82. Are you a team player?
This question often has nothing to do with teamwork. Employers simply want to know how you feel about going the extra mile or putting in additional work.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“Yes, I really enjoy working with a group of people to accomplish something together. I also work well alone. I understand that teaching is a difficult job, which require sacrifices and I am ready to put in the effort, whether with a team or alone.”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“Yes, over the years, I’ve worked in many situations which require teamwork. This ranges from becoming involved in before-school tutoring and after-school activities, to doing after-hours work with teachers, students, and even parents. This includes things like helping out at the prom and with sports events.”
83. Do you see yourself as a leader or a follower?
Most interviewers are simply curious about your answer. Your answer will help the interviewer understand whether you’re prepared to work in an academic team and take instructions from other people.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“Right now because I am still new in my career, I tend to be more of a follower. There are many veteran teachers from whom I want to learn. As I get experience or if the school needs me to, I am happy to take on more of a leadership role.”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“I am a mixture of both and enjoy both. I have experience leading teams and also being part of a group. For example, at my previous job, I led a team that ran fundraising efforts for improving our school library. I am ready to step up or step back, depending on how I can be most useful.”
84. Are you willing to become involved in extracurricular activities?
New teachers are usually required to take part in these types of activities. This is simply a part of the job. Also, make sure to mention any experience you have with after-school programs.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“Yes, I am willing to become involved and want to become involved. After-school activities are a part of education and they will give me opportunities to get to know the students better. Also, I’m more than willing to put in the work. In particular, I swam in college and would love to be involved with your swim team.”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“Absolutely. I am happy to help with anything that is needed. Over the last ten summers, I’ve worked at a theater camp so I have a decent amount of experience with productions, if you have any immediate needs in that area. But regardless of where I am needed, working with kids in the theater camp has provided me with a lot of transferrable skills that would help with a lot of different extracurricular school activities.”
85. How do you encourage students to participate in group projects?
Getting some students to work in a group can be difficult. Schools want to know that you have strategies for motivating these students. They also want to know how you handle group projects in general.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“I make sure that every student knows that they are required to contribute and what that contribution looks like. In other words, I assign them a role and responsibilities. I also make sure that they know that it isn’t fair if some people don’t contribute any work. Everyone is expected to row together as a team.”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“From my experience, I find that the solution is to give each child a role and also specific tasks to perform. This way, you avoid the problem where some kids do everything, and others take a backseat.”
86. What are your thoughts on team teaching?
With this question, the interviewers want to know if you’re open to working in a team. They also want to know how you feel about this.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“I think team teaching is a great idea. Teachers are exposed to different points of view, and it can help when more than one person works with a student because they bring different ways of communicating, and sometimes what is needed is just having a fresh face working with the student.”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“Team-teaching and cooperative learning can be highly effective, provided it’s done in the right way. One benefit is that it makes teaching large groups of students easier and gives you a chance to collaborate with other teachers. I am all for trying it if that is something the school supports.”
87. How will you make our jobs at this school easier?
You will ultimately be hired because of the value you bring to the school. Think of what you bring to the table and how you will benefit the school directly.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“It is in my nature to go the extra mile and put in the time to create the best environment I can for my students. Whether this means helping out with extracurricular activities or volunteering for school functions, I have a lot of energy and you can count me in!”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“I’ll make your job easier by being a motivated self-starter. I’m not someone who sits back and waits for instructions. I am proactive and look for things that need to be done. I get a lot of personal satisfaction from using my years of teaching experience to identify areas that could use my help, and from making a school a better place for the students.”
88. How do you handle conflict with other teachers?
Your answer to this question tells interviewers what type of person you are. They’re looking for someone who can calmly deal with conflict and won’t lose their cool.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“I am an open person, and I like to keep relationships simple. So for me, the best way to do this is simply by talking. I’ve found that in most cases, conflict is caused by misunderstandings or miscommunication. These can be easily cleared up with a short, calm conversation.”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“I do not generally have conflict with people or other teachers. We all want the same thing for our students. People have bad days and stressful things that are happening in their personal lives. I understand this, and don’t take things personally. If there actually is a problem, I would ask the teacher if I did something wrong, and how I can make it better.”
89. Give an example of a time you worked in a team.
Employers want to confirm that you can actually work in a team. You need to provide an example that shows your experience and skills.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“At my previous school, we decided to sell old textbooks. I worked together in a team of teachers, staff and parents where we came up with a strategy for doing this and exceeded our sales target by 30%.”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“At my old school, I helped students raise money for prom decorations. This was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed working together with the kids and their parents.”
90. What are the qualities of a team that works well together?
Your answer gives interviewers an idea of what you’re like on a team. They want to know if you understand the ingredients that go into a successful team.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“I think the most important quality is accountability. I’ve been on teams in the past where some members didn’t do their work or didn’t do their work well. There needs to be accountability to prevent this from happening. Second to that, commitment and passion are important. If you have people that want to accomplish the goal and feel excitement about the goal, you have a much better chance of a great outcome.”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“It’s important that you have a clearly defined leadership structure. Someone needs to be in charge. It’s also critical that each team member have assigned duties and is willing and able to carry them out. Though a team that works well together has several other qualities, a third key component is desire. The team members need to want to be there and want to achieve the results.”
91. How do you motivate the members of your team?
Teams cannot work without proper motivation. You should be prepared to give a good example of when you have motivated a team.
New Teacher Example Answer:
“Recognizing other team members is the best way to motivate them. I like to do this by sending thank you notes or emails.”
Experienced Teacher Example Answer:
“Motivation comes from having a defined goal. It also comes from having a clear plan for achieving that goal. I find that when people see how we’re going to get to the finish line and know the finish line is there, people get excited about getting it done.”
