High School Teacher Mock Interview

Master 33 High School Teacher interview questions covering classroom management, curriculum design, and student engagement.

Question 14 of 33

What is your teaching philosophy?

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Rachelle Enns

Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.

According to the University of Minnesota, a teaching philosophy is a self-reflective statement of your beliefs about teaching and learning. It should also discuss how you put your beliefs into practice by including concrete examples of what you do or anticipate doing in the classroom. Every teacher, you should have a base philosophy that drives and motivates them every day. Talk to the interviewer about your philosophy on teaching. It's best to write this out and memorize it- similar to how a sales person would have an elevator pitch.

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Jaymie

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Anonymous Answer

My teaching philosophy is that every student can learn a specific expectation or skill. However, the means of how they go about to attain this knowledge may vary from student to student. A teacher must know their students in terms of their learning styles, strengths, and challenges.

Rachelle's Feedback

Your teaching philosophy comes from a genuine place, which the interviewer will be able to see right away. Great response!

Anonymous Answer

It is vital to building relationships with students (even virtually) to let students know that you are there for them and you care about their success. This translates to students who feel they are in a safe environment where they can share their thoughts freely and where they want to put more effort to achieve their full potential. Through my years of teaching, I have made an effort to get to know my students, ask them about their interests and family life, made sure to give them individualized attention and a plan if they are struggling, and built that trust and mutual respect - because, without this, learning cannot happen.

Chad's Feedback

Excellent! It sounds like your teaching philosophy is very relationship-centric, and the interviewer will appreciate your focus on creating an environment of trust to maximize the potential for learning. Great response!

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33High School Teacher Interview Questions & Answers

1.What interests you most when it comes to teaching at the High School level?

2.Have you ever taught a class with special needs students, or students with a disability? If so, how did you adjust your teaching style or curriculum?

3.Which subject do you most enjoy teaching?

4.How would you handle a student being disruptive in the classroom?

5.How do you earn the respect of your students?

6.What qualities do you believe make an excellent teacher?

7.What area of professional development are you currently focused on?

8.What is the most challenging part of your job, as a teacher?

9.Tell me about a time that another teacher has influenced you.

10.How do want your students to remember you?

11.How often do you send your students with homework? What is your philosophy on homework?

12.Tell me about one of your own teachers that made an impact on you.

13.You have been hired as the newest member of our teaching team. How would you first introduce yourself to a group of parents, students, and teachers from our school?

14.What is your teaching philosophy?

15.In your opinion, what is the most rewarding part of being a teacher?

16.Why are you the best teacher for us?

17.How do you prepare students for standardized assessments?

18.What is your communication style with the parents of your students?

19.Have you ever received an award or special workplace accolade?

20.Out of curiosity, what type of student were you in high school?

21.What are you reading right now?

22.What types of activities keep you busy, outside of work?

23.Tell me something about yourself that I wouldn't know from reading your resume.

24.What motivates you?

25.How do you handle stress on the job?

26.Tell me about your leadership qualities.

27.What are your salary expectations?

28.How do you deal with distracting coworkers who stand in the way of your productivity?

29.Rate your communication skills from 1-10 with proper examples backing your given rating.

30.Would you say you are a better verbal or written communicator?

31.Describe an ongoing problem at your current or former employer that you were able to overcome.

32.When have you had to lead by example?

33.We were initially looking for someone with 5 years' experience in a similar role. Considering you have just 2 years' experience, would you be willing to accept this position at a lower salary?