An Interviewer's Handbook
by Judith Gibney
SSTA Research Centre Report No. 148: 35 pages, $11.
INTRODUCTION | This handbook for interviewers was
prepared for the lay person who becomes involved in teacher selection at the school level.
In many school systems, by virtue of their size, personnel selection must be an
administrative task guided by the policy of the board of education. But in most small
school systems, school trustees are directly involved in the teacher selection process.
This handbook is intended to provide some guidance in these situations. This handbook focuses largely on the interview but takes reference checking, essential courtesies and follow-up into consideration. |
DO YOUR HOMEWORK | |
THE INTERVIEW | |
EVALUATION AND SELECTION | |
CONCLUSION | |
REFERENCES | |
APPENDIX |
The SSTA Research Center grants permission to reproduce up to three
copies of each report for personal use. Each copy must acknowledge the author and the SSTA
Research as the source. A complete and authorized copy of each report is available form
the SSTA Research Centre.
The opinions and recommendations expressed in this report are those of the author and may
not be in a greement with SSTA officers or trustees, but are offered as being worthy of
consideration by those responsible for making decisions.
Back to: Human Resources
The operation of a successful school is most directly dependent upon selecting the best skilled and most capable staff. The choice is a difficult one today when there is an abundance of well-qualified educators seeking teaching positions. And, as Richard Zanella (1977) points out, making the wrong choice "may have severe implications that can haunt an administrator and a school division for years".
It is essential, therefore, that the selection process, whether it be the sole responsibility of an administrator or the joint decision of a personnel committee, be carefully planned and carried out. Although the interview is probably the single most important deciding factor in hiring a new teacher, it is only one part of the selection process. The interview should not take place without a thorough examination of the situation where the vacancy exists and an accurate idea of the sort of teacher that will most suitably fill the position.
There are numerous sources of background information which can be gathered and studied to help to determine which applicants are worthy of an interview. Also, the interview format requires thoughtful preparation if you are to make an intelligent evaluation of the candidates.
This handbook offers guidelines and techniques for the selection process to ensure that a wise and well-informed choice is made so that the students for whom the school division is responsible receive the highest quality education from the very best teachers.
A well-planned interview with the potential for gathering useful information begins long before the applicant enters the room. There is considerable homework to be done.
First of all, the interviewer should carefully review the job description and know the expectations for the position being considered so that he or she can ask meaningful questions. The interviewer must know what qualifications are necessary and be aware of the needs of the particular school or school division to determine the sort of individual who will be most suitable f or the position. Thomas Kopetskie (1983) suggests these basic considerations:
What type of teacher would be most successful with the program of studies and the student body?
What are your needs in regard to staff balance? Are certain skills or abilities needed more than others?
How will a specific personality blend in with your established staff?
An assessment of the situation where the vacancy exists will, no doubt, result in priorities even more specific to a particular school.
Once you have a clear understanding of the type of teacher who would best fill the position, the screening process can begin. Application forms, resumes, and credentials should be closely scrutinised. Charles Thompson (1979) outlines six objective criteria that may be used both as a way to screen applicants and to provide a basis for the interviews. Attention to these details will help to decide if an interview is warranted, and provide information from which to frame interview questions:
Proper Certification . Make sure all applicants considered for interviews presently hold a Saskatchewan teaching certificate or can obtain one.
University Preparation. An official transcript of marks should be requested from the applicant. The transcript will indicate the grades received and the areas of study pursued by the applicant. The screening process should identify those applicants who have the best academic preparation for the position.
References. The importance of checking references cannot be over-emphasised. Although it is true that the references offered will inevitably be favourable ones, a thorough check can provide additional information. One should consider the source of the reference, the relationship between the reference and the applicant, and the variety or range of references listed. If it is possible, direct communication with the reference is more informative than is the use of a standard reference letter. By either asking or writing the reference for specific comments, you can elicit thoughtful information. For example, questions like "How would you rank the applicant as a teacher? (Excellent, very good, good, below average) As a student? As an employee?" encourage the reference to think how well the applicant might suit the position.
Evaluation of Internship or Student Teaching. If the applicant you are considering has no previous teaching experience, his or her student teaching evaluation may be the only performance-based assessment available to you. Most universities, like Regina and Saskatchewan, use a standard internship or student teaching evaluation form. Normally, beginning teachers will include a copy of their evaluation with the application. However, if it is not included you may ask the applicant for this information.
Review of Lesson or Unit Plans. A good teacher is well organised, and a review of a prior teaching assignment can reveal whether the applicant is well organised, considers the learning needs of all the children, uses a variety of teaching strategies and so on. Generally, such a look at past planning for teaching reveals a good deal about what the applicant holds to be important in his/her teaching.
Proper Grammar and Spelling. If the division's students are to learn to speak and write well, it is important that all teachers, not just the language arts teachers, personally reinforce the need for good grammar and the requirements of correct spelling.
These and other criteria identified locally can be used to determine which candidates should be interviewed. Any candidate who passes through this first screen should meet the basic "paper and pencil" qualifications for the position.
Researchers agree that the structured interview, "a series of predetermined questions arranged in such a way that the administrator is able to gather information about a prospective teacher in areas deemed to be essential to successful performance"(Pellicer, 1981), is a good way to improve the selection process. Each candidate is asked the same set of questions in the same order and their responses provide a common base from which to make the selection decision. Not only will the candidate be more at ease with this organised format, but the interviewer can be confident about the line of questioning and, with practice, will know what responses to look for.
The danger of this approach is that the unique interests and experiences of a particular candidate may be missed. The interview may become too routine and a less challenging experience for the applicant and the interviewers. It is important, then, to allow some degree of flexibility: the same questions may be asked in approximately the same order but the extent to which a given subject is discussed and the precise character of the follow-up questions may vary from applicant to applicant.
Open-ended questions that encourage a free response will be more informative than those that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no". For example, "What did you most like about your last teaching job?" will tell more than "Did you like your last teaching job?" Asking questions with plural nouns rather than singular ones is also more effective. Asking the candidate to list in order which subjects she would most like to teach is more revealing than a request for her or his favourite subject. Questions should be clear and straightforward and not phrased to indicate a desired response.
Most importantly, the questions must be well-chosen. The school division may already have a standard interview procedure, or it may rely on a commercially tested interview such as the Teacher Perceiver Interview, a set of 60 open-ended questions divided into 12 theme areas, developed by Selection Research Inc. (1976). Generally, the best method is to develop the interview to meet the specific needs of your school division. Pellicer (1981) outlines how John Danner, a school division personnel co-ordinator, did so by asking principals what questions they considered to be important. The questions were then grouped into the following 5 categories:
Teacher's relationship with children.
Teacher's relationship with colleagues.
Teacher's relationship with parents.
Teacher's relationship in the community.
Instructional techniques.
Five questions were selected from each category and the current staff, whose teaching abilities were already known, were interviewed. By noting the answers of those teachers who were considered to be outstanding they established patterns of response that would assure that the instrument was a valid measure. The interview was then modified accordingly. This method may be too elaborate or impractical for most small school divisions, but it does provide a guideline for establishing interview questions.
Hobart (1979) suggests an interview outline and some questions in 8 major categories:
Major Strengths and weaknesses.
From your experience please identify your major strengths.
On the other hand, what would you identify as your weaknesses?
Discipline and organisation.
What is your philosophy of discipline?
Who should be responsible for the discipline in your school?
What are your feelings about out-of-class supervision?
When do you use the principal to help with discipline?
What rules do you have for your classroom?
What do you consider to be the proper classroom atmosphere for learning?
What is your attitude toward individual vs. total class punishment?
Motivation.
What can you do to improve learning opportunities for children in your subject area?
Tell me how you expect to personally motivate children.
If I walked in to observe your classroom, what activities might I see going on?
What "label" might you use to characterise your teaching style?
Curriculum.
How would you individualise the learning process in your classroom?
What goals do you hope to achieve in your subject?
What do you consider to be some of the more worthwhile innovations presently taking place in your subject area?
If you could develop a curriculum for your subject, on what would you place emphasis? Why?
What criteria do you use in evaluating your students?
Did you recommend any curricular changes or suggest innovations in the school in which you last taught?
Evaluation.
What goals might you set for your classes next year?
On what criteria do you believe you should be evaluated?
If you disagree with an evaluation what will you do?
What do you believe is the major purpose of teacher evaluation?
Staff relations.
If you could change your personality in one way to help you get along better with people, what would you change?
What are some personality characteristics you find undesirable in people?
What communication skills do you possess to get along with people?
What thoughts and ideas do you have regarding your role and obligations to other staff members?
You believe that a change in the curriculum would be beneficial. How do you go about making the change?
You overhear one teacher criticising another teacher. What will you do?
Community relations.
Is it important that you live in the school division? Why?
If a parent said you were unfair, what would you do?
How often and when do you think it is important to communicate with a student's parents?
Major goals.
What two or three things did you like least about your last job?
What two or three things did you like most about your last job?
What are your personal five-year goals?
By the end of next school year, what major goal would you like to have accomplished?
Hobart's interview format begins with a review of the candidate's background and concludes with details of the job description and the candidate's questions. Naturally, hypothetical questions will arise during the interview.
Kopetskie (1983) outlines 10 "areas of comparability'', giving sample questions, that he sees as important factors in job performance:
Philosophy of education.
In your opinion, what are the purposes of public education?
Age/grade level suitability.
What do you see as the main differences between the needs of middle level and high school students?
Subject matter competence.
What would you say are the comparative strengths and weaknesses of the book series?
Discipline and class management.
Have you found that any one form of disciplinary action is more effective than any other?
Lesson planning skills.
What variety of teaching techniques would you plan to use in the classroom and in what situations?
Flexibility within ability levels.
What special talents or abilities are needed to help a slow learner?
Adaptability to administrative decisions.
What would be your attitude and reaction to an administrative decision with which you do not wholeheartedly agree?
Extracurricular interests.
Which activities would you be willing and able to direct if the opportunity should arise?
Plans for professional improvement.
Where do you hope to be as an educator in approximately 10 years?
By recording the positive and negative characteristics of each of the candidates in each of these categories, bias towards any single factor can be avoided and which candidate will be the best overall choice can be more easily evaluated.
These are just examples of how an interview might be structured. It would of course be necessary to adapt and modify the questions to make these interviews suit local needs.
To design an interview that fits the teaching vacancy in your school:
Define the criteria or qualifications that are important to the position through discussion with the interviewing panel and present teaching and administrative staff.
Design a set of questions for each criterion that will inform you of the candidate's orientation and philosophy.
Discuss the type of responses that will help to identify the most suitable candidate.
The appendix of this handbook contains a list of questions from which you may wish to draw.
Now, with the planning completed, the interviews can take place. This is the opportunity to gain information and impressions that cannot be discovered from any other source. In addition to learning the applicant's ideas on the questions posed, important characteristics such as poise, mannerisms and general appearance, which will have their effect in the classroom, can be observed. But remember that while you are analysing the candidate, he or she is analysing you and your school division, and the best teachers will go to those that have the most to offer. Just as the candidate will be at his/her best, so you must present a positive and appealing proposition to him or her.
The following techniques will not only impress upon the candidate the superior professionalism of your school division but will also help you to make a discerning choice.
Review the job requirements, your list of questions, and the candidate's screening documents prior to the interview so that you can greet the candidate confidently and avoid wasting time on details during the interview.
Do not let interruptions interfere with the interview. Set a time limit and stay within that limit. The average structured interview will last from one half hour to an hour. You may wish to tell the candidate about the time frame.
Strive to create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Be relaxed yourself, a sincere and interested listener, responsive not only to the candidate's answers and queries, but also to his or her facial expressions.
Some interviewers believe that sitting behind a desk exhibits authority and stress that you should try not to place objects between yourself and the candidate. Sitting beside the person or having the interviewing panel sit in a circle may help to put the candidate at ease. Whatever the physical surroundings, try to ensure that everyone is as comfortable as possible.
Begin with a warm greeting and introductions. Initial small talk will help to reduce tension. Having studied the candidate's resume, you may have noted some special interest or achievement on which to comment. Allow the candidate to do most of the talking. Do not, however, let small talk dominate the interview. After a few minutes of general conversation, everyone should feel comfortable and the interview can begin in earnest.
Be sure that the introduction of panel members includes their affiliation with the school division. This will put the candidate at ease and help him or her to direct questions and answers appropriately.
Begin the interview with a description of the job and an outline of the interview procedure. An interviewing panel might include the school principal who could talk about the school and the teaching position, a school trustee who could describe the community, while the director could explain the interview format. If you are going to make notes, tell the candidate the reasons for it and try to do so unobtrusively.
The interview should not seem like an interrogation. Provide relief from the questioning with comments; they may elicit valuable spontaneous responses from the candidate. A little humour now and then may be a welcome relief to both the interviewer and the candidate. Calling the candidate by name occasionally will give the meeting a more conversational tone. Giving the candidate a "pat on the back" for her achievements and playing down any unfavourable information offered will let the person know that you are responsive and open-minded.
Ask only one question at a time and do not stray from the basic structure of the interview. Open with easily answered general questions, then use more specific ones.
The candidate should do most of the talking. Once the question is posed, the interviewer can draw information from the candidate through comments, secondary questions (how? why?), and even non verbal gestures. Do not, however, permit the candidate to guide the interview. You should ask the questions.
Interview with an open mind and do not draw premature conclusions. Conduct an entire interview with each candidate. Some candidates may begin an interview poorly but respond better to questions as the interview progresses.
Observe the candidate's appearance and behaviour. Look for enthusiasm, self-confidence, spontaneity, and a sense of humour.
Provide adequate time for the candidate to ask questions. He should be shown a job description if available, a copy of the current teaching contract, a faculty manual, and the student manual. Following the interview, provide a tour of the facilities if possible; this would be particularly pertinent for laboratory and shop related positions.
Finally inform the candidate when the final decision will be made and how he or she will be notified. Thank the candidate for coming to the interview.
The questions that are posed to candidates should focus on experience, education and skills. Questions about the candidate's ethnic origins, race, sex, or marital status cannot be asked. Too, only Roman Catholic Separate School Divisions may ask about religious affiliation. As a rule, questions that focus on the candidate's private life and have little or no bearing on job performance should be avoided.
An awareness of some of the typical interviewing errors will help you to avoid them and to conduct a better interview. Engel and Friedrichs (1980) outline these common mistakes:
Failure to establish rapport,
Failure to have a strategy or plan the interview, poorly phrased questions that are not understood by the candidate,
Purposeless questions that do not yield information about the characteristics of the candidate,
Questions that go beyond the limits of proper interviewing,
Interviewers talk too much so that the candidate is denied sufficient opportunity to respond to questions,
Failure to follow up revealing leading answers,
Suggesting the "right" answer,
Incorrect interpretation.
The interviewer should be particularly careful of these weaknesses when making the final hiring decision:
The "halo effect". The interviewer is unduly influenced by some favourable or unfavourable characteristic, such as physical attractiveness or scholastic failure, and allows this factor to influence unduly judgement of the candidate's overall suitability.
Projection. The interviewer sees his or her own value system, feelings, and ideas in the candidate and thus exaggerates the qualifications. This may happen when the interviewer closely identifies with the candidate in such things as age, appearance, schooling, or ethnic background.
Prejudgement. The interviewer has developed certain expectations about the candidate, perhaps from his resume or comments made by acquaintances, and makes a final decision during or perhaps even before the interview.
The difficult task of making a final choice begins when the interviews are completed. If you have been an attentive listener and an objective observer, the decision should not be too difficult.
The good interviewer will have taken time to record impressions while they are still fresh. Even if notes are made throughout the interview, time should be allowed after each interview to record further comments. A standard evaluation form will help the interviewing panel to make the decision and also ensure uniformity.
Zanella (1977) suggests a numerical rating on seven basic qualifications:
Name:__________________________ | Total Rating:__________ | |
Position Desired:__________________ | Date Interviewed:______ | |
School:_________________________ | ||
Characteristics: | Rating: | |
High | Low | |
1. Enthusiasm......................................... | 5 4 3 2 1 | |
2. Poise.................................................. | 5 4 3 2 1 | |
3. Knowledge........................................ | 5 4 3 2 1 | |
4. Experience......................................... | 5 4 3 2 1 | |
5. References......................................... | 5 4 3 2 1 | |
6. Education........................................... | 5 4 3 2 1 | |
7. Adaptability........................................ | 5 4 3 2 1 | |
8. Miscellaneous (optional)..................... | 5 4 3 2 1 |
Personal Comments: ___________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Kopetskie's "Candidate Comparison Sheet" is a list of the positive and negative characteristics of each candidate in the 10 categories listed on page 12 of this handbook.
Hobart's interview plan (page 8) is supplemented by a data form which allows for an unrestricted record of impressions in the following categories:
Candidate's Name: ______________________________
Position Applied For: ________________________________________________
Date: _________________ Interview Committee Members:__________________
______________________________________________________________________
Appearance and Personality of the Candidate: _________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Background Information:_______________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Identified Strengths:_________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Identified Weaknesses:________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Classroom Organisation and Discipline:________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Motivation Philosophy:________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Subject Knowledge and Curriculum Innovations:_________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Evaluation:___________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Staff Relationships:__________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Community Relations and Involvement:__________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Major Goals:__________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
The form selected or developed should be a reflection of the essential qualifications of the position. When the interviews are completed, careful study and comparison of the forms will help to make an informed and systematic hiring decision. Weigh the strengths of each candidate against his/her weaknesses. The individual that rates highest in all the required categories would seem the most logical choice to employ.
In your observations of appearance and non-verbal behaviour you will have singled out the candidate who appears well-groomed and poised. She/he is the one whose enthusiasm, spontaneity, and sense of humour were apparent even though most people consider the interview to be a somewhat traumatic experience. You will have noticed her/his self-confidence in relaxed body movements and her/his friendly and responsive facial gestures. These same characteristics will be in evidence in the classroom.
This candidate will have answered your questions intelligently and honestly. As a good listener you will have noted any questionable responses. For example, the candidate who tells you that he/she would enjoy the challenge of working with both bright students and slow learners may be expressing a greater sense of commitment than the one who details his/her ability to work only with gifted children. The description of a recent classroom activity may have separated the drab, routine-oriented lecturer from the creative classroom teacher. Paul Schumann (1977) suggests that noting the candidate's facial reactions and verbal response to the point-blank questions whether she/he likes children and what she/he perceives to be the problem with today's children can be enlightening. An attitude of professional dedication and genuine concern and liking for children will be reflected in both the actions and answers of the top-notch teacher.
The interview is a crucial factor in determining the calibre of education in your school division. If there is little time and effort put into the selection process, the school division and it's students may suffer long-lasting consequences. There are many complex issues involved in interviewing, and not all of them are dealt with here. This handbook attempts to outline some of the major considerations that will help make the selection process a success. To be a good interviewer, you must remember to keep your expectations realistic and be aware that these procedures may have to be adapted to the needs of your school and community. By employing positive interviewing techniques such as these, your school division can be assured of a satisfying and meaningful relationship with a superior staff of teachers.
Brannon, John C. The interview and what it can yield. Clearing House 49 (December, 1975) 166-167.
Einhorn, Lois J., Bradley, P. & Baird, J. E. Effective employment interviewing: unlocking human potential. Glenview, Ill: Scott, Foresman & Company, 1982.
Engel, Ross A. & Friedrichs, Denny. The interview can be a reliable process. NASSP Bulletin 64 (January, 1980) 85-91.
Fear, Richard A. The evaluation interview. Rev. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1978.
Ferguson, James E. Interviewing teacher candidates: 100 questions to ask. NASSP Bulletin 67 (September, 1983) 118120.
Hobart, Richard A. Effective interviewing key to selecting qualified staff. NASSP Bulletin 63 (December, 1979), 29-34.
Kopetskie, Thomas P. An administrator's guide to hiring the right person. NASSP Bulletin 67 (January, 1983) 12-15.
Morgan, Henry H. & Cogger, John W. The interviewer's manual. New York: The Psychological Corp., 1973.
Pellicer, Leonard 0. Improving teacher selection with the structured interview. Educational Leadership 38 (March, 1981) 492-493.
Schumann, Paul F. Questions an administrator should ask. NASSP Bulletin 61 (January, 1977) 62-65.
Thompson, Charles W. Do you know how to recognise a good teacher when you interview one? American School Board Journal 166 (February, 1979) 39-40.
Vornberg, James A. & Liles, Kelsey. Taking inventory of your interviewing techniques. NASSP Bulletin 67 (January, 1983) 88-91.
Zanella, Richard E. The art of interviewing. NASSP Bulletin 61 (January, 1977) 66-69.
100 Questions to Ask
This list is not intended as an interview format: it would be impossible to ask all 100 questions in one interview. The list is meant to be a source from which you may draw interview questions. The interviewer is encouraged to adjust questions to fit the vacancy and the interview.
1. What is your educational preparation? (cite preparation in content area)
2. What are your professional experiences?
3. What is the role of the teacher in the classroom?
4. How would you describe your last principal?
5. What was your favourite course in college and why?
6. What principles do you use to motivate students?
7. Describe effective teaching techniques that result in intended learning.
8. What are your career goals five years from now? Ten years?
9. State a behavioural objective you taught in your last class.
10. What is the most exciting thing happening in the area of education today?
11. What is the most exciting thing happening today in your area of study?
12. What have you found to be the toughest aspect of discipline?
13. Describe an ideal curriculum in your area of study.
14. Describe the physical appearance of your classroom.
15. How do you implement career education concepts in your classes?
16. How do you individualise learning in your classes?
17. Define current curriculum trends in your area.
18. How much time do you devote to the lecture approach?
19. Describe independent study projects your students have completed.
20. If you could choose to teach any concept in your area, which would you select? Why?
21. What rules have you established for your classroom?
22. How have you implemented inquiry?
23. Of what use are behavioural learning objectives in the teaching/learning process?
24. How do you structure your class to achieve maximum benefit from teacher/student contact?
25. Describe the format you use to develop a lesson.
26. What should schools do for students?
27. Is the teaching of content important? Why/why not?
28. How have you emphasised the development of basic skills?
29. How do you handle the different ability levels of students in classes?
30. How do you account for the affective domain in your teaching?
31. How would your students describe you?
32. In what professional organisations do you hold a membership?
33. How would your colleagues describe you?
34. Why did you choose the teaching profession?
35. How have you recently improved your professional skills?
36. What are your plans for future improvement of professional skills?
37. What is the toughest aspect of teaching today?
38. What is the role of homework?
39. What has been your most positive teaching experience?
40. What has been your most negative teaching experience?
41. How have you contributed toward the development of the total school program in your current position?
42. What activities will you sponsor if you are hired for this position?
43. Could a student of low academic ability receive a high grade in your classes?
44. What is your system for evaluating student work?
45. What would be the ideal philosophy of a school for you?
46. What is your philosophy of education?
47. Why is your field important for a student to study?
48. How would you handle a student who is a consistent behavioural problem in your class?
49. How would your last principal describe you?
50. What five words would you use to describe yourself?
51. What is your position on teacher-advisement programs? Behaviour modification? Tracking? Special education? Values clarification? Multi-test approach?
52. If you found non-standard usage in student writing or class discussion, how would you respond to it?
53. In what areas do you feel you need improvement?
54. How would you handle a student sleeping in your class?
55. What would you do if a student has been absent from your class for several days?
56. What provisions have you made for the gifted?
57. What would a visitor in your class see?
58. How have you communicated student progress to parents?
59. What are your recreational activities, hobbies, interests?
60. How have you stressed the development of cognitive skills within your classes?
61. Define a superior teacher.
62. What is your opinion of holding students after school for detention?
63. Do you like laughter in your classroom?
64. What units would you include in teaching (name of course)?
65. How do you assist in preventing the destruction of school property in the classroom?
66. What is the role of the student within your classroom?
67. Describe an assignment that you recently gave to your students?
68. Cite the criteria you would use to evaluate a textbook for possible adoption?
69. What field trips have you arranged for your classes during this past year?
70. Have you supervised student teachers, interns, or practicum students? Why/why not?
71. Should sex education be included in the curriculum? Why/why not?
72. Are you well organised?
73. Describe a lesson plan that you have developed. What were the objective, format of the lesson, and how did you evaluate whether or not the objectives were achieved?
74. A student tells you he/she has been experimenting with marijuana. What would you do?
75. Should schools practice corporal punishment? Why/why not?
76. Give an example of directions you have given for class or homework.
77. What are your practices in dealing with controversial subjects?
78. How have your classes made use of the resource centre during the last nine weeks?
79. What should your students have gained from having taken your course?
80. What are your strong points?
81. What curricular materials have you developed?
82. How would you change the public schools if you could make any changes you wished?
83. What is your position on competency-based instruction?
84. What do you like most about being a teacher?
85. What aspects of teaching do you like least?
86. Do you like to have people like you?
87. What time management principles do you follow?
88. How do you cope with stress?
89. What motivates you?
90. Why do you want to leave your present position?
91. How have you involved parents in the learning process?
92. Describe your last workday.
93. If you could, what would you change about your present position?
94. Name the titles of the last three books that you have read.
95. How many days of work have you missed in the last three years?
96. What two or three books, concepts, or experiences have influenced you the most in your professional development?
97. Can a school be too student-oriented? Explain.
98. Why should you be hired?
99. What questions have I not asked that you wished I would have raised?
100. If you are selected for this position what can we do to help you be successful?
Questions are taken or adapted from: Ferguson, James B. (1983). Interviewing teacher candidates: 100 questions to ask. NASSP Bulletin, 67 (464), 118-120.
Back to: Human Resources