Sample interview questions for teaching candidates

Why did you decide to become a teacher?
Do you consider yourself a risk taker?
What do you want to do with your life?
What is the last book you read?
Are you an empathetic person?
How can you tell that a person is a good listener?
Are you an objective person?


Some people say you should demand respect. Do you agree or disagree?
Do you believe you should build rapport with students? If yes, how?
How would you rank these in importance and why? Planning, discipline, methods, evaluation.
If a student said she thought you were the worst teacher she ever had, what would you say?
If a student came to you and said, "None of the other students like me," what would you tell him/her?


It is the first day of class, you are writing something on the board and a paper wad hits you in the back, what would you do? Later the same day, if all the students drop their pencils, what do you do?
How do you feel about noise in the classroom? How do you handle noise in the classroom?


How do you feel if a student does not meet a deadline?
How do you encourage students to learn? Can a student be forced to learn?
How do you feel about computers in the classroom?


If I were your principal and we were setting goals for next year, what would they be?
What is the role of the principal? Does a conflict exist between your perception of a principal's role and his/her role as your evaluator?
If you could create the ideal school, what would it be like?