Being a teacher requires one to be a good speaker. However, even teachers get nervous during interviews most of the time. During stressful interview situations, it is a struggle to keep your cool while answering all those questions with confidence, and highlighting your skills and ability.

Most teachers use the star method to answer interview questions effectively.

1. Situation – Explain the context including any challenging aspects.
2. Task – Ask yourself, what was your role or responsibility in this situation?
3. Activity – Describe what action you took and why. Include the methods you implemented.
4. Result – Provide an explanation of what happened.

Nonetheless, you should always come for the interview prepared. By sharing some of your teaching experiences with the interviewer, you can show the interviewer that you are a good candidate for the job. Your experience as a teacher will help you ace any interview.

SEE ALSO: 7 Tips to Stay Calm During Interviews

Here are some interview tips for teachers, commonly asked questions and how answer them effectively during interviews:

FAQs asked during interviews

1. What would I see and hear if I walk into your classroom?
Here you can discuss some animated discussions, students making progress, written output of students. Show the interviewer that your students show progress. You can tell them that there is a good level of engagement and your students show behaviour that they are listening.

2. Why do we teach this subject in schools?
This is a common question. You should reply with either of the following:

• to improve skills and independent learning
• to encourage team work
• to gain a qualification for enjoyment
• to enhance other subjects
• to develop literacy, numeracy and ICT skills
• to improve career prospects self-discipline and memory development
• to encourage life-long learning in that subject

3. Can you tell me about a successful behaviour management strategy you have used in the past that helped engage a pupil or group of pupils?

Show the interviewer how effective you are with a balanced personal reflection.

4. If you overheard some colleagues talking about you, what would they say?
You can sell yourself in this question. But also follow up with the answer to the question: “What would you want them to say about you in five years’ time?” Interviewers can see you with leader potential.

5. Why do you want to work in special education?
You can give answers that are more geared towards acknowledging education in reality, rather than a vague answer that you want to care for children with special education needs.

6. Why do you want to work in this school?
Employers would like to see that you did your research about the school before coming for the interview. They want to know why this work appeals to them. Candidates who have also visited the school previously and share their experience may also have an advantage over others who have never been to the school before.

7. What are the key qualities and skills that students look for in teachers?
You can tell them that fairness, consistency, sense of humor and passion for the subject are the key traits students look for in teachers. A teacher who can make the topic or subject relevant and make everyone feel comfortable and confident about contributing is a good fit for the position.

8. Evaluate your lesson
When asked to evaluate your lesson, you must be self-critical but also make sure to recognise when things go well. They should be able to pinpoint where things went well and where things didn’t go well. Talk about individual student’s progress in the lesson, and how they would follow it up.

SEE ALSO: 6 Questions To Ask During The Informational Interview

Tips for Preparing for an Interview

When applying for a job as a teacher, the interview is just the first phase. You will be asked to perform a sample lesson in front of the school head and some students. Here are some tips to help you prepare for the interview.

1. Take everything you need
You must always be prepared to start the lesson immediately and not be given enough preparation plan. Make a list of what you need like pens, paper, visual aids.

2. Ask questions to students
You must show your enthusiasm and worry less. Ask a lot of questions and encourage them to participate.

3. Dress smart but comfortable
Dress smart but also take into consideration your prospective employer. For primary schools, you do not have to dress up too formal. Look smart but make sure you are comfortable with your clothes.

4. Keep your lesson simple
Do not over-prepare your lesson plan. Keep it simple and stick to your objectives. The key is to focus on an interesting part of the topic that you can be enthusiastic about

5. Sell yourself
If you feel that this situation has improved because of your initiative, feel free to acknowledge it as one of your success stories. You should be able to sell yourself without sounding like you are bragging about it.

6. Do your research
As mentioned above, you should be able to do your research about the school before even going there for an interview. Look at its GCSE and A-level results, or any policies on the website.

7. Be confident
A confident buster is when you feel intimidated by the school officials. Be confident and do your own thing, the rest will follow.

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