An interviewer will want to know your views on these subjects, so you must prepare strong answers to these questions that show you are a team player who wants to be involved in the school community as an active colleague and extracurricular activity participant.
The job interview procedure is where lots of job seekers will feel enormous pressure to perform. Have you ever walked out of a teaching interview saying to yourself, “I should have mentioned this?” “Oh, I could have explained to them that.”
Rest assured, you are not alone. The art of completing a successful interview lies in knowing yourself, your successes as a teacher or school administrator, and how you will work in a specific position. To pull off a valuable interview, you will need to practice your interviewing skills beforehand.
Two teacher interview questions that get asked a lot are related to extracurricular activities and being a collaborative and helpful colleague. Teaching involves extracurricular activities and being a team player.
Here are two teacher job interview questions with answers to help prepare you and create a solid answer for yourself.
Tell Us About the Qualities That Make You a Good Team Player
Every school district wants teachers who are great team players and that collaborate with other teachers and parents.
You are being asked this question in the job interview to determine if you have the skill sets that make you a team player and the qualities that make you an effective leader who is willing to take on additional roles within the school community.
You must demonstrate that you possess strong communication, interpersonal, problem solving, leadership skills, persistence, courage, personal responsibility, and the ability to develop innovative ideas.
Furthermore, take this opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to the school by outlining a desire to serve on a committee, coach a sport, or sponsor other extracurricular activities or fundraisers. This is the time to demonstrate your passion for collaborating and helping the school succeed as an educational institution and a place for students’ and staff’s betterment.
Instead of simply listing your qualities and goals, you may want to provide examples of leadership roles you have held or when you took charge of a group in a time of crisis. If you have letters of reference or recommendation that showcase your skills as a team player, bring them to the interview or recite a quote.
To be a well-rounded and adapted teaching professional, you must be willing to work with colleagues, share best practices, and attain new information that will help you refine your teaching techniques and enhance the learning process.
Do not say that you are self-dependent and already possess the resources and skills necessary to succeed. The administrator tests your ability to be a team player, openness to suggestions, and willingness to learn from and help fellow teachers.
Talk about the:
- The holistic approach to education
- Organizational culture of a learning institution
- Technology standards to give full support to your innovative teaching methods.
- Benefits of a strong teaching team
A good tip for answering this question is to do some research before the interview about the institution to be sure that you can talk about what is currently happening at the school.
For instance, you can highlight that you would be excited to join a professional learning community that is actively working on
- Building and inspiring a community of lifelong learners through faculty collaboration
- Ensuring a successful learning environment
- Offering students the latest in curriculum enhancements in a safe and state-of-the-art learning environment.
- Developing strong partnerships with the community.
Here is another job interview question that is asked quite frequently.
What Extracurricular Activities Would You Like to be Involved In?
Administrators are looking for individuals who are willing to teach students in a classroom and those who are eager to take on additional roles and organize or supervise extracurricular activities. When answering this question, use this as a good opportunity to demonstrate your versatility, leadership skills, and commitment to participate in various areas within the school community.
Highlight past experiences you have had with sponsoring extracurricular activities and convey the effect and success each program had. If you have not participated in after-school programs, convey your willingness to learn something new and provide a safe and fun environment for students.
Furthermore, you do not need to limit yourself to student-centered activities. You can highlight school-wide events you were involved in or wish to be a part of, such as open houses, fundraisers, and PTA events, as well as parent-focused activities or community projects.
When answering this teaching job interview question, the key thing to remember is the idea that teachers are not just limited to the classroom. You must explain how it is up to the instructors to help organize additional events and activities.
For instance, if you have had experience coaching a school sport or would like to, this would be a potential answer you could give specifically to this area of extracurricular activity:
“School athletics play a significant role in educating our youth. It is not simply about teaching students about sports but also about sportsmanship, teamwork, cooperation, and leadership and instilling a passion for health and wellness.
School athletics provides a good opportunity for students to get to know one another, socialize, foster new friendships, and learn about trust, tolerance, and diversity.
Furthermore, children can enhance their communication, interpersonal, time management, leadership, critical thinking, and motor skills. School athletics can also improve body-image, increase motivation, and boost students’ self-confidence and self-esteem, especially when individuals realize their own strengths and talents.
In our rush-rush,fast-food-driven society, sports and like events also play a crucial role in encouraging physical activity, fitness, and physical and mental well-being. Furthermore, by providing a safe place for students after school, organized and social sports can decrease children’s likelihood of becoming involved in drugs, alcohol, and criminal activity.
If they are provided with other choices and are interested in participating in sports and physical activities, students are more likely to remain focused on school as opposed to the undesired alternatives.
It has also been found that students who are involved in athletics are more likely to have higher GPAs, higher attendance rates, and higher graduation rates, thus providing a better chance to move on to post-secondary education.
School athletics is also a great way to boost school spirit and foster a cohesive and supportive school community. Sports teams do not affect the players exclusively; they influence and encourage classmates, staff, parents, and local community members to become involved and attend sporting events.
Last but certainly not least, school athletics provide students with an opportunity to have fun!
Preparation is key when getting ready for a teacher interview. Remember: practice makes perfect! By practicing your answers to key interview questions such as these two above, you will be better prepared to succeed at your next teacher job interview.
We have additional blog posts that will help you practice other important interview questions that you should check out.
