Online Teaching Interview Preparation Guide

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Your answers to these questions should reflect your personality. Administrators expect teachers to have strong inter-personal skills. Give answers that showcase your track record as a team player who is easy to get along with. For example, if you were asked to describe how you handled a situation when you had to work with, or for, a difficult individual, be sure to present your conflict management skills. Be honest, and don't try to avoid the question by claiming you never encountered someone difficult. Tell about a situation that had a good outcome because you have the ability to compromise, know how to be diplomatic and never lose your temper.

You might be asked outright about your teaching philosophy, or the question might be, "Why did you decide to become a teacher?" Make a brief statement about what you believe about how students learn. Project a focus that is optimistic. For example, you might say something like, "I believe all students can learn when presented with subject matter appropriate to their level by a teacher who cares, is patient and helps to boost self-esteem". Don't say you chose teaching as a profession because the hours are short and the holidays are long, even if you are only joking. It is best to avoid humor in your answers. A good answer would describe past experiences you had where you taught successfully, and how rewarding you found the experience.

Expect questions about your teaching strategies. You might be asked how you would reach individual students if the class was a heterogeneous group of varying abilities and backgrounds. A good answer will describe the differences between a Socratic, question and answer style and small-group cooperative methods. Explain how you structure student groups carefully to play to the individual student's strengths. Describe how you provide material that is challenging but manageable. Your answer should demonstrate an awareness that lessons should be divided into segments with a variety of listening, speaking, reading and writing activities. Tell the interviewers how you provide ongoing assessment and prompt feedback to keep students informed about how well the class is learning and to help students monitor their progress.

focus on discipline methods are often worded as scenario questions. Expect to be asked how you would handle a student who is constantly disruptive or rude in class. Your answer should reflect patience, but also clear expectations of student behavior. Know what you would or would not tolerate, and what the consequences would be. Your answer should show that you are firm but supportive. Explain how you would start with a subtle approach such as moving closer to the disruptive student or glancing in her direction. Make it clear that if the student did not correct her behavior immediately, you would ask to speak with her after class, make a call to her parents, and contact the guidance counselors to determine whether there are any extenuating circumstances. Indicate that you would involve the office as a last resort. Most principals don't want teachers who believe sending a disruptive student to the office is the only effective disciplinary strategy.

This is the fundamental question! They will be looking for evidence that teaching is your first choice career and not something you are going for because you couldn't get in to what you really wanted to do.

Teaching is a tough job and the PGCE also demands resilience and determination, so the selectors are looking for evidence of strong motivation which will keep you going when things get tough. Remember that there may be several applicants per place and they will take the best all-round candidates.

Your answer should stress that you are aware of the demands on teachers - perhaps giving examples from the time you spent in school as an observer, but give evidence of the things in teaching that you would find satisfying - e.g. when you helped out at a youth club and you were able to bring out a particularly reticent adolescent. Try to give your answers from the heart - show some enthusiasm!

For primary teacher training, school experience is crucial. You may be asked to describe the school and asked to comment on what interested or surprised you.

You should make sure that you have spent a few days helping out in a school before your interview. For secondary teaching courses this experience is not so essential, partly because the competition for places is less great, and partly because such experience is more difficult to arrange.

You should approach schools several months before you would like to spend time with them as they may have to take up references. Of course, the easiest school to get a placement may be your old school. Experience can either be for a number of consecutive days or perhaps for one morning or afternoon per week over a number of weeks.

If you haven't spent time in a school try to emphasize anything else you have done with children or in a teaching role such as youth clubs, playschemes, Sunday school helper, drama activities, Scout or Guide leader.

Some of the main qualities required are:
★ A professional approach - make sure that you dress very smartly for your interview.
★ Good handwriting and spelling - especially for primary - make sure that you have a pen with you as you may be given a written test.
★ Clarity of speech
★ Openness to new ideas
★ Ability to take criticism
★ Listening and sensitivity to others.

You need to be able to put across your strong points during the interview. If you can't do this effectively your selectors may be entitled to reason that you wouldn't be able to put your ideas across effectively in the classroom.

Teaching is a tough job and selectors won't choose you if you tell them how wonderful you would find teaching with no appreciation of the negatives. Teachers complain about bureaucracy and paperwork, badly behaved pupils, Government interference and lack of resources.

You need show that you are aware of these issues - the best way is to talk to teachers about them, but still have a positive, if pragmatic, view of the teaching profession. Talking about a current classroom where you have spent some time will add weight to your arguments.

Give an example of a difficulty. This could be the idea that new initiatives introduced by government appear to undermine or conflict with the previous initiatives. This is a common complaint among teachers. Show in your answer that while you might find it difficult you would nonetheless do your best to continue with the best interests of the children in mind. In other words you will get over the difficulties whatever they may be.

This is a crucial ability and of course a successful teacher will be able to manage groups of pupils by the carrot, only needing to resort to the (metaphorical!) "stick" as a last resort.

Good organizational skills, self confidence, a robust personality - able to take criticism, maturity, presence, a sense of self confidence and a sense of humor are the qualities that will help you to manage a class without too much conflict.

Give some examples, if you can, of related situations you have experienced. Have you been involved in any other types of group work that could be described as similar? How do you know you will be able to manage/discipline unless you have already tried it? What kind of presence you have and how loud your voice is could be important.

Selectors will be looking for someone who shows ideas and creativity, trying to interact and stimulate, rather than just talking at the class. This is a chance for you to show your enthusiasm for teaching.

They won't expect your ideas to be polished, but you could mention games, wall charts, projects and case studies, role playing, splitting up into small groups - whatever might be appropriate for your subject. You could also talk about the transition from a literary to a screen-based culture for many young people and how you would react to this. You may have been able to glean ideas from the time you spent helping in a school or from discussions with teachers.

Your answer could include how you would canvass advice from your colleagues on what to do in these circumstances. Perhaps they have taught the particular class in question and can make some suggestions.
A similar question you could be asked is about the resources you could use to teach your subject.