How to Answer: How do you think our school could improve?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a School Counselor job interview.
40. How do you think our school could improve?
How to Answer
It's vital for schools to regularly evaluate their practices and seek feedback from teachers, counselors, and other support staff to ensure they are providing the best possible education. The interviewer is interested in gaining insight into how they could improve to determine if you have researched the school before your interview and identified areas of improvement. Perhaps the school has a high drop-out rate, low test scores, or a history of violence. By asking for your thoughts on how the school could improve, the interviewer may be hoping to gather valuable feedback that can be used to enhance the educational experience for all students. While you want to be honest in your response, you also want to tread lightly and not sound like you are being overly critical of the school. After explaining how you think they could improve, offer some possible solutions to show you are a motivated and critically thinking counselor.
Written by Krista Wenz on May 31st, 2023
Answer Example
"That's a great question. Although the school is doing really well, I found a few ways I think you could improve to better serve the students. One suggestion would be to increase the number of extracurricular activities available to students, as this can help foster a sense of community and provide opportunities for students to develop their interests and skills outside the classroom. Another suggestion would be to provide more individualized attention to struggling students by offering tutoring or other support services. With the $50,000 surplus in your previous year's budget, those services could be offered at no cost to the students. This would be money well spent as the students will receive the necessary educational support they need while increasing overall test scores."
Written by Krista Wenz on May 31st, 2023
About the Author
I began my career in emergency medical services (EMS) over 30 years ago, working as a Firefighter-Paramedic, EMS Captain, Mental Health Technician, ER Technician, EMT and Paramedic Adjunct Instructor, and EMS Educator. During my career, I served on over one thousand interview panels to help various organizations choose the right candidate for the job.
My interview experience includes hiring emergency medical technicians, paramedics, firefighters, professors, school counselors, nurses, medical assistants, school support staff, home health aides, and physician assistants. I have created curricula and training materials to prepare candidates for interviews and held mock interview courses for healthcare and educational professionals. I have coached paramedic and EMT students to pass their licensing exams and counseled and mentored many other healthcare professionals in providing compassionate patient care.
As a coach and contributor for MockQuestions, I am excited to help you navigate your upcoming school counselor interview. While these questions assess your critical thinking and communication skills, interviewers also ask these questions to gain insight into your personality to determine if you will be a good fit with the company culture. Remember to be relaxed and be your authentic self. Best of luck in acing your interview!
Learn more about Krista Wenz