If you are a little shy like me, then teacher interviews can be a little nerve wrecking. Writing down my answers to common interview questions for teachers gave me the confidence I needed to do well in teacher interviews and help me get a great job as a second grade teacher. I’ll show you a creative way I did this later on. You don’t have to go through the hard learning curve I did. Instead, I’ll show you how to answer some of the most common interview questions teachers are asked.
In interviews, teachers are often asked about themselves, their teaching philosophy, how they handle bad behavior in the classroom, how they talk to parents, how they meet the needs of each student, how they have worked with other teachers, and what questions they have for us.
Classroom management is one of the most critical skills for teachers. An educator’s ability to create and maintain an orderly, productive learning environment is essential for student success. Given the centrality of classroom management to teaching, interview questions on this topic feature prominently when applying for teaching positions.
In this comprehensive guide we’ll explore some of the most frequent classroom management interview questions provide sample responses from model educators, and equip you with strategies to demonstrate your expertise in this vital domain of teaching.
Why Interviewers Ask About Classroom Management
Before diving into specific questions and answers it’s helpful to understand why classroom management features so prominently in teaching interviews.
For interviewers, asking classroom management questions serves several purposes:
-
Gauge teaching philosophy and style. How an educator approaches classroom management offers insights into their core beliefs about teaching, learning, and relating to students. Their responses reveal priorities and values.
-
Assess practical skills. Classroom management requires certain concrete abilities like establishing routines, tracking behavior, and addressing conflicts. Interview questions enable evaluators to probe the candidate’s hands-on capabilities.
-
Identify knowledge gaps. Asking classroom management questions allows interviewers to discern if candidates lack proficiency in key areas, indicating potential needs for training or mentorship.
-
Foresee challenges. Understanding a teacher’s classroom management approach helps administrators anticipate potential issues and determine the level of support required.
-
Ensure student welfare. At its heart, effective classroom management helps ensure positive student experiences. Interviewers aim to hire educators who can create safe, thriving learning environments.
In short, classroom management questions provide a window into the qualities and capabilities that make an excellent teacher. Candidates should prepare thoroughly for this vital segment of the interview.
6 Common Classroom Management Interview Questions
While classroom management questions can take many forms, several key questions arise frequently. Let’s examine some of the most prevalent questions, along with strongly formulated sample responses:
1. How would you handle discipline issues in the classroom?
This common question aims to gauge a candidate’s discipline philosophy and their grasp of equitable, constructive approaches to behavioral issues. Here is an example of an effective response:
“My approach to discipline begins with clearly establishing classroom rules, routines, and expectations starting on day one. Students are more likely to meet expectations that they understand and have helped shape. I reinforce positive behavior and have an incentive system that rewards good choices.
When discipline issues do arise, I aim to address them calmly, equitably, and in the least disruptive manner possible. This may involve reminders, private conversations, seat reassignment, or loss of privileges. My focus is always on the behavior, not the student. Serious or recurring issues are handled in cooperation with administrators, counselors, and parents to provide interventions and supports. However, I strive to cultivate a climate focused on positive engagement and relationship building to prevent minor issues from escalating.”
This answer highlights the teacher’s combination of proactive strategies to promote good behavior and measured responses if discipline is required. It emphasizes student dignity and relationships while conveying ability to address challenges.
2. How would you handle a disruptive student who repeatedly interrupts your teaching?
The aim of this question is to understand the teacher’s conflict resolution skills and strategies to minimize classroom disruptions. A sample response:
“If a student continually interrupts my teaching, I would first have a one-on-one conversation to understand any reasons behind this behavior, rule out an academic struggle, and reinforce expectations. I would explain how constant interruptions impact other students’ learning.
If the behavior continues, I would involve school supports like counselors and the student’s parents to discern any underlying issues and align on an action plan. The student may need additional supports or behavioral interventions. In the classroom, I would use gentle reminders, seat relocation, and classroom jobs or leadership roles to channel their energy productively. My priority is resolving the issue while keeping a positive relationship with the student and minimal overall disruption to the class.”
This response demonstrates the ability to probe beneath the surface for causes while implementing incremental solutions oriented towards the student’s growth and dignity.
3. How would you foster an inclusive classroom environment?
This question gauges the candidate’s commitment to equitable education and ability to meet diverse learning needs. Here is a sample answer:
“Fostering an inclusive classroom starts with designing lessons that reflect and value different cultural experiences. I also set clear expectations around mutual respect from day one. Getting to know students individually is key, so I spend time conversing with them about their lives, families, interests, and goals. This enables me to relate content to their cultural contexts and deliver instruction in a differentiated way.
I create opportunities for students to share and learn about each other through team projects, presentations, and cross-cultural discussions. My classroom library contains multicultural texts. I model respect through my language and interactions with students and families. Overall, I aim to create a classroom community where each student feels safe, represented, heard, and able to thrive as their authentic self.”
This response indicates the teacher proactively builds inclusion into curriculum, relationships, and classroom culture. It highlights specific examples rather than vague intentions.
4. A student has been struggling academically. What steps would you take?
This aim is to understand the teacher’s approach to identifying student challenges and providing responsive support. Here is a sample response:
“If I noticed a student struggling, I would first collect more data, like their performance on assignments, participation levels, and any tests or quizzes. I would review work samples to diagnose the specifics of their academic challenges. I’d also confer one-on-one with the student to better understand their perspective on any difficulties. Their insights help tailor my supports.
Based on this data, I would adjust my instructional methods, provide additional scaffolding for this student, facilitate peer mentoring, and offer individual tutoring. I would share my observations with their parent/guardian to align on strategies. Implementing and tracking intervention approaches enables me to determine if the issues require a Student Support Team referral or evaluation for learning disabilities. My goal is timely, data-driven, and coordinated support.”
This response demonstrates the ability to identify issues early, collect data systematically, implement multitiered interventions, and monitor progress. It reflects a commitment to differentiated instruction.
5. How do you promote positive behavior in your classroom?
This question reveals the candidate’s ability to cultivate a healthy classroom climate proactively through a strengths-based approach. A sample answer:
*”I promote positive behavior by establishing clear expectations and routines early and reinforcing them consistently. Students feel secure when they understand what’s expected. I use positive reinforcement, like verbal praise or class rewards, to incentivize good choices. Building mutual trust and rapport with students is key; they are motivated to meet the expectations of teachers who care about them. Inviting student perspectives when shaping rules also increases buy-in.
I also focus on creating a warm, collaborative classroom culture. Students who feel comfortable and valued are less likely to act out. Promoting leadership opportunities and using peers to model desired behaviors engages students constructively. With this comprehensive approach of clear expectations, consistent reinforcement, warm relationships, and student leadership, I foster an environment where most behaviors are positive.”*
This response highlights research-backed strategies anchored in trust, consistency, leadership, and relationship building. It emphasizes proactive climate cultivation.
6. A student makes inappropriate comments that offend other students. How would you respond?
This question probes the candidate’s sensitivity, judgment, and ability to address inappropriate behavior while maintaining student dignity. A sample response:
“If a student makes inappropriate, offensive comments, I would immediately intervene with a reminder about our class guidelines of respect. However, I would handle it sensitively, so the student does not feel shamed, especially in front of peers. This may involve a discreet conversation versus a public reprimand.
I would speak to them privately to understand the context and intent behind their words, clarify the impact, and reflect on better choices going forward. Depending on the severity, I may engage counselors or parents to address the root causes and align on counseling supports if personal issues are at play. My response will focus on accountability, reflection, empathy-building, and development of social-emotional skills so the student can become a more considerate member of our classroom community.”
This response demonstrates understanding of age-appropriate discipline balanced with student privacy, emotional learning, and restorative practices. It aims to change behavior while maintaining the child’s dignity.
Strategies for Acing Classroom Management Interview Questions
Based on these common questions and model responses, here are some key strategies to optimize your classroom management interview performance:
-
Demonstrate your grasp of research-backed methods like consistent routines, positive reinforcement, and proactive relationship building. Alignment with evidence-based practices reassures interviewers.
-
Provide detailed examples that offer a window into your classroom in action. Vague generalities sound impressive but actual anecdotes and scenarios reveal your expertise.
-
Focus on student dignity and emotional/social growth when discussing discipline or behavior issues. This reflects maturity and a commitment to each child’s humanity.
-
Highlight data-driven intervention processes like seeking patterns, consulting the student, communicating with parents, and monitoring approaches over time. This showcases your systematic
Questions Teachers Are Asked in Interviews
Tell us about yourself.
Okay, okay, technically not a question but most interviews start with this. It’s a way for them to break the ice and start the interview. I would go in with this question telling where you are from and about your teaching experience. For your first job as a teacher, talk about your college program, your student teaching, and why you chose to become a teacher. Share why you love teaching. Those who are interviewing you want to hire teachers that love teaching and have a passion for it.
What’s your teaching philosophy?
Among the common interview questions asked to teachers, this one is at the top of the list. I would ask you to share a mantra that you live by when it comes to education and then give specific examples of how you have used that mantra as a teacher. For example, if your mantra is something like, “Students have unique needs. It is up to me to help students grow where they are at. Then I would talk about how I gave a student an extra activity because I saw he was bored in math because he already knew the skill we were working on. Or how I noticed a specific student didn’t know simple sight words. I would pull this kid aside every morning while the rest of the class did morning work and work on those sight words with him for five minutes. After a couple weeks, he knew all those sight words and increased his reading fluency.
What does classroom management look like in your classroom?
Principals want to know that you can handle a class. And how can they know you really can do that? If you share specific examples. Are you starting to see a pattern now? Examples are key in interviews. It is how you “show” rather than “tell. ” For this one, I would first share my classroom management plan and then share specific stories.
This is my plan for managing my classroom. I talk about how I set a good tone at the start of the year. I get my students involved in creating a classroom agreement. These are like our class rules. I read my kids picture books that teach them how to behave and treat others during the first week of school. As we read those books we list out the things we learn. Then we compile those into categories and I type it up on a nice poster. Students then sign the poster and this shows they commit to follow those rules in our classroom. In this blog post, “How to Make a Class Agreement for Elementary,” you can learn more about how to make an agreement for your classroom.
I also share how last school year, as a class we recited our class rules every morning. Soon the kids wanted to make up hand signals to go with each rule. If my principal ever stopped a student in the hallway and asked them what the rules of our class were, they would be able to say them without any trouble.
To also set a good foundation, I share how I explicitly teach classroom routines and procedures. I have a powerpoint with all the steps to my classroom routines and procedures written out. During the first week of school, my class learns each one by reading the steps with me. The students write down what it should look and sound like after I show them it. Then I have them practice it. We practice it until it is perfect and exactly how I like it. As an example, I talk about how students moved from their desks to the carpet area out of order after learning the routine. While moving, they talked and were foolish. I quickly pulled up the slide and reviewed the expectations with students and had them practice it. Click on this link to read my blog post about the routines I teach in my classroom and to learn more about this process. Number 3 is a Life Saver!.
I also let them know that they can get extra Fun Friday time during the week if I see them being good at switching between projects. I simply write “+5” up on the whiteboard. When students talk over me or move from one thing to another too slowly, I will write “-5” on the board to take away Fun Friday time. I add up the time at the end of the day on Friday and add it to our Fun Friday time. The kids can use the toys and games I have in the classroom at this time. I also work with students that didn’t get their work done throughout the week. It really motivates students to get their work finished and no one has to miss recess. Learn more about Fun Friday here in this blog post: 3 Fun Friday Ideas For Classroom Management.
Then I go into behavior incentives and how I have three different levels: individual rewards, group rewards, and whole class rewards. I like to show this in my Teacher Interview Portfolio. This is where I put notes on all the important topics I will probably be asked about during the interview. I show the three different levels.
For individual rewards, I give students punches on a punch card and when they fill it up they get to choose a student coupon. These are fun classroom rewards like sitting in the teacher’s chair or bringing a stuffed animal to class.
For group rewards, I share how I arrange student desks in three rows. I will give a row point when they are quick on a transition or all on task. The row with the most points at the end of the day on Friday, gets a little treat.
And for whole class rewards, we have a class flower. When students have amazing behavior for our math or reading block, I give them a petal. When the flower gets all 10 petals, they earn the reward at the center of the flower. Students even vote on the reward they want to work towards. These rewards included eating lunch in class, extra recess, and a pajama party. Students can also get a petal if they meet our daily behavior goal for the class, do well in their centers, or get a compliment from one of our specials teachers. Learn more about this whole class reward system here: The Best Whole Class Rewards System Ever!.
That was a lot of information about how to run a classroom, but I wanted to give you a lot of ideas, especially if you are a new teacher. Don’t be afraid to take some time to answer this question. I’d say it is one of the most important questions teachers are asked in interviews. So make sure you are prepared. They may even ask a follow up question….
How have you helped a student with difficult behavior?
This one is where you are going to have a specific answer and story. But you should also talk about how you got to know this student, how you set limits, how you talked to their parents, and how all of those things helped that student.
How do you promote a positive classroom environment?
I like to share what I do to show respect to students. It can be simple things like saying please and thank you to students.
You could share how you have students applaud for each other after one shares about a project. How you teach them to make a certain hand sign when they agree with something someone else says
I also share how I get students involved in our classroom setup during the first week of school. They help make our bulletin boards, schedule cards, and their name tags for their desks. Doing these things help students take ownership in their classroom. This blog post, Meaningful Classroom Setup Ideas, talks more about how I get my students involved in setting up the classroom.
How do you communicate with parents?
For this one you can tell that you have a monthly/weekly newsletter you send home with parents. Or how you use an app like ClassDojo to easily message parents and send out reminders. I like to share that with these apps. I’ll photograph what the kids are doing and add it to our app-based class stories. That way parents can start conversions with students at home about what we are learning about. I’d also like to say that I prefer to call my parents instead of text or email them when I need to talk to them about important things. A lot of miscommunications can happen with emails and messages.
I like to type out all the ways I communicate with parents in my Teacher Interview Portfolio. Find the one I use here.
How do you meet students’ unique needs?
You can share how you first need to come to know their academic needs through assessment. Share a story of you giving an assessment and what you did with the data. Did you pull those students aside and work with them one-on-one in the morning? Did you put them into small groups and plan activities based on what they needed to work on?
You can also talk about how you divide up your students’ work and group them during center time.
You can also talk about the activities you do with students who finish their work quickly as extra work for those students. This blog post has more information about the quick-finisher activities I use in my classroom: 12 Fun Quick-Finisher Activities
I like to type out my differentiation plan in my Teacher Interview Portfolio. Find the one I use here.
How have you collaborated with other teachers?
People who hire teachers are asked these kinds of questions to see if they can get along with other teachers. I like to share that usually the best professional development is just down the hallway. There were times when I had a problem and I would ask the other second grade teachers in my building what they did to fix it. I also share that with our reading program the grammar component was lacking in learning activities. So I created a powerpoint to help teach the standards and have engaging activities for students to do. The other second grade teachers could use those PowerPoints if they wanted to. I just gave them to them. It’s hard work to be a teacher, so if we can save time for each other, that’s great. I also talk about how our second grade team met to go over data during the school year. We would look at students’ reading scores and divide them into our intervention groups based on their needs. We worked together as a team to meet students’ needs.
Say This in Your Teacher Interview | Kathleen Jasper
FAQ
What are the 3 C’s of classroom management?
Which 3 classroom management skills are most important?
How many classroom management interview questions are there?
In this article, we review eight classroom management interview questions and provide example answers you can use to craft your responses. These are eight classroom management interview questions and sample answers you can use to prepare for your interview: 1. Provide an example of a time you used effective classroom management.
How do you answer a classroom management interview question?
1. Provide an example of a time you used effective classroom management. The interviewer may ask this question regarding your classroom management methods to understand more about your capabilities as a teacher. Mention any strategy that you used and elaborate on how you used it.
Why should you learn different classroom management interview questions?
Learning different classroom management interview questions can help you better prepare for interviews and improve your chances of getting hired. Classroom management is an actionable plan that encourages focus and good behaviour from students to enhance their learning capabilities.
How do I prepare for a classroom management interview?
Prepare for the types of questions you are likely to be asked when interviewing for a position where Classroom Management skills will be used. When it comes to interviews, preparation is key. This is especially true for teachers, who need to be able to answer a variety of questions related to classroom management.
