Teacher Interview Tips

It's time for your teacher interview!  How can you best prepare beforehand, and what do you need to bring?  I have made a list of my best interview tips and everything you need to be prepared to ROCK your interview! 

Be Kind and Confident

Smile, make eye contact, and be kind to everyone you meet at the school from the time you walk in until the moment you leave.  You are making a first impression, and you want everyone to remember you for how warm and kind you were.  Give off a positive energy throughout your time there.  Be confident in yourself without being arrogant.  You are there to pitch yourself and prove why you would make a great fit for their school and team.  Showcase what makes you stand above the rest and why they have to have you on their team!

Be Yourself

I have sat in on many interviews, and you can always spot when someone is not being themselves.  Be yourself!  They want to see someone who is real and genuine.  Give them a preview of what it would be like to work with you.  This also allows you to see if you jive with them and their personalities.  Look at the interview as a conversation!

Keep a Positive Attitude

When answering questions and telling about yourself, keep a positive attitude.  You may be leaving a negative experience, but do not bring that up.  Stay positive!  Speaking negatively about your past school or coworkers will only make you look bad.

Show That You Are a Team Player

When we would do team interviews for a new teacher for our grade level, one of the most important things we looked for was someone who would be a good fit for our team.  We wanted someone who would be a team player and could contribute to our team.  How can you add to the team?  What are your strengths?  What are your experiences in working with past teams?  

Keep a Student Focus

It's important to highlight how you build relationships with students.  This affects everything from academics to classroom management.  How do you assess and collect student data?  How do you use that data to drive instruction?  How do you differentiate for your learners?  How do you work with your team to ensure the needs of all students are met?

Bring Examples

Give those interviewing you a peek into your classroom.  I liked to bring my teacher portfolio with me to showcase my past experiences.  You can see a copy of my TEACHER PORTFOLIO HERE.  


What I include in my portfolio:

-copies of my resume to give everyone (Insert a QR code with a link to your portfolio.  I have a highlight on my Instagram page that explains how to do this.)
-photos of my classroom
-lesson plan examples
-classroom schedules
-examples of student work
-assessments and data
-evaluations
-professional development, Praxis scores, copy of my teaching license
-classroom management
-instructional strategies and a peek into my reading and math blocks
-parent communication 



Research the School and District

Check out the website of the school, team members, and the district.  Be familiar with their curriculums, current initiatives, and what types of assessments they use.  It's okay if you don't have experience with those programs, but just have an idea of what they use and be willing to learn.  Be honest about your own experiences and maybe try to make connections between those and their current practices.

Practice Sample Questions

Being prepared to answer questions helped me so much.  I just googled sample teacher interview questions and had a teacher friend help me practice.  She also gave me ideas on how to best answer those questions that gave them a great overview of who I was as a teacher. 

Dress to Impress

Don't dress in what you would wear to teach.  Dress in business casual attire.  I had a friend who dressed in the school's colors, and it made a huge impression on the admin interviewing her.

Send a Thank You Note 

Send admin and others who interviewed a thank you note right after your interview.  This could be as simple as an e-mail.  They will appreciate your thoughtfulness.  

What Should I Bring?

-your teaching portfolio including everything I listed above
-a bottle of water
-a pen or pencil with a notebook just to be safe


I have had so many teachers tell me that they landed their dream jobs using these tips and coming prepared with the portfolio.  Just putting together the portfolio gets you ready to answer their questions. You have something to refer to when giving them a peek into your classroom and previous experiences.  Good luck with your interview!   Please let me know if you have any questions or want to share what helped you! 


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