Our Top Ten Teacher Interview Tips
Any interview can be tough, but having the added pressure of a lesson observation to a class you have never met before, makes Teacher Interviews stand out as tougher than most!
Here are our top ten teacher interview tips when interviewing for a teacher role in a school:
- Know the format of your interview!
- Don’t be afraid to ask for details about the lesson observation!
- Plan your lesson thoroughly and make sure you have a back up!
- Research the school!
- Practice your response to commonly asked interview questions.
- Plan your route the night before and set off earlier than needed.
- Arrive early to give yourself plenty of time and know the name of the person you should be reporting to.
- Dress appropriately for the lesson you are teaching.
- Don’t forget your DBS and photo ID.
- Be confident and relax! You have got this!
Follow our top ten teacher interview tips to help you thoroughly prepare for your teacher interview and to give you the confidence needed to secure your next dream teaching role.
Know the format of your interview!
Every school has a slightly different way of interviewing. If you don’t know the format of your interview – ask! Usually, you will have at least a lesson observation and an interview. Sometimes, especially if interviewing for a long-term role, the interview may be more of an informal chat rather than a formal interview but you still must be prepared.
Don’t be afraid to ask for details about the lesson observation!
The more you know about your lesson observation, the better you can prepare. Don’t be afraid to ask:
- How long the lesson observation will take?
- The topic you are to deliver the lesson on and how long the class has been learning this topic for?
- What is the ability of the class? Are there any SEN needs?
- Will there be support staff available during the lesson?
- Will you have access to a smart board or printer and can you use a USB?
Plan your lesson thoroughly and make sure you have a backup!
Prepare your lesson plan in advance, the school may even ask to see this beforehand. Know your lesson structure inside and out and play to your strengths and teach what you are comfortable with.
Sometimes, things go wrong. Their printer may be broken, the smart board may be down or your USB stick may not work, so you may not be able to teach the lesson in the way you had planned it so always have a backup plan, just in case!
Research the school!
Researching the school before your interview will:
- Give you more confidence
- Show your commitment
- Show your passion for teaching and your students
Take your time to research the school and make notes on points that interest you or you want to be able to talk about during the interview i.e. enriched curriculum, latest school trips, Ofsted inspection, FSM %, school ethos/values.
Practice your response to commonly asked interview questions.
If you practice your response to commonly asked interview questions, then you will be able to answer them more fluently during the interview. When thinking of how best to answer a question always try to:
- Be honest and be as condensed as possible with your answers.
- Use examples - think about your experience.
- Talk about teachers who have inspired you – and why they inspired you.
- Talk about a time you helped, supported and empowered a member of staff.
- Talk about your source of inspiration.
- Share what you have done to keep up to date with CPD, curriculum knowledge, and frameworks.
- Relate answers back to professional standards / OFSTED Framework.
- Use case studies / real-life scenarios of how you have met the needs of pupils.
If you would like a list of commonly asked interview questions, to help you practice, then please reach out to your consultant today and they would be happy to supply this to you.
Plan your route the night before and set off earlier than needed.
The night before, visit Google Maps, enter the school’s address in the search bar and press the three dots in the top right. Then tap “Arrive time,” enter 10 minutes before the time of your interview and tap “Done” on iOS or “Set” on Android.
Google Maps will then calculate the best route to your destination and give you an estimated time to set off for your interview. This is just an estimation, so please still allow plenty of time to get to the school, as you never know what hold-ups you may encounter.
You can find out more about the capabilities of Google Maps here.
Arrive early to give yourself plenty of time and know the name of the person you should be reporting to.
Arriving 10 minutes early for your interview sets a great first impression and confidently walking to reception and asking for the person you should be reporting to will further cement this. It will also mean you have a few minutes to relax and calm any nerves before you are invited in to start your lesson observation and interview.
Dress appropriately for the lesson you are teaching.
First impressions count - dress smartly but in appropriate clothes for the year group you are teaching. For example, if you are to teach a reception class, make sure you have clothing that allows you to bend and kneel easily.
Don’t forget your DBS and photo ID!
This could be our most important tip as If you forget these, you won’t be able to do your interview. Sort your bag out the night before and ensure you have packed a pencil case, water bottle, DBS, photo ID and any other tools you may need for your lesson observation.
Finally, be confident and relax! You have got this!
If you are looking for your next dream teaching role, please get in touch with us today and we will support you every step of the way!
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