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Interviews, more often than not, are filled with uncertainties and it can be quite unnerving for candidates who are not prepared for the interview questions. Just as it is in every field, you'll need to pass interviews before being granted teaching jobs in any learning institution in Nigeria.
While there are chances that someone you know has had an intensely scary experience, it doesn't mean that interviews are difficult. One of the best ways you can prepare for an interview is to know the job role thoroughly. You can also research questions that have been asked by past interviewees.
In this article we will first take a look at how well you can be prepared for teaching careers; we will also examine practical ways you can prepare for interview questions and how to tailor your answers.
How To Prepare For Teacher Interview Questions
After you have learned how to become a teacher through teacher training, the next is to apply for tutor jobs that can help you hone your crafts, and of course, pay you a desirable salary.
It's easy to get jittery when your interview is close. But there are ways you can suppress this by using it to channel your fears into confidence for your interview.
Discover Your Motivation
Not every one that likes the idea of teaching ever gets to encounter it. One of the many work-related issues in the education field is not knowing why you chose the learning profession.
It may seem a little unnecessary until you notice that knowing why you want to become a teacher will boost your confidence for any job interview. It will also increase your interest in honing your skills in schools or any classroom you find yourself in.
Knowing why you chose to become a teacher and being able to interpret this perspective to an interviewer will increase your chances of getting the job.
Now, it's likely that you already know the reason why you'd like to teach, but it can be nerve-racking when you try to express your reasons to the interviewer.
Even though you have the confidence to take any classroom, how convincing can you be to the interviewer? An important method of impressing your interviewer is to practice your answers. Doing this will boost your confidence and practise they say, makes perfect.
Taking the time to find out why you have chosen Education as your career will help you avoid being caught off guard during your job interview.
For example, an interviewer may ask you why you think the job is perfect for you. Since teaching goes beyond classroom lessons, take your time to know exactly why you're in it and if you want to put all of your time and mind in it.
Sharpen Your Teaching Abilities and Style
Naturally, having teaching qualifications or a teaching certification should prepare you for teaching jobs. While it's likely that your teacher training may prepare you for an interview question and provide the best tips for shaping your answers, there's also a possibility that you may not be ready at all.
However, the only way you can boost your teacher education is by honing your teaching practices. While it may seem difficult to find a class or students to work with, it's not impossible. Consider taking volunteer jobs that will allow you to teach and gain proficiency while honing your skills.
During your interview, you may be asked what your teaching style is. Having studied your teaching technique will help you answer the question flawlessly.
How can you tell what your teaching style is and if requested at an interview, how do you process your answer?
Your personality can strongly influence the way you teach. For example, if you preferred practicals than theories, you're likely to tutor your students this way for each lesson.
Another important factor is the learning method of the school you're applying to. Find out whether you can get more information about the school online or anywhere else. Knowing this information can serve as a guide to how you'll answer the question.
Finally, you should ask questions like:
- What does the school need from their teacher?
- What tools, resources or materials do you use to aid better understanding?
Giving answers to these questions will help you shape your answers concerning your teaching philosophy.
Problem-Solving Skills
During an interview, teachers may be asked a hypothetical question; for example, how they to sort out certain issues that might crop up in the classroom.
While it's great to talk about your expertise and your successes, it's also important that you focus on scenarios that may challenge your expertise or authority as a teacher. One of the best techniques to respond to this is by coming up with random scenarios that can happen during your work hours.
You should also find out online, whether this question has been examined before and check out the answer. As a guide, think about the possible issues that may come up in the classroom including behavioural issues and technical difficulties. Use your guide to focus on how you'll respond to it, in a manner that is fair, just and ethical.
Your Past Experience As A Teacher
Best believe that your interview questions will also surround your education background and your former expertise in a class.
Even in cases where it is limited, it's good to talk about it. Any encounter you have teaching a class can help you answer any tricky question an interviewer might ask.
What's best about this is that you can use your past expertise to answer almost every question. For instance, your interviewers may want to know how you can create a good education routine amongst your learners or what a good class should comprise of.
You can use your past expertise as a teacher to answer these interview questions seamlessly by pointing at scenarios that allowed you to do something unique.
Of course, you should consider creating scenarios that may likely occur when you teach pupils in a school, assuming you have very little knowledge.
You can also learn from other teachers who have taught students in several schools across the country. But make sure to personalise them as much as possible.
Discover more career paths in education
Sample Interview Questions For Teachers
After you have taken the time to study why you want to become a teacher and possible scenarios that may crop up in a lesson, then it's time to focus on questions you may be asked at an interview. Preparing for your meeting will assist you in answering inquiries the right way as well as impressing the interviewers. Here is a list of questions and tips & advice on how to answer them:
- Tell us About Yourself
This is one of the most common on the list of teacher interview questions. In answering this kind of inquiry you want to make sure you give a brief insight into your educational background. Continue by stating what your subject area is and highlight its relevance.
You can finally conclude with the expertise you have gained over the years in your profession and how it has helped you hone your skills.
- What are the practical methods you use to meet the required standards?
For this form of inquiry, it is dependent on the teaching standards set by Nigeria's ministry of education. If you do not have enough expertise years, you want to make sure to research the policies governing education in Nigeria.
In any case, you should make emphasis on your commitment to upholding the standards set by the Nigerian ministry of education. You may be required to write a lesson plan for students. Ensure that you use the approved lesson plan format required by the state's school board.
- What knowledge do you have teaching children?
For teachers who want to focus only on a primary school student, this inquiry needs to be carefully answered. Since the ages are so young, your interviewers would expect that you know about working with younger children. You should keep in mind that each student at this age requires extra care and special attention.
So, in answering this question, focus on your previous roles and how you have gained expertise working with children. If you have no experience, you can convince your interviewers by stating that you're passionate about the well-being of children and that you're willing to practice your passion.
- How Will You Ensure that every Student preparing to take the National and State standard Examination are Successful?
First, you need to be familiar with all the names of standard tests and exams the country offers each school. To reply to this, give your interviewer scenarios where you have helped coach students (within and outside school) for specific national or state exams. To impress your interviewers, you can narrate the many methods you used to help prepare your student and how successful they were.
- What is the Disciplinary Measure You Employ In Correcting Students?/ Describe Your Discipline Philosophy
You can tell your interviewers that you always create a clearly written set of rules which you make known to students. You can also state that you're firm and prefer to counsel your students while making sure they follow the rules and regulations set by the school.
Also, you should add that your lessons are very engaging and disciplinary actions will be minimal. You should completely avoid telling your interviewers that you flog or scare your students as they will find that unprofessional.
You should also not pose that you refer to cases of discipline to the principal. You will be presenting incompetence and an inability to handle conflict at your workplace.
- How Do You Ensure Students With Special Needs or Slower Learning Abilities Measure Up With Your Class?
Explain to your interviewers that you balance your teaching methods by ensuring that you're neither too fast nor slow. You should also include that you use the simplest learning tools or materials to aid your training.
Include in your explanation that it's your duty as a teacher to make sure every student fully understand the topic. And as such, you create an avenue for students to ask questions before finalising your class.
Learn more tips on how to manage a class to help with interview questions
If you use any familiar tools that may impress your interviewers, it will do you well to state them including how you utilize them for your classes. In any case, following the tips we have listed above is a surefire way of passing all your interviews.
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