Have you ever been asked this interview question during a teaching job interview? What was the last book you read.. or what book are you currently reading? Why did you choose to pick it up?
Interviewers ask this question because they want to learn how you spend your spare reading time. Or find out if you enjoy reading and what are your reading interests.
If you happen to be reading a book at the moment that may not impress an interviewer, don’t discuss that particular one. Choose to discuss a book you’ve read previously if it would be more applicable. Don’t pick a controversial book.
Personal or Professional Book
When answering this question, you can choose to go one of two ways. Either go with a book that you are reading for pure enjoyment, say a fictional novel, a biography, or a memoir. Or, choose a book you may be reading to aid in your professional development.
It might be a book on a new teaching technique, classroom management, integrating technology, or more specific to your teaching area like ESL (English as a Second Language) methods.
A professional book can be broader than this, though, as reading up on a topic you may teach later, or new topics in your subject matter will aid in your learning. The interviews would view this as researching for your class. If you happen to go the route of choosing a book you read for your self-study, then answering the follow-up question of “why did you pick it up” will be easy to answer.
If you are currently reading a book for pleasure, tell them what it is, the author, and describe why you decided to read it. Maybe the author is one of your favorites, the genre is your favorite, the subject matter was intriguing to you, or you had heard that it was an excellent read.
If some of the books you read are on the “spicier” side
Try to avoid choosing a controversial book or topic. You want your choice to be seen as purely positive and, if it’s not professional development related, as light reading material that can’t be construed in a negative light.
For these reasons, it is a fabulous idea to choose which book you would discuss before the job interview, so you aren’t forced to think of a book on the spot and risk picking an inappropriate one.
No matter what type of reading material you are reading, stress the importance of reading and learning through literature and non-fiction. School principals want their teachers to value literacy, as it is much easier to pass these values onto your students when you hold them yourself.
What book are you currently reading, and why did you choose to pick it up? Please comment below on how you would answer this question in an interview.
