you maintain it?

They also asked me a content question about language arts. Hope this helps!
 
more questions....

Went to an interview and bombed. I was a nervous wreck and the questions stomped me...Can you tell me how you would have responded?

1. If you had one wish for your students, what would it be?

2. What is something we would catch you saying to the students a lot?

3. How do you deal w/ someone difficult?

4. What do you do with a child who misbehaves?

5. How do you integrate math and science.

6. How do you get all students to learn?

7. How do you manage your class?

8. How do you teach about culture?

9. If students made a racial comment in the hallway, what would you say to your kids?

10. Do you have to love children to teach?
 
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