Education & Teaching Interview Questions & Answers

I went to a face-to-face interview with two directors of the learning centre that I was applying for. It started off with a tour of the facilities, which I was shown around upon entry. We then moved on to face-to-face interview questions, where I was sat down at a table with the two interviewers. They asked me questions on a variety of topics, such as my drive to succeed, my experiences with helping children overcome obstacles, and my previous work experiences. I then had to conduct a role play with one of the interviewers where I was trying to sell them, acting as a member of the public on the street, a gym membership for a new fitness centre. The interview concluded with me being taken to the room where the children were doing their after-school learning, and being encouraged to interact with them and ask them questions about the work they were doing, and I was also given the chance to assist them in their learning if they so wished.

Describe an obstacle you have had to overcome in the past where a child has had a lack of motivation for an activity, and you have had to ensure that they became more enthusiastic about the activity.

The interview was to determine if I had the personality that would suit moving to China and teaching English. The interview consisted of questions concerning my motivation behind wanting to do this job, I was also asked how I would handle difficult situations that might occur in a classroom. I was also given a lot of information about the job role and what to expect when moving to China.

How would you handle two or more students that are running around the classroom?

I did not have a telephone interview and I got invited to the Centre Interview. They started off with a tour of the centre and explaining the role of an AD on a daily basis. Then we had an interview with competency questions (a situation with a difficult customer, leadership) and 'why explore learning?" and a general conversation about the role. Then we had the gym role play, which they made me feel very relaxed about and they give you immediate feedback to then do it again. Definitely listen to the feedback and take it on board! Then I had time to work with the children where they will also give you feedback too.

Describe a time where an experience was stressful or de-motivated you.

The day was very relaxed and non-competitive. First met the candidates and had a chance to get to them before the day started. Had a presentation about the history of EL and whats important to the company. Then, our days were all scheduled differently so you would all do things at different times. It involved an interview (scenario-based questions and logistics), presentation (how you can contribute to the 4 visions- drawing on competences and experiences), role play (with a parent at a RMU in a shopping centre), maths and english test (perhaps brush up on basic maths) and then a group activity (action plan to get member numbers up).

The online application was very straightforward. After about 24 hours I received an email inviting me to attend an interview at a centre. I was asked for a list of five centres that would be convenient for me and a list of dates over the following two weeks. About a week later I attended the centre interview. The staff were very welcoming and friendly. They gave me a tour of the centre and then we sat down to have a discussion about the company, the role and my skills/experiences. They asked a number of questions (including scenario-based ones). After this we carried out a role-play task where I was required to initiate and lead a conversation, in which the goal was to sell a gym membership and try to secure a free trial. I was nervous for this, but you are given a chance to repeat it after receiving feedback from one of the interviewers. This was very helpful. It is important to really get to know the customer. At the end of the interview I was given the opportunity to work with some of the children. I loved this!

A couple of days later I received a phone call and an email inviting me to the assessment day in Guildford (4 days later).

The questions were to be expected (leadership, challenges at work, scenario-based questions etc.)

Make sure you research the company, its vision and its values. Try to be concise in your answers/responses. They want to see your personality, so try to be relaxed and just be you! Read through the information that they send you prior to your interviews and make sure you listen to the feedback. They want you to do well!

The day started at 9:30am and was at the company's head office in Guildford. There were ten other candidates who were all lovely and we all received packs with our timetable for the day.

The team kicked off the day with a presentation about Explore and the AD role. This was informative and lasted about 30 minutes. The interviewers all introduced themselves to us.

Prior to the assessment day we were informed that we needed to prepare a five minute presentation about how our skills/experiences would contribute to the company's visions. This was presented to two interviewers. After this, it was the "role-play" task, where I had to try to sell Explore to a customer in a shopping centre. This time I was only asked to carry out the role-play once. I was given a chance to reflect before they gave me feedback. This was all very helpful. Make sure you really get to know the customer.

I had a one-to-one interview with a member of the recruitment team which was very relaxed. There were a number of "normal" interview questions, scenario-based questions and a discussion about logistics.

Next was a basic maths and English test. No preparation was needed.

Finally, we were split in to groups and asked to complete a group task. They are looking to see how well you work in a team.

Overall, it was a great day. Remember you are not "competing" against other candidates as everyone will have different start dates and locations in mind. This made the environment very positive and friendly.

Enjoy it!

After applying online you have a phone interview followed by a a centre interview if you reach the next stage. The final stage is an Assessment Day at their HQ in Guilford. Cardiff and attended the Assessment Day in Guildford. I applied in November and attended the Assessment Day in January but it would have been a shorter time period if I did not have to reschedule around my University schedule. The phone interview was pleasant and quite quick. As long as you have done thorough preparation beforehand, it should not be difficult. Explore Learning's website has everything necessary to learn about the company and see if your values coincide with theirs. By the end of the phone interview, I was told that I had been successful and I was able to choose a centre to have my second face-to-face interview.

I chose a centre close to where I go to university, so don't worry if you are living between cities at the time of application. I received a tour of the centre before the interview which was nice. The interview itself was slightly more intense, I was interviewed by two centre directors. They asked me a few questions then proceeded into the role play. You have two chances at the roleplay after receiving feedback on your first turn. I loved this aspect, it is so important to know where and how you can improve and then make real-time changes.

The day after this centre interview, I received an email saying I have been accepted for the Assessment Day in Guilford (very quick process).

Should you greet and attempt to secure a trial session with a client that has just walked into the centre when you have just been given an important task to complete by the end of your work day?

Be yourself! It is very obvious if you are pretending to be invested in the company when you are not. By the time you have reached the Assessment Day you should feel confident in yourself and how suited you are to the role. The Assessment Centre, its atmosphere, the staff and the activities do give a real insight to life at Explore Learning and I believe that you will be perfect for the job if you enjoy the entire process.

The Assessment Day was an enjoyable experience and I felt as though I was surrounded by people who were all enthusiastic and passionate about the company. It definitely made me want to work here more. It started with an introduction to the company and staff, followed by individual interviews, presentations, role play, group exercise and a Maths and English test. The group exercise is the last thing to take place but the other activities are done in a randomised order.

The individual interviews were similar to ones we've done previously so it was a nice beginning to the day. I did the presentation and role play next. I had the choice of which one to do first, I picked the personal compass presentation first. I did well in my presentation, I was clear, energetic and passionate about who I am, my goals, and what made me suitable for Explore Learning. The role play was more challenging but the feedback I received was very helpful. The English and Maths tests were quick and not too difficult. The group exercise was good but also a bit difficult, only because you want to appear as a team and let everyone have their opportunity to shine, however, you have to put your own best foot forward too. My tip would be to listen well to each other and encourage others to speak as well as speaking yourself.

The atmosphere was incredible, I did not feel as though I was in competition with my peers, rather, we all had similar goals and were looking forward to displaying our capabilities. All the staff were welcoming and in fact, inspirational. The Assessment centre made me want to grow with this ever-growing company.

Centre interivew-

I was interviewed by the Centre Director and Assistant Director who sat me down and asking some standard interview questions- 'how would you feel being in charge of a team?', 'which of these duties jump out to you as things you'd excel at?'.
We then did a role play where I had to stop the AD and promote a gym and try to get him booked in for a free trial day. The idea was to ask as many questions and get to know them as well as possible to tailor the gym membership to their likes.

"Give an example of a time you overcame a challenge at work"

Do some prep about the company for the role play- not so much stats or figures but enough to feel confident.

Maybe revisit BBC Bitesize for a little maths refresher if it's been a while.

Show them your personality and passion for the job.

Lovely vibe! A very happy team of about six who introduced themselves.
There were nine candidates who had travelled to Guildford from as far afield as Leicester. We were forewarned that we would have to prepare a presentation about ourselves and do another role play , a numeracy test, a literacy test, another standard interview and a group activity.
Numeracy and literacy tests- After a half an hour welcome presentation from the team, my schedule sent me and one other girl to complete our tests while the others were doing different tasks in different rooms. We weren't supervised and the tests were straightforward. Sort of year 7/8 standard maths- percentages, decimals etc, probability etc. The English was highlighting mistakes on a passage of writing and correcting it. Then a 'where' or 'wear', 'their' or 'they're' selection of questions.

Presentation- referred to as a 'personal compass' : where have you come from; where are you going; what makes you happy; what makes you great. Very straightforward- they just want to see your communication skills in action. I put lots of photos of me mucking around in there as they said they were keen to see some personality! This and the role play were done with just one interviewer present.

Role play- This time you're pretending to stop a mum in a shopping centre and promote Explore Learning as an employee. The idea of this seemed to freak a lot of people out but it's nowhere near as bad as it seems. Just be smiley and friendly and get to know the 'mum'. Also done with just one interviewer present.

I then had a half an hour break while other candidates came and went to their different appointments. We had a chance to chat and have a laugh- it was a relaxed atmosphere where we all agreed it had been a while since we thought about year 8 maths.

I then had another interview with a different member of the Careers team which was your run of the mill interview. I talked about my background, education, what I'd thought of the day so far, what did I think I'd excel at in the job or find difficult, and some scenario questions- whatever it is, customer/families/kids come first!

Lastly the nine of us were split in to two groups and asked to create a presentation together about how to bump membership in an Explore centre. They just want to see how you cooperate as a team and what role you play in a group dynamic.

During the breaks I imagine they continue to assess subtly and keep an eye on what you're like while 'off duty'. As long as you are a confident speaker and enthusiastic- they'll like you.

I had no phone interview but went straight to a centre interview. This took the format of a tour of the centre and description of the role with the centre director. This was a bit annoying, especially the information on the role, as I'd thoroughly researched the job and the company and wanted to show that I knew all this, rather than being told! This was followed by some questions about my application and cv along with some scenario questions with both the centre director and one of the assistant directors, which lasted about half an hour. Then there was the role play, from which I was given useful feedback and then repeated. After that was some interaction with the kids, with one of the tutors which went on for about 15 minutes.

Scenario questions such as 'what would you do if the centre director was away for a while and performance among the staff started to drop?'

Do your research, especially on marketing and sales techniques. Look through information provided carefully by the company and listen to centre interview feedback before the assessment centre. Relax in both interviews, everyone seems very nice and they really want to just get to know you.

The day started with a talk from the operations director which lasted about half an hour on the company overall. This was followed by an interview with one of the graduate recruitment managers on my application and some management scenario questions. Then came the marketing presentation which lasted 5 minutes followed by some questions with another of the graduate recruitment managers followed by the role play. Then was the literacy and numeracy task which we could do in our own time. In the afternoon was the group task which involved choosing a selection of objects to keep on a sinking ship and having to present our findings within a small timeframe.

Upon completing the application I was invited for an interview via email (unfortunately I could not attend the initial interview date, however the panel agreed to change the date for me). Upon arrival I was welcomed into the interview room where a panel of three colleagues were waiting for me. They offered me a seat, a drink of my choice and asked several nerve-quenching questions such as "How are you?" and then we proceeded to some friendly banter.

Once the tension had been broken, the panel alerted me that the interview would now officially begin. The first question they asked is one which I am asked by all employers: "Why do you want THIS job?". This question is something that you must spend time preparing for as anyone who brings someone into their business must be assured that it is that particular job role you care about above any other.

The three colleagues took in turn to ask many other typical questions such as "If you were offered the job, what are the positive impacts you would have?" and "Say for instance you were in crisis situation 'x' (relating to the job role), how would you respond and who would you report to?".

If you are reading this and truly seeking valuable advice, mine would be that if you honestly care about the graduate role you are going for: you absolutely must take the time to prepare a portfolio demonstrating what you can bring to the position and how you can make a positive impact. And unless you are going for a change-management consultancy role, never tell the employer how you think they could improve (assume they are happy with the way they do things). There will be plenty of time for your valuable input on change!

The most difficult question that I was faced with during that particular interview was "What are the three most exciting aspects about the job role?". I know this is pointing out the obvious, but make sure you know the job specification inside-out before entering the interview. Luckily I had prepared at least two answers for every question that I could think that they would ask (always prepare at least two).

If you are applying for the company you must get across a friendly and academic approach. You have to demonstrate that you are approachable by students, and that you will also be seen as a professional academic figure. It is also vitally important that you show a full appreciation for the job role and express what it means to you and your career development (preferably a long and prosperous career with the company).

N/A.

The initial interview was good. I personally left with the thought that I did not get the job. But that was more my worry and because I really couldn't read my interviewers. Apart from that, the process went smoothly and they made you feel comfortable and the environment is friendly. I also enjoyed the chance to interact with the children during the interview.

The most difficult question I was asked was during my interview on the assessment day. It was my scenario question, which I ended up getting wrong.

My advice to anyone interested in applying is to make sure you do your research into the company and the role you are applying for. Make sure that you show your passion and enthusiasm of the job, but make sure that it is real and genuine. Also be confident in yourself.

You have an idea of what tasks you're going to be doing before you go, but you still don't know what to expect with the people and the other candidates. However, it turned out to be a great day. The interviewers were super friendly and we as candidates were friends by the end of the day. Certain tasks that we had to perform made us more nervous than others and it varied for each person. However, you get it done and you realise you made yourself worry for nothing.

The overall format was a general assessment centre, a competency based interview, group exercise and a presentation in the format of a teaching lesson. The assessment centre consisted of 3 tasks, a one to one competency based interview which lasted approximately 45 minutes, a group exercise where we were split into groups of 8, given 15 minutes to read the task and decide collectively on the outcome, and finally a 5 minute sample teaching lesson where we were given 1 minute to prepare once stepping into the class.

Describe a time where you failed something and how you overcame this?

Teach First is a very friendly organisation, they want you to do well so be calm and perform in your interview, and let your personality shine through. Make sure you know their competencies very well and the rest should be fine!

The assessment centre consisted of 3 tasks, a one to one competency based interview which lasted approximately 45 minutes, a group exercise where we were split into groups of 8, given 15 minutes to read the task and decide collectively on the outcome, and finally a 5 minute sample teaching lesson where we were given 1 minute to prepare once stepping into the class.