The Best Interview Questions for Teachers

What are the best interview questions for teachers? As districts gather resources to find the best and brightest candidates, we asked teachers to share their favorite interview questions to ask when hiring their peers – and you can find them below.

For years, teachers were hardly acknowledged for their contribution to successful student learning and enhancements to their district. Now, thanks to a proliferation of state testing and federal regulations like the No Child Left Behind Law, school districts are being set to higher standards which can only be met by filling classrooms with quality teachers. Additionally, 429,000 teaching positions are projected to open in the next decade, which increasingly makes your interview questions key in screening and finding the best teachers for your students.

The Best Interview Questions for Teachers

Andrew Whiting, Strategic Staffing Director at D.C. Public School District

Andrew facilitates group interviews for substitute teachers. In initial candidate interviews, Whiting likes to ask questions that help him get a better understanding of which candidate has a genuine interest in working for DCPS. Whiting looks for responses that align with DCPS values and initiatives to reveal candidates who want to contribute to the overall success of the district.

Questions:

• Why do you want to work for this school district?
• Why do you want to work for my team?

Brooke Miller, Manager of Teacher Recruitment at D.C. Public School District

Brooke is concerned with the fruitfulness of DCPS teachers. Miller challenges candidates to reflect on their past teaching practices and list what they would change if they could go back and do it again. Miller is looking for candidates who are continually working toward becoming a better teacher and strive to grow within their field.

Questions:

• What were your three most significant accomplishments in your last job?
• What is the most important thing you learned at your last job?
• What did you like most and least about your last job?
• If you could go back, what would you do differently? Why?

Vivianne Waldron, Director of Human Resources, Recruitment and Professional Development at Highlands County School District

When recruiting high school teachers, Vivianne focuses on questions that illustrate how candidates will help students prepare for college. Waldron is looking for candidates who are passionate about helping students tackle their goals for their future and provide them with the resources they need to succeed.

Questions:

• What does college and career ready mean to you?
• How would you go about supporting students’ learning to help them understand the importance of being college and career ready?

Ervin Trujillo, Human Resources Coordinator at Central Consolidated Schools

Ervin focuses on student success and asks teacher candidates how they include students with special needs in their lesson plans. Like many schools, CCS has an array of students across the learning spectrum and looks for teachers who can accommodate and cater to all students.

Questions:

• How do you plan for and include students with special needs in your lesson plans?
• What steps do you take when integrating a student with learning disabilities into a mainstream classroom?
• What do you enjoy most about teaching?
• Which teaching strategies do you use most often, and why do you prefer them?
• Can you describe a recent lesson plan you created an implemented in the classroom?

Relevant, well-thought-out interview questions are a key factor to hiring great teachers, administrators and support staff. Andrew Whiting, Brooke Miller, Viviane Waldron, Ervin Trujillo and other school district leaders rely on interviewstream to connect with and hire quality teachers. To learn more about the current state of HR in school districts and how to use video interviewing in your hiring process, check out our fireside chat webinar, “The Current State of HR in K12,” or the recap blog.

About The Author

Esteban Gomez is a marketing consultant with interviewstream. He loves learning and has a passion for traveling, having visited many countries including China, Colombia, Italy, and Peru.