Sample Interview Answers for Teachers | Teacher Summer Series Ep 5 

You offered some valuable tips for the interview process. I asked my sister who is a consulting teacher in the county to do a mock interview with me. She asked practically every question that was asked in the actual interview! My interview was yesterday and I landed the position. Wooohoo! I was so prepared. I know this video will help many teachers

I watched this video a couple of days ago. I had an interview the next day. I took notes and rehearsed before the interview. Tweaked the answers a little bit to fit what I do in my room. A lot of the things she said reminded me of what I do in my classroom, but it's hard to think of all of those things when you are preparing for an interview! They called me this morning to tell me that I got the job! I haven't been on a job interview in two years and this was the first interview of the summer! Since it's been so long, it was hard to remember what they usually ask you. Thinking back, I only seem to get the job when the school is desperate. I have always been pretty bad at interviews in the past. Not this time!! Thank you for helping me get my dream job, the same school where I will have my nephew and niece in my class.

Got the job - AGAIN! This is the second job I've been offered using the tips that you've shared. Thank you so very much!!

Watched this today, interviewed today. Received my offer today. I ended up with two offers! I just would like to say thank you, thank you, thank you!

1. Tell me a little about yourself / 3:06 2. Describe your personal philosophy of education / 4:07 3. Tell me how you plan a lesson from start to finish / 5:11 4. How do you use assessment to drive instruction? / 6:13 5. Tell me about your classroom management style / 7:38 6. How do you communicate with parents & guardians? / 8:50 7. How do you adapt your instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners? / 9:54 8. Tell me about a lesson that went really well. How do you know you were successful? / 11:00 9. Tell me about a lesson that didn’t go well. What did you learn from it? / 12:15 10. Do you have any questions for us? / 13:20

I interview a lot of candidates. Too many teachers simply tell me just what they have done but don't sell themselves by fully explaining the IMPACT they have had on the standards of learning for their pupils. To be yourself is great advice- well said.

These sample answers were profound... I am going to be a new Teacher soon & I cant tell you enough how many great tips & ideas I have received from you! You are a blessing & Thank you so much for doing this video & really making your channel so helpful to the community! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Good advice. I have been teaching for 17 years and have sat in on many interviews with prospective teachers. Something that I would add is don't use her answers as your answers. A good interviewer will see through that in a minute. Knowing the questions ahead of time is helpful and you should prepare your answers according to your experiences. Be yourself in the interview. Trying to be someone else or trying to be what the principal wants in a teacher, but is not who are, will only create problems in the future if you are hired. Remember, 90% of what we communicate to others is in our body language and not in what we say. That is something I looked for in the interviews that I have participated in. Also, know that the people who are interviewing you understand that you are nervous. That could be an advantage for you to use. They want to see how you respond in an environment that you don't always have control over. Good luck to all the new teachers we have out there.

This has been extreeeeeemely helpful! I am following your advice and procedures. I love your products. You are helping me to renew my passion for teaching! Thank you, sweet girl!

Thank you for sharing! A lot of teachers are going through the interview process right now. I think above all the most important thing is to show your passion for teaching and to be genuine. There always seems to be a random question they ask seemingly just to throw you off lol. You have to be ready for anything!

This is so incredibly useful! I am worried I will never be as eloquent as you are, but your sample answers were really helpful. Teachers model things for students all the time, but for some reason, when it comes to interviewing, no one models what it should actually look like!

Thanks to you I have landed every job that I have interviewed for! (+6) This advice is golden and every question asked was covered in the interviews I have done. Watch this video, and practice before the interview.

Michelle, I'm a new subscriber and I found your channel when I searched interview questions for teachers just last Tuesday. I got a call on that Tuesday for an interview on Thursday. I was panicking and didn't know where to start. RU-vid lead me to you and I am so happy to say I was offered the second grade position at my #1 choice of school (which is where my son will be going to kindergarten in the fall). I can't thank you enough for putting so much thought and effort into your videos. They helped me feel more prepared for my interview and now they are preparing me for my first year as a teacher!! At 30 years old, I thought I knew it all but your videos showed me where I was missing knowledge and where I can improve. I wholeheartedly believe that your videos helped me get the confidence to nail the interview!! Thank you so much for all that you do. Good luck in your job search and your move!!

I watched this video 3 days before my first teacher interview (EVER!)...I wrote down the questions, practiced my answers and followed her advice...3 days later I was notified I was selected for the job! I had read in the comments of others who'd seen her video and gotten hired. Accurate questions no matter what state you're in. Highly recommend this video and many thanks to her for extending this help to others!

Thank you so much for all of the advice, Michelle! I have implemented so much from you into my classroom, especially concerning behavior management. I get so excited on Tuesdays and Thursdays to come hang out with you and just have some teacher time! Loving the advice videos and am excited to see more vlogs!! 😁

I'm going to be a first year teacher in the fall, and all the questions you included in the video were asked in my interview! This video is seriously super helpful!

Michelle, you had helped me so much! I started watching your videos while I was still in internship. I have since graduated and will starting my teaching journey in third grade this fall. I used your portfolio templates and always received compliments in my interviews because of it!

Hi! This is the best video I have watched in a very long time!!!! I have watched it about 10 times and I'm still getting more out of it. This is just what I need because I am going to be interviewing again in a couple of days. I love your answers. Thank you!!!!

Thank you for taking the time to provide genuine, well articulated responses to potential interview questions. I've been teaching for 6 years, but have recently relocated with my husband and so the job hunt is on! Your answers gave me a foundation to build on and you slipped in buzz words so effortlessly that it didn't feel like a checklist! Thanks again!

Your advice is great! I love that you actually tell us how to answer and give examples. I remember on an interview, I was so nervous, when they asked me at the end of the interview what questions I had, instead of asking what was the biggest challenge the department had, I said obstacle. They were very insulted and ended the interview abruptly. I didn't think it was that bad but they were visible disturbed.

Love your channel it is great. It has shown me a world that I haven't been in for years and from another perspective

Who else thinks she gives the best advice

I'm so glad that I found your channel! I have learned so much from watching you!😊

Your videos have become part of my summer routine. I love your ideas! I started just by watching your classroom tour, but found that you had SO many other ideas as well! Let us know how your interview went!

Hi Michelle! I've been watching your channel for 5 months now and am very much enjoying and extremely appreciative of everything I'm learning through your videos. I'm beginning a credential program this summer in a district that is in a serious need of teachers which means there is a good chance I could begin teaching this year as well. I've been stressing over researching interview questions all week and this has been by far one of the most helpful resources as it has escalated my confidence. Keep up the great work and I look forward to learning more from your videos. Good luck in the job search for your next adventure!!

Thank you so much for the help!! I loved your video!! I was pausing it most of the time to take notes. Now I know why I did not receive a call back after an interview I had a year ago. I will watch more videos of yours. You are so beautiful as well!! Keep it up! :)

Thank you, thank you so much for this! I was so rusty on answering questions. This helped me think about ways to highlight my teaching and classroom management style. It also made me think about the intricate details of how my lessons from student teaching impacted student learning. Finally, love your answer for parent-teacher communication. Wonderful video!

I cannot thank you enough for posting this video! All of your advice and answers really helped me gain a deeper understanding into the interview process and as a result I felt confident and secure in front of the interviewing panel. I was offered a 4th grade teaching position before the interview concluded! I am forever grateful. Thanks again!

Thanks for the tips. I got the job!!

Thank you for posting this. I am headed out to interviews after 5 years, and this helped me get my thoughts in order!

These are really good interviewing tips and it especially helped me out to gain 5 follow up interviews! I can attest that asking questions at the end really makes you stand out to the principals and recruiters!

This video is amazing! Such wonderful information and guidance! I watched this the night before and put it on replay the morning of my interview, it seriously helped me to get my thoughts in order and give professional responses. I’ll be recommending this to everyone I know going for an interview! ❤️

Omg!!! You are terrific!!!! I wish I would have found you and this video 2 days ago when I had the most intense interview of my life! A panel of 4 staff members asked me all of these questions plus a few about what a common core math lesson looks like and what does a good reading program look for in lower primary and upper primary! I love how you are so fast and accurate in your answers! How does all of the information flow so wonderfully? You are my hero! Thank you for this video 😘🙏

I have an interview coming up and its been 4 years since I have done this, thank you so much for taking the time to prep this video and the TPT materials! I can't wait to watch all your stuff!

Thank you for this! I started following your channel as I neared the end of my undergrad program and moved into my credential. I watch every morning before student teaching! Now as I'm interviewing for positions these videos are so helpful! I had a fantastic interview yesterday because of your tips :)

Thank you ! Thank you! This is so helpful especially during this time. You are the best! ❤️❤️❤️

Wonderful tips! I don't expect to be interviewing anytime soon, but listening to the questions and answers actually helped me to feel more confident about Back to School Night! Once in a while, a parent will ask a similar question.

I'm so glad I found your channel. I'm about 1 year away from graduation and I think about the interview process often. Thank you for giving insight into what we can expect!

I loved this video. I recently came across another one of your videos and have found that you are by far the most authentic, energetic and helpful teacher out there! Thanks for the great tips. Makes me feel so much better about my 3...yes THREE...interviews this week!!! Yikes

Thank you so much for this video! I watched it and took notes and with the information I had my first interview and was offered a job! So grateful and will watch your other videos for tips in my new classroom!!

I'm watching this video over and over again and i realized that this is the video about interview I've been looking for. Such a great help! Thank you!!!

So helpful, I have been trying to find actual helpful information for preparing for teacher interviews and this is the best I've found. Straight forward, clear and concise. It created a great starting point for me which helped ease some of the anxiety that I was feeling. Thanks so much!

This was SUPER helpful! I’m a 3rd year teacher that wanted to move schools and these were almost spot on during my interview this year. Thank you for sharing!

You're videos are always so helpful but I really loved this one!!!

Great video!!! Thank you for all of your great tips and examples on how you would answer the interview questions. You're so awesome 😚

Thank you for giving us such good advice. I feel very well prepared for interviews because if you. I can't wait to get started with interviews. Thank you so much and love your videos.

just wanted to thank you for this video, i watched it this morning and prepared all of my interview questions and responses. The interview went awesome!

I have an interview on Monday - I'm going to have this video on repeat until then! Thank you!!

I have my first interview next Tuesday. Thank you so much for sharing this! So, so helpful!

Woah. You speak super fast! I love your advice and guidance. Truly is straight forward and meaningful. I know its going to help me for my interview tomorrow. Thank you

I wish I had found this video sooner, but I found it last night (watched it over and over just to be able to keep in mind the things you mentioned) and had an interview this morning. It was SO SO helpful. The interview went almost exactly how you predicted, with almost all of the same questions I was so grateful for your suggestion about writing down questions to ask the interviewer, I even started laughing when they asked cause I felt so prepared. I will definitely be checking out the rest of your videos as I'm sure they are as helpful as this one was!

As a first year teacher looking for a job, this has been so helpful. Going through many interviews already, I felt like I was missing something in my answers. This video has helped me revamp my answers and made me more confident in answering them! Thank you!

OMG, you are so amazing! I can't believe you've only been teaching three years. You would be an asset to any district. Can't wait to hear about your interview! Oh, btw your classroom organization is killer and has motivated this 29 yr. veteran teacher to purge and clean up her own classroom.

Thank you for your advice. I just went to an interview where most of these questions were asked, but I was not prepared at all, and so did not do a great job at presenting myself. Next time I will have a clearer plan of attack.

Thanks for posting this! As you asked the questions and answered them, I paused the video and typed out my own responses that I brought with me to my interview. They asked a few of them, but even thinking through my responses prepared me for other questions they asked. I got the job! Thank you!

Thank you so much for your excellence! Your videos have encouraged me professionally and help my students immeasurably.

This video was so helpful! Makes me a lot less nervous for future interviews!

Thank you for this wonderful interview prep! I have one tomorrow. Really want to nail it. Though I teach high school CTE - Arts, Media and Entertainment, you have answered so many interview questions I've had. I'm rusty because I really didn't need to compete very hard the past three times I was hired at different schools. They were positions needing immediate staffing. I'm way too wordy and you've helped me feel like I can be successful tomorrow morning. I've had two important interviews this summer, I know I rambled and got off topic - I blew those interviews. THANK YOU!!!

I just used these tips in my job interview! They were stunned at how prepared I was for a first time teacher. Hopefully I will land it! Thank you!!

this was very helpful! I have my first teaching interview tomorrow and I am feeling very confident in what to possibly expect 😊

I followed all of your interview videos and it helped it so much I got three job offers in 1 day 🤗 including my dream school job! Cannot thank you enough!

Thank you so much for posting this questions. I went to an interview yesterday, and they asked me almost all this questions. The only one they asked me that I hadn't thought about was "tell me 5 adjectives to describe yourself" everything was spot on. I should hear from them in the next two weeks :)

Thank you for your hard work preparing these videos. I can see from the comments section that it is not only me but many others who found this video a great asset. I also like what you said about being authentic. That is really key in any interview. Very grateful for your thoughts and.... Happy Holidays!

I love it ! Thanks! See you more! You're so inspiring.

your video was thorough and very helpful. your advice is simple and your very relatable.

Thank you so much for making this video!! I watched and wrote out some of the questions you went over and wrote my own responses to them. I went over them a few times before I went into my interview. I’m happy to say that I was very confident about how the interview went, and I also GOT THE JOB!! So thank you so much for all of your help! This really helped!!

I just wanted to say thank you for this great video! I had an interview last week for a teaching position and I watched your video to get tips on interview questions. Your video gave me some much needed confidence! I'm happy to say that I was offered the teaching position! This will be my first year teaching and I'm so glad I found your channel!

I’m starting my bachelors for elementary education soon! Your videos help so much! Although I’ve been working in an elementary school as a para with ESE students for years and I’ve met some awesome helpful teachers, I still feel so lost! 😳 I will be back to regroup this information. Thank you!

Thank you so much for posting this video, Michelle! I have an interview tomorrow and I'm very nervous. I had already compiled notes on how I wanted to answer questions but it was great to hear how I should be wording it. I feel much more prepared!

wow, I think this video is so helpful as we can all gain knowledge from all your prep! an idea while thinking of questions to ask the school interviewer is to look at the district or individual school website and ask about programs they currently are integrating into their school. (such as art programs or title 1 programs)

Your answers empowered me Thank you for your effort and time

Thank you so much for this video! It was so helpful to hear these questions AND a sample answer. 💗✨

I’m interviewing for a preschool teaching position tomorrow I’m so excited:) thank you for the advice ❤️

I just need to say thank you and let you know how much your videos helped me. I am fresh out of college and I was called for my first interview. I spent time preparing by watching your videos and following your advice. The next day, I was called back for a second interview. I just found out today that I got the job at the high school I wanted. Thank you so very much. I subscribed and I’ll be keeping up with your future videos as well!!

I feel so much for confident. Thank You

Fantastic! I admire you ! Im very weak in English! But slowly i did something to upgrade my self! Thanks listening and watching you very intriguing. .

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I interview tomorrow and this was so helpful!

This segment, and the building portfolio is the / your best. Please never take them down. Thank you.

I really appreciate your thoroughness and helpfulness. I don't plan to change schools, but one never knows what the future may hold! Thanks for sharing! Love and hugs from Missouri! P.S. Please don't let negative comments keep you from doing your thing! You have a whole team of subscribers who will always support you on your journey!

thank you. I am excited to visit your teachers-pay-teachers page!! Super grateful for you

EXCELLENT!!! This is the first video I have seen so far that gives relevant and highly probable questions and answers that are precise, clear and eloquently stated. This will be of great help to me.

I tend to get scrambled during interviews and coming off a crazy year full of changes and twists, this was a great video to help me prepare for upcoming interviews. Thanks for all the tips and tricks!

By far the best interview prep video I have seen. I just got your TpT interview prep packet as well. So excited! Thank you!

This is one of THE MOST helpful videos I have watched!

This is excellent and super helpful!! Next Spring I will be interviewing for my first year of teaching!

Thank you so so so much! I bought the TPT interview pack yesterday so this video came at the perfect time! Your answers are amazing and are a great place to start! Your interview and portfolio prep videos have been so extremely helpful. I feel very confident about my next interview!! 😃

Thank you. You have been most helpful. Great job!

This made me more scared than before

You are so amazing providing useful tips!

Another great video! I love how you are willing to share your knowledge, thank you it is appreciated!

I learned so much from you. I thank God for your information. I really love your honesty and help. :-)

This was so helpful! Thank you!

This video is very helpful. I am a current student and I will be graduating in a year, so having this video with interview tips will be helpful later on. I will purchase your templates from tpt as well. You rock! I am a big fan of your videos and I love that you share the good and the bad. We have to be realistic and even when you share those negative or stressful experiences, it still motivates me to wanting to become a teacher because at the end of the day we will educate and help a child. Best of luck in your new journey when you find a job. Can't wait to see those videos.

Wonderful information and all of it good. I am an experienced teacher and I plan to use some of your ideas for my next interview. I will look for this on TPT about interviewing you mentioned. Thank you for sharing!

thank you. I saw how much effort you put into this video.

Just wanted to reiterate that putting the answers in your own words is SO important. Hiring teams are aware that these helpful videos are out here. A couple of questions that I had that she doesn't mention 1) What skills does this grade need to master and how will you make sure that they do? (make sure you know the standards or curriculum guidelines for the grade you are applying to teach) 2) Tell us something about yourself that will make us say "Yes! We want this person on our team." I was surprised, but I spoke from the heart and got the position!

Thank you for this! I have an interview on Wednesday, and I was getting kind of overwhelmed thinking about the interview, and not knowing what questions they were going to ask (or how to answer them). This is really helpful!

Michelle! I’m so happy and grateful that you uploaded a video like this one for all of us future teachers. I practiced a lot for an interview and most of the questions were similar to the ones you provided. I landed the job! Thank you! 🙏🏼🤗

Just started watching your videos and they are so helpful :) I start student teaching next semester!!!!! 😅

So helpful! Thanks!