Instructional skills

Q) Describe the teaching techniques or strategies that are most effective for you.
Q) How would you include cooperative learning in your classroom?
Q) How do you meet the wide range of skills and needs commonly present in a non-ability grouped classroom?
Q) What do you include when you write objectives?
Q) How do you assess your students to determine how well they are learning? (formally and informally)
Q) What techniques do you use to keep students actively involved during a lesson?
Q) Describe different student learning styles or modalities of students and how you adjust lessons to benefit those differing styles.
Q) Do you feel that the teacher should be responsible for developing objectives or should they be provided in the curriculum?
Q) How do you deal with the unmotivated student?
Q) Is drill and practice important? How and when would you use it?
Q) What would you do if 50% of the class did poorly on a test?
Q) How do you increase the chances that students will understand what you are teaching?

Professional experiences.

Q) Describe your student teaching experience(s). What are some of the most significant things you learned from your cooperating teacher(s)? What did you like/dislike?
Q) What is your knowledge of and experience with standards-based education?
Q) What experience have you had with students from culturally diverse backgrounds?
Q) When did you first become interested in teaching?
Q) What opportunities have you had to bring multicultural education into your classroom?
Q) Describe your experience(s) working in an urban setting.
Q) How well has your college/university prepared you for the field of teaching?

Technology/computer skills

Q) How would you incorporate technology in your classroom?
Q) What are your computer skills?
Q) What software have you used for instructional or classroom purposes?
Q) How are students allowed to use technology in your classroom?

Classroom discipline

Q) Describe your philosophy regarding discipline.
Q) What techniques would you use to handle discipline problems that may arise in your classroom?
Q) What was the most challenging discipline problem you've encountered and how did you handle it?
Q) Were you prepared to handle this situation? In hindsight, would you have handled this situation any differently?
Q) What kind of rules do you have in your classroom? How are they established?
Q) How would you create and promote a safe atmosphere in your classroom?

Classroom management

Q) What is your classroom management plan/style? What are your goals?
Q) Describe what you consider to be the model classroom. What would a typical day look like in this classroom?
Q) Share three interesting techniques used in your classroom.
Q) When students say they want their teacher to be fair, what do you think they mean?

Planning skills

Q) What do you include in your daily lesson plans? How closely do you follow your plans?
Q) What are some of the considerations you make when planning your lessons? How do you plan a unit?
Q) How much homework will you assign? How do you know how long it will take your students?
Q) How do you feel when you do not meet a deadline? What do you do when students do not meet their deadlines?

Teacher relationships with students

Q) What kind of students do you like to work with? What type of students could you teach most effectively?
Q) You give an assignment. A student ridicules the assignment, saying it doesn't make sense. What would you do?
Q) How do you help students experience success?
Q) How would you individualize instruction for students?
Q) What procedures do you use to evaluate student progress besides using tests?
Q) How would you challenge the slow learner and the advanced learner within the same class?
Q) What would your students say about you?

Relationships With Colleagues

Q) What kind of teachers would you prefer to work with? Why?
Q) What activities would you like to work with in our school?
Q) What quality or qualities do you have that would enhance our teaching staff?
Q) What are some personality characteristics you find undesirable in people?
Q) Who should be responsible for discipline in a school? Why?
Q) What needs and/or expectations do you have of the school administration?

Teacher relationships with parents

Q) What do you feel is the most effective way to communicate with parents? Describe how you have used this/these technique(s).
Q) Describe the reasons why you would contact parents.
Q) What would you include in your Open House presentations to parents?
Q) What community activities would you like to be associated with? Why?

Instructional Techniques

Q) Describe any school experience you have had, particularly in student teaching (or in another teaching position) that has prepared you for a full-time position at our school.
Q) How would you integrate technology into the curriculum you would teach?
Q) Describe any innovative projects you have been involved in developing.
Q) Give an example of how you have used cooperative learning in your classroom.
Q) What four words would students use to describe your teaching strategies?
Q) What rules do you have for your classroom?
Q) Describe your teaching style and how you accommodate the different learning styles of the students in your classes.
Q) What do you consider to be your strengths and how will you use them in your teaching?
Q) In what ways do you keep students on task and well behaved during collaborative group activities?

Personal qualities

Q) Why have you selected teaching as a profession?
Q) What are your , short term and long term?
Q) What makes you an effective teacher?
Q) Describe yourself with three adjectives and explain why they were chosen.
Q) What distinguishes you from other candidates?
Q) Describe your fears of being a teacher.
Q) Would you describe yourself as a team player or an individual achiever?
Q) What is your most successful accomplishment?
Q) Tell me whom you would like to emulate. Why?

Background information

Q) Why did you choose to Teach?
Q) What are your hobbies and interests?
Q) What are your plans for continuing your professional growth?
Q) Tell me about an interesting article you have read recently in a professional journal.
Q) What contributions can you make to our school?
Q) What current trends in public education please you? Displease you?
Q) Tell me about the three people who have most influenced your own education and educational career.
Q) Describe positive/negative student teaching experiences.
Q) Describe a typical lesson in your classroom. What would I see you and your students doing?
Q) What questions do you ask yourself when planning lessons or units?
Q) What do you look for to evaluate that learning is taking place in your classroom?
Q) How do you handle different ability levels of students in your classroom?
Q) What principles do you use to motivate students?
Q) What are some of the most successful strategies or techniques that have worked for you in the classroom?
Q) What steps would you take to handle a student who is a consistent behavioral problem in your classroom?
Q) How would you handle an attendance problem in your classroom?
Q) How would you handle a personal attack from a parent? (For example: A parent tells you, "What do you know about teaching children, you don't have any!?")
Q) What are your thoughts on the number of shows/contests you should attend each semester?
Q) What activities would you like to become involved in within our school, district, or community?
Q) Why do you want to work in our school system? What would you bring to us?
Q) Describe your thoughts about student and teacher accountability.
Q) What professional development topics interest you?
Q) Why should we hire you over the two other finalists who have comparable qualifications?