Junior School Teacher

► What would you need to provide to create a stimulating learning environment?

► Describe a teacher you have worked with who you judge to be a good teacher.

► Give an example of your work with children?

► How many days work experience do you have?

► Describe a difficult scenario you faced in your work experience.

► General questions about my own school experience and to describe its positive and negative aspects.

► The head teacher concentrated on school based questions such as past experience, what these experiences have taught you, why you would want to teach and even possible future scenarios and how you would deal with such problems.

► Try to get some work experience in schools: you will see different teachers using different teaching techniques and methods which will give you material to talk about/use in your interview or written piece. I went to both primary and secondary so was in a good position to argue why I wanted to teach secondary.

► I would strongly recommend visiting the Schools in your area for 2 - 3 days to give you a realistic impression of the career you are choosing. It will also be a valuable talking point in your interview and will show the interviewer that you are keen and have taken initiative. Read around the subject.

► Make sure you have some work experience: they seem to place immense importance on this.

► Tell me about the school you visited. What kind of school was it? What impressions did you gain about the school?

► How would you make sure students had equal opportunities in the classroom.

► Questions involving Equal Opportunities are asked to every candidate unless, like myself, you wrote about it in the exam

► What are the differences in teaching in inner London schools

► What do you think about placing children with Special Educational Needs in mainstream schools?

► What is Every Child Matters?

► How would I approach teaching a mixed ability class?

► What would you do to help less able children?

► Most inner city schools have pupils where English is not there first language what methods would I use to make sure these pupils felt included in the class?

► You must know Inclusion and Equal Opportunities inside out, as you will either decide to write on it in the exam, or you will be asked about it in the interview, and they really want to see that you know what you are talking about.

► Why do you want to be a history teacher?

► How would you make History interesting?

► Why teach history to children?

► What do you like about history?

► What will you do if you don't get the place here?

► If you have a paper from the 1870s (in the Wild West) about women's role within society, is it a primary source or a secondary source? Please explain your answer.

► What subject of history would you say you know best? They then asked me about it.

► What are the particular challenges of teaching history today?

► Briefly explain your dissertation's conclusion.

► What type of sources and historians did you use on your dissertation? Name one.

► What are your strengths and weaknesses in terms of the history National Curriculum?

► How do you feel about a skills-based vs a factual approach to teaching History?

► What history did you see in the school you visited?

► What particular challenges might Key Stage 3 pupils pose?

► What is it about your ideas that would motivate young people?

► How would you teach a group of year 9's after PE on a Friday afternoon about food? How would you teach the same group if there was a large difference in ability i.e. very bright children to children barely able to read and write?

► What differences are there between university and school education?

► What is the role of the Teaching Assistant in the classroom?

► Asked how I would use the things I learnt in my degree in a classroom.

► How would you place students in the classroom? Do you think this has any relevance to effective learning?

► What do you understand by the term 'teaching methods'? Why is this an important consideration?

► When did you first come to Britain? (I'm from France).

► How are your studies going?

► Do I enjoy studying?

► Through undertaking your course and reflecting on the teaching methods used, what have you learnt which will influence your own teaching methods?

► Can I use the research involved in my MA when I do PGCE?

► What could a PGCE bring me?

► What are you most looking forward to teaching?

► How have you prepared for the interview?

► What would I do with a class of disinterested fifteen year olds to keep them interested.

► How would you track your students' progress, and do you feel it is important to do this?

► What/who are your favourite childrens books/writers?

► What texts did I study at University and how did I think they would be relevant to teaching Secondary English.

► What Shakespeare play would I choose to teach a mixed ability class of 14yr olds and why did I feel it was a good play to choose?

► How would I structure the first lesson on Shakespeare and how would that relate to the lessons that would follow?

► How did I think English added to a child's overall school experience?

► If budget was no problem and you were able to take a group of students anywhere in the world to study English, where would you take them? Having studied a lot of American literature at Kent I had no problems with this question but it completely threw the other girls at the interview.

Yes I am a flexible teacher. I can deal very effectively with people and students from all backgrounds and socio-economic groups. In teaching, I am completely aware that students have different learning rates and styles. Some are fast learners and some are slow learners, some learn best in auditory manner, others through actions or visual media. Still others have specific learning disabilities. I am flexible in the sense that I address
these differences and make it a point to respond to their different needs. In my teaching, I make use of different learning strategies so that my instruction will be interesting and motivating to students. I use lecture, discussion, hands-on activities, cooperative learning, projects, manipulatives, role playing, debates, reports, technology, and others.

Oh, yes, this is the question that is most likely to be asked first. I call it a two minute commercial about yourself. This is a great opportunity to sell yourself to the school
district representatives. Keep in mind, if it is the first question asked, it will set the stage for the interview, so it needs to be extremely strong. Don't be too modest. This will provide an overview, an introduction, to you. You might start by stating, "As you can see from my resume…." and then mention your degrees and certifications and give a quick run down of your relevant experience. The last 1 ½ minutes should be used to communicate your strengths and skills and what you can do to enhance education in their district. In other words, they are asking "Why should we hire you?" Practice this carefully. You need a few sentences that answer that question at the end of your response. Also, at the end, you may want to mention why you would enjoy working for the school district in the

Here is a possible answer for this question.

I love education. I think that it is imperative to be a lifelong learner when one is a teacher. I plan to continue my education by (fill in this blank with your own plans). 

Technology continues to evolve into a strategic part of education. Tablet PCs and hand held devices are the newest gadgets on the market for students to use; the internet is
an incredible resource. Technology provides interactive, individualized learning experiences, increasing student engagement and efficiency - in safer and more secure
schools.

Multiculturalism and securing equal opportunities for all are important themes in education.

And, of course, teaching to state standards to upgrade student academic progress is very important.



What I most enjoy in teaching is hearing my students explain, in their own words, what they learned in a particular lesson and watching them enjoy participating in a lesson. When you observe my class, you will see that I get my students engaged in our discussions and activities. You will see that my students actively participate in each lesson. I make sure that all of them have a chance to speak, express their thoughts, and share them with the class. I enjoy how their faces brighten every time I recognize their efforts to learn by saying, "Very good," "That's a great idea," "Good job," and other encouraging phrases. At the end of the lesson, you will hear the students explain what they learned. Most of all, you'll know that I enjoy teaching because the children in my class look happy.

An Individualized Education Plan will be successful if proper coordination and collaboration are emphasized by the teacher, parents, psychologist, and other school staff. I accommodate a student with an IEP by planning a series of in-depth discussions with the parents to learn about the student's diagnosis and needs and later to inform the
parents of his progress. This allows me to design an education program that addresses his specific needs and puts into place special accommodations. I also will document my own observations and evaluations of the student's academic work and behavior. As I gain knowledge and information about the student with the IEP, it will be easier for me to decide on the lessons and teaching and learning styles I should use to accommodate his needs and maximize his learning. There are many types of accommodations, depending on the student's diagnosis, for example, instructing a student through the use of
 manipulatives, providing a seat near the front of the room, reinforcing positive behavior every few minutes, providing extra time for assignments, and giving tests orally instead
of in writing.



This question tests how well you will manage the classroom. The philosophy is that the more organized you are, the more well-run your classroom will be. Don't give the panel just a few words… they may be using a checklist to see how many items you mention. Plus, as a teacher, you should be very excited about this question and be able to speak for a while, but limit the response to two minutes.



Your response must provide them with an idea of how nurturing and inviting your classroom will be to students. Come up with some creative decorating ideas, making sure
they are student-centered. You could also mention a huge welcome sign, the daily schedule, age-appropriate posters, name tags for students, labeled desks (how will they be
arranged?) and lockers, a list of class rules/consequences/rewards, and other labeled areas (e.g., the classroom library, manipulative storage, computer area), etc. Or, mention that you might invite parents and students to visit the classroom the day before school
starts, with the administrator's permission. If you have a portfolio with have pictures of other first days of school, this is a great chance to share them with the panel.



For me, the most difficult part of student teaching is the limited contact hours with students within one class period (or day). When I teach, I have so much information that I
would like to impart to my students that time flies by too fast. I always go to my classes full of energy and armed with lessons which I believe will stimulate curiosity and
spark understanding and new insights in my students. There is so much information that I need to present for them to have a comprehensive understanding of a concept. My
challenge is to make sure that I structure my lessons so effectively that learning takes place in one class period (or day). So I plan ahead to maximize every minute of my
class period (or day).