Role interview guide
Teacher interview questions and what to expect
Teacher interviews usually centre on how you'd teach and manage a class: many schools ask for a short demo lesson, then ask about lesson planning, behaviour management, checking learning and working with parents. Questions on keeping children safe are common, particularly in countries such as the UK. Government and some private schools hold a written exam before the interview; this pack covers the interview and demo stages.
What candidates commonly report; it varies by employer, level and country. Last reviewed 18 October 2026.
The usual stages
- 1Application or CV screen, with a written test for many government and some private schools
- 2Demo lesson: a short class on a topic you're given or choose, sometimes with students present
- 3Interview with the principal, head of department or a panel
- 4Safeguarding and child-protection questions, plus reference checks (common in many countries)
- 5Final discussion with the management on the role and joining
What interviewers check
- A lesson that's clear, engaging and checks whether students understood
- Calm, fair behaviour management
- Planning for students who learn at different speeds
- Putting children's safety and wellbeing first
- Working well with parents and colleagues
- Secure knowledge of the subject at the level you'd teach
Behavioral questions
Tell me about a lesson that went well and one that didn't. What made the difference?
A good answer covers
- Both lessons in a sentence or two
- What made the difference: planning, pace, the activity or the class's mood
- What you now do because of it
Tell me about a student who was struggling and how you helped them.
A good answer covers
- How you noticed, and what the difficulty was
- What you tried, including working with parents or colleagues
- The progress they made
Describe a difficult conversation you had with a parent.
A good answer covers
- The concern, described without blame
- How you listened, explained and agreed next steps
- How it ended and how you followed up
Tell me about a time you worked with other teachers on something, such as an event, a scheme of work or a new idea.
A good answer covers
- The goal and who was involved
- Your part, and how you handled differing views
- The result for students
Questions about the job
You have ten minutes to teach us one topic from your subject. How would you plan that demo lesson?
A good answer covers
- One clear learning goal for the ten minutes
- A hook, a short explanation, an activity and a quick check of understanding
- Questions that get students talking, not just listening
How would you manage a class where a few students keep disrupting the lesson?
A good answer covers
- Clear routines and expectations set early
- Calm, consistent responses that start small and private
- Following the school's behaviour policy and involving others when needed
How would you teach one topic to a class where some students are far ahead and others are behind?
A good answer covers
- Finding out where each group is, first
- Tasks at different levels, extra support and stretch questions
- Grouping, and checking every group's progress
How do you check whether students have understood during a lesson, not just in tests?
A good answer covers
- Quick checks: questioning many students, mini whiteboards, exit tickets
- Watching for common mistakes as students work
- Changing the plan when the checks show a gap
A child tells you something that makes you worried about their safety at home. What would you do?
A good answer covers
- Listening calmly, without asking leading questions or promising to keep it secret
- Writing down what was said and reporting it promptly to the safeguarding lead or the head
- Following the school's child-protection policy rather than investigating yourself
How do you plan a unit of lessons across a term?
A good answer covers
- Starting from the syllabus and what students should know by the end
- Ordering topics so each builds on the last, with time for revision
- Assessments along the way, and adjusting the plan
How would you use technology in your lessons, and when would you avoid it?
A good answer covers
- Examples where it helps: visuals, practice quizzes, simulations
- When it distracts or isn't needed
- A back-up plan if it fails in class
A parent emails angrily that their child's marks are unfair. How would you respond?
A good answer covers
- A calm, prompt reply and an offer to meet
- Rechecking the marking against the criteria before the meeting
- Explaining with evidence, and correcting it if you made a mistake
You take over a class from another teacher in the middle of the year. What do you do in your first two weeks?
A good answer covers
- Learning what was covered and each student's needs from records and colleagues
- Setting your routines and expectations early
- Getting to know the students and keeping parents informed
Motivation and fit
Tell me about yourself and your teaching experience, including training or practice teaching.
A good answer covers
- Your qualification and subject
- Where you've taught, including practice teaching or tutoring
- What you're like as a teacher, in a line
Why do you want to be a teacher?
A good answer covers
- A personal reason, shown by an experience
- What you enjoy about helping students learn
- The kind of teacher you want to be
Why our school? What do you know about it?
A good answer covers
- Specific things about the school: its curriculum, values, activities or students
- How you'd contribute, including outside the classroom
- Why it suits you
How do you keep improving as a teacher?
A good answer covers
- Feedback you seek: observations, student responses, results
- Training, reading or colleagues you learn from
- One recent change you made to your teaching
Tips
- Plan your demo lesson to the minute, with one learning goal, an activity and a quick check, and bring any materials you need.
- Involve the panel or students during the demo; ask questions rather than lecturing the whole time.
- Have examples ready of handling behaviour, helping a struggling student and talking to a parent.
- Know the basics of safeguarding: listen, don't promise secrecy, record what was said and report to the right person.
- Read the school's website (its board or curriculum, values and activities) and mention what fits you.
- Freshers: use your practice teaching, internships, tuition or volunteering as examples.
Practise it out loud
A mock interview asks what teacher interviews usually test, follows up on your answers and gives you a report. The warm-up is free, needs no account and checks five of these questions as you answer.
About this guide
Written by Orbit from what candidates and interviewers commonly describe for this kind of job. The questions are Orbit's own practice questions, not questions taken from any employer's interviews. Processes change, so check the job post and what your recruiter tells you.