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Teacher Job Interview Question About Excellence in Teaching

Teacher Job Interview Question About Excellence in Teaching

Looking for sample questions to prepare for your next teacher interview?

Below is a teacher job interview question to prepare for; the interview panel could ask you this question. Read on and get prepared.

Remember that in questions like these, there really are no wrong answers. Just be honest, and describe for the panel what you think constitutes excellence in teaching.

“So, describe to us what you define as ‘excellence’ in teaching?”

The following example is a well-structured response:

“A growing body of school research proves that teachers make a huge difference in student achievement, and some teachers are more effective than others. I believe that the main difference between a good teacher and an excellent teacher lies in the fact that an excellent teacher can consistently reach all students, no matter their ability or learning style.”

An excellent teacher will possess all of these traits, whereas a good teacher will hold some but not all:

  • The ability to produce strong student academic gains because effective teachers produce greater results, regardless of student demographics, contrary to common belief.
  • The ability to motivate and engage her or his students.
  • Excellent skills in planning, assessment, motivation, observation and analysis, persistence, providing constructive feedback, managing groups, and creating interesting lessons based on state standards.
  • The ability to acquire subject-specific knowledge and skills.
  • The ability to work well with colleagues.
  • The ability to prepare students for the next grade level, college, and work.
  • The effective use of school resources to achieve goals.
  • The ability to discipline students appropriately and effectively.
  • A dedication to ongoing improvement through in-service and training.

“How would you explain the difference between a good and an excellent teacher?” 

“A good teacher is merely adequate. A good teacher attains simple-to-moderate goals in the classroom and does a mediocre job motivating their students. A good teacher upholds initiatives rather than spearhead them.

An excellent teacher, however, goes above and beyond in all of the aforementioned fields. An excellent teacher engages their students and aligns district goals with classroom initiatives. An excellent teacher can handle every student in the class and foster them to achieving their highest potential, no matter their demographic background or behavioral challenges. An excellent teacher leaves a mark on their students and gets remembered for a lifetime.”

If you incorporate the above ideas into your answer to this teacher interview question, you should positively impression your interviewer.

We hope this article was helpful! Here’s some “homework”: please comment below on how you would answer this question in a job interview. We’d love to hear your suggestions and may even incorporate a few into future articles!