Interview preparation questions

• Talk me through your typical lesson from start to finish – here you may want to explain
how you get the children learning as soon as they walk in to the class, how you
communicate the desired outcomes to them, and how you check learning/ progress
throughout the lesson. You may want to think about the structure of your typical lessons, or
the structure and outcome of a memorable lesson/ topic you have taught in the past
• How do you ensure that children remain engaged in your lessons and that learning
objectives are met? – This ties in to the questions above and below, but think about your
strategies, the resources you use, the extent of the differentiation in your planning, your
energy in the classroom, the pace of your lessons, the ways in which you regularly check
progress, etc
• What is your teaching style? – how do your peers perceive you? What are your strengths?
What are your teaching strategies? Do you favour a hands-on approach to learning, with
plenty of group learning and a student-centred approach? Do you differentiate your lessons
in order to keep pupils of all abilities engaged?
• How do you deal with challenging behaviour? – In the UK we don’t ask pupils to stand up or
send them to stand outside the class. Teachers are encouraged to prevent poor behaviour
by teaching engaging lessons where everyone is encouraged to take part. It also helps to get
to know the pupils, understand what motivates them and be aware of any underlying issues
or barriers to learning – be it in or out of the classroom. However, even the best teachers
have to deal with unruly or unco-operative pupils from time to time. The teacher should
familiarise themselves with the school behaviour policy as soon as possible, and ensure that
this is followed in all instances. Pupils should be aware of expectations/ rules in the
classroom from the very start, and if it’s necessary to escalate the situation the teacher
should work with guidance counsellors or pastoral support to ensure that the correct
procedures are adhered to. As I have previously mentioned, behaviour in UK schools is likely
to be worse than what you’re experiencing in your current school so you may also wish to
reflect on your time spent in more difficult schools earlier in your career
• Why do you want to work in the UK/ What can you bring to our school? – the answer to
this question depends on the individual. Are you keen to explore the challenge of teaching in
a new country? Do you want to follow in the footsteps of friends/ family members? Would
you like to lend soe time to Languages clubs, or other extracurricular clubs? What sort of
work ethic/ skills/ knowledge will you be bringing with you?
• Safeguarding question – some interviews may include a safeguarding question relating to
the welfare of pupils, for example ‘If a pupil asks you to keep a secret for them how do you
respond?’. Of course, when it comes to pupil welfare it’s imperative for all staff to be
familiar with the safeguarding procedures set by the school. You will receive training on this
when you arrive. Of course, teachers may not be able to keep secrets for pupils and their
relationships should be professional at all times. If a pupil wishes to confide in someone
there should be multiple staff members present including someone who is designated as a
safeguarding specialist. Any concerning behaviours or incidents should be reported to the
 appropriate members of staff so a decision can be taken on what action or support to put in
to place. You wouldn’t be able to promise that you could keep a secret with a pupil.
• Subject knowledge – You may find that you will be asked about your subject knowledge on
the interview. It could even be the case that one of the interviewees may choose to
converse with you in Spanish, or may ask questions about tenses for example. Alternatively
they may ask you to explain how you deliver a certain topic to a certain year group. These
types of questions can be difficult to plan for, but you may wish to reflect on your lesson
plans for key topics for each year group. Also be aware of your exam results in recent years
(eg. External exam pass rates) and how these compare with other schools in your country
• Tell me about your teaching career so far – the interviewer may want to know about the
type of environments you have been exposed to. A wide range of experience is a plus here;
they may be just as interested in hearing about teachers who have worked in challenging
schools as they will be about listening to the achievements from some of the top schools in
your country. Give an overview of your teaching environments as well as any successes you
have had, positions of responsibility that you have held and age groups that you have taught