An interview can be a stomach-churning experience even for the most confident of public speakers. Yet, it is one of the most important tools in the hands of employers to select the right candidate.
An interview becomes essential when we are talking about a job in an educational institution and, more particularly, for an English teacher’s appointment. A one-on-one meeting or a question & answer session in front of a panel can tell a lot of things about the candidate’s personality. It even reveals the candidate’s skills that are much needed in a profession like teaching.
A Two-way Exchange of Information
An interview is symbiotic. Both parties stand to gain substantially from the exercise. The interviewer sees the candidate personally and verifies information furnished by him/her in the application. It also allows the interviewee to ask relevant questions to make informed decisions and decide if he/she is cut out for the institution.
There is no set format, but specific guidelines, if kept in mind by both the parties, can make it a useful tool for both. Proper planning before the interview makes a difference in the level of confidence. Most questions are tailor-made to suit institutions, and that is precisely why we suggest you brush through the common question formats as a cursory step.
Generically, anticipated interview questions for an English teacher can be broadly classified into:
- General questions
- Questions relating to your qualifications and experience
- Questions that give a sneak-peek into your personality
As an endeavor to make sure that we drive the pointers home, we will list a few examples. The questions are collated from real interviews in the industry. As a step towards preparing for the D-day, we suggest you go through all the questions and prepare answers in a bid to sound confident. Being quick with your responses and in composure will add well to your score.
General questions:
These will give the interviewer an idea about your interests and personality traits.
- Where did you do your schooling?
- List out three things that you loved about your school.
- What are the books right now on your side table?
- Where do you see yourself in five years in your profession?
- How would you describe yourself in one word?
- What are your strong points when it comes to teaching English?
- Do you think you have any weaknesses? How are you working around it?
- What do you do apart from reading and teaching?
- Why do you want to become an English teacher?
- What kind of soft skills do you bring to the table when you have to deal with differently-abled students?
- When did you decide that you wanted to teach English for a career?
- Why did you choose English? Has it always been your pet subject?
Questions relating to your qualifications and experience:
These will help to probe and evaluate if the post of the English teacher that you applied for matches your credentials.
- Tell us one thing that you adore about teaching English
- Is there anything that you do not like about teaching?
- How would you explain your teaching style in a sentence?
- What new strategies do you want to inculcate to interest your students to study English?
- Please give us a rough roadmap of how you intend to usher in a positive change inside the classroom.
- Is there an anecdote that you remember that tells us your greatest success in the classroom?
- What challenges do students of English language face today, and how do you intend to help them?
- Give us an example of the worst day in your entire teaching career.
- What do you encourage – rote learning or learning through life?
Questions that give a sneak peek into your personality:
Finally, the questions that present the interviewer a sneak peek into your personality. They require tact and introspection. This segment of the interview can make or break your chances. If there is one thing you need to do before you take the chair is to prepare well.
- Have you ever had trouble teaching English to a class? Tell us about your experience.
- What are your professional goals right from this moment?
- Do you believe in any particular strategy when teaching the language, or do you decide it extempore?
- How are you going to be able to integrate e-learning into the classroom module during pandemic times, such as the Covid-19?
- Are you an advocate of team teaching?
- How do you propose to let your students express their creativity? Give us an example.
- How do you intend to tailor the English course for students who are differently-abled or are too distracted for various reasons?
- How do you propose to prepare a student who has absented himself for a long time?
- Do you have a road map in mind for students who may be excelling in your subject? How will you mentor such students?
- Name one thing that you look forward to and want your students to take away from your class?
- How do you intend to keep the parents in the loop?
- What is your idea of using your craft of teaching for community building?
- Why should we hire you? Could you give us the top three reasons?
These questions will tell the interviewer(s) not just of your teaching style but also how adept you are at solving potential problems that will come your way.
Before we wrap up, here is a quick summary:
- An interview is one of the best tools for hiring teachers.
- It is a mutually beneficial exercise for both the interviewer and the interviewee.
- It gives first-hand information relating to the job profile and the organization culture.
- A direct face-to-face meeting helps in negotiating the salary and other terms of conditions.
- The interviewer will mark you on many parameters such as your answer per se, clarity of thought, positivity, and approachability.
- A good amount of research on the institution, its standing, scores, and reputation will give the impression that you are serious about the position you have applied.
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