Education & Teaching Interview Questions & Answers

First, I had a telephone interview just to go over my application form and CV. They told me straight away that I had made it to the next stage.

For the interview stage, I was interview by the Director and one of the Assistant Directors at the centre. I was given a tour of the centre first. I had to prepare a 5 minute role play to promote a gym to someone in a supermarket. This went really well, and they let you do it again. You must keep asking them questions and getting to know them - they like that! For the rest of the interview they asked me competency and scenario questions. I got to spend a short time with the children, but there were only 3 there due to it being the holidays. I got to talk to them and the tutor they were with.

Overall, they were really friendly and made you feel at ease during the interview.

The questions weren't overly difficult, as I had prepared a lot for most of them. I guess the scenario questions were the hardest as you never quite know what they'll ask.

Unfortunately, I didn't make it to the Assessment Day stage. The feedback they gave me was that my managerial style wasn't assertive enough, so this may be a hint to what they want! Make sure you make a real effort when you get to speak to the children. I wish I was able to have more time with them and that there were more of them there so I could've have shown them more of my ability.

5 minute role play.

The panel of three people (Head of School, two subject specialists) each took turns leading the interview. HOS started with general 'why did you apply for this post', 'what can you bring to the role?', 'detail your past teaching experience' questions. The first subject specialist then questioned teaching practices in more detail (style, nature of teaching, students being taught) with a focus on teaching to first years.Finally, the second subject specialist questioned my research background. It should have lasted half an hour but ran to fifty minutes.

The most difficult question asked for details of a 20 minute conference paper that I delivered 5 years ago and couldn't remember much about. Fortunately, whilst talking about current research I managed to be far more engaging and they seemed genuinely excited by my current project.

The campus is a difficult place to navigate (even with google maps) - give yourself a lot of time to find locations. With it being summer, there weren't even that many people around to ask for directions, and independent departments mean lots of people working there won't know where different academic schools are because they don't need to.

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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.

My interview was the first stage in my assessment centre day. It was one on one with a member of their graduate recruitment team. The interview wasn't CV based but was instead based on the competency questions asked during the application process. A lot of the questions were very similar to those asked in the application process. Questions required knowledge of the company and opportunities within it, and demonstrations of the key skills required to be a teacher.

Please give an example of a situation that you have created, which was leading to, or resulted in a negative outcome.

Learn your answers to the competency questions thoroughly as this will give you most of your answers for the interview. Also research Teach first and opportunities they offer. I attended a presentation about them which was also helpful.

The process consisted of; a one on one interview, a group exercise, a review of the exercise, a lesson and a review of the lesson. In between each of the exercises there are plenty of opportunities to talk to other candidates and run through or prepare for the lesson. The subject specific lesson title is e-mailed to you the week before the assessment centre day so you can prepare properly. The lesson is in front of two members of the graduate recruitment who take the role of children in your classroom.

I personally did not have to have a telephone interview due to my experience, but have seen many do.
The interview was very relaxing and the staff put you at ease. Firstly they take you on a little tour of the centre and let you ask questions (they liked being asked questions- so do your research). We then had a sit down and spoke about marketing, teamwork, leadership and working with children. The questions were easy to answer providing you had prepared. There were a lot of scenario based questions, but they were really common sense. I then had to do my role play (which you have to prepare in advance). This was scary at first but then they give you feedback and you get the chance to act on the feedback and do it again.

After the initial interview I was given the chance to play on the systems they use before working with the children.

There weren't any particularly difficult questions.

You need to be prepared! Look on there website and get a feel for what they expect from an assistant director. It might be handy to go into one of the centres and see what they do, so when you have your chance to work with the children you're prepared. Everyone freaks out with the role play but when you're in there it's actually not that bad.... so don't worry!

Most importantly let your personality shine through!

My Assessment Centre will take place in April but I understand this will be two interviews, a role play and a presentation along with team working and simple tests.

The interview process came in 2 parts with the initial interview held at a local Explore learning centre. This interview was very relaxed and short, with the aim of gaining a feel for the candidate and whether they would suit the job role. The second interview is held at a group assessment day within the head office in Guildford. The day is split up into different areas including one to one presentations, role play, numerical and literacy tasks and group assessments.

The group task was the most difficult part of the second interview as it requires a concise group of individuals that are confident to work under time constraints. Many candidates struggled with the role play scenario in both interviews.

Be prepared for role play in both interviews as it requires confidence and an understanding of sales and marketing to the general public. If you are successful and get through to the assessment day, make sure you are able to travel for a whole day to the Guildford centre. Some candidates did book a hotel and stay overnight in preparation of this. Do your research!

The assessment centre was a big, bright and open space. The team offered snacks and refreshments throughout the day and were very friendly. The whole day allowed candidates to feel very relaxed and comfortable throughout the process. The only negative being that it is in Guildford and may be difficult for some candidates to get to.

The Interview at the Explore learning center in Woking was wonderful. I was able to learn more information about the company and really got to see how things worked. The center was active whilst the interview was taking place so you were really able to understand how the tutoring worked, and got to talk to some of the children and see what systems they were using. The actual interview consisted of a sales role play which was quite daunting, but they gave me lots of feedback and the opportunity to do the role play again. There was then a few scenario questions based on interacting with parents and children. I was a very fun interview, serious but being in the environment allowed you to relax more. The interview lasted around 2 hours, of which about 45 minutes consisted of talking to the children and helping them out with their work. This consisted of being introduced to one or two children and then left to your own devices, especially as the center was very busy.

The most difficult questions were the ones that asked you how you would deal with children that aren't concentrating and how you would approach situations where the parents wish to take their children out of the program, as customer retention is a big part of the company's policy.

They really like to see personality, so just be yourself. And they are reliant on sales techniques and so I would recommend brushing up on the hard sell in order to push through the sales in the Role Plays.

The assessment center involved a lot of sitting around. There were 12 of us there, and after the initial introduction film and presentation, we were given timetables that told us the times that we would have the two different interviews and the personal task which was a numeracy and literacy sheet. The interviews consisted of a talk about my CV and what skills I had that I could bring to the company and what skills I needed to work on. Whilst the other consisted of a Role Play of talking to a teacher in a school. Again they gave wonderful feedback for the Role Play, which is brilliant information to take further on to other interviews. We then had lunch and got to know the interviewers a bit more, as well as getting to know more about the company and each other. It is not a competitive interview, so the relaxed atmosphere means that some of the pressure is lifted off. Then we were tasked with a group presentation where we were in groups of 6 and had to come up with a 5 point plan to get more members into the gym by the end of the month. This was the only bit of the assessment day that I felt could have been organised or worded differently, as we were given 20 minutes to come up with our plan but when we presented to the interviewers it became clear that they just wanted us to have come to the idea of half price joining fee or the first month half price.

Phone interview - brief (20 minutes) but decent questions regarding previous work experience, personal skills and qualities, how much I knew about the company/role, and scenario based questions. You are expected to have thoroughly researched the company and role to answer all questions in a fitting manner (i.e. all with relation to the qualities expected, the vision and values of the company, the requirements for the role). I was contacted within a week to arrange for a centre interview.

Centre interview - starting with a centre tour by the Centre Director, I was given similar personality/experience/skills questions in a private interview with the CD and Assistant Director. Following this was a sales role play, which was performed twice with feedback after each trial. They are looking for your receptiveness and adaptability as well as sales patter, so listen carefully and incorporate elements back in the second time. Lastly there was a period of observed interaction with children, with feedback afterwards. Friendly and professional, I was contacted within 1 working day inviting me to the next Assessment Day.

What would you consider the biggest obstacle you have overcome?

Do your research, really learn about the company and their culture/vision/values to help answer questions. Be confident in understanding the role (not just a teaching or managerial job), and if you have no sales experience make sure you do your research and practice before the interviews. Above all, be honest and genuine and friendly - they promote a supportive and family-like staff culture, so side-eyes and attitude do not go down well.

10-4.30, the day felt longer because of lots of waiting periods while other candidates were interviewed. The area was designed to be friendly and welcoming however, so it was not unpleasant.

Two individual interviews consist of a personal presentation, a sales role play (only once this time), and a skills-abilities interview. These are conducted privately with one interviewer, so no presenting or role playing in front of other candidates or staff. There was a short written task testing basic maths and English skills, and a short group activity in the afternoon designed to assess your team-work, response to other personalities, leadership, and cooperation.

Interviewers are all team members who started as ADs and progressed through the ranks, and most applicants were recent (or soon-to-be) graduates.

The one-to-one interview was the first part of the assessment centre and in this I was tested on the 8 competencies including my knowledge of Teach First and the Leadership Development Programme . The interview was really friendly and gave me enough time to give lots of detail in my answers but would stop me if she needed to move on. She gave me time to think of an appropriate answer for each question and would repeat or go back to the question at the end if necessary.

When have you done something wrong in a team?

When have you received feedback or criticism for something recent and how did you respond?

When have you persevered with something difficult to achieve a long-term goal?

Be as detailed and specific as possible in your answers. Make sure you smile and make a good impression from the start.

In the group case study, make sure you make yourself heard but actively take on board everyone elses opinions and don't become overbearing or too loud. Include everyone in the discussion.

At first there was a one-to-one interview where you are tested on teach first's 8 competencies and your ability to display them well. The interviewer was friendly and would repeat the question or go back to it at the end if need be.

Then there was a group case study, where you worked in a group to come to decisions on a case study you were given. i was given a break aftet the case study and then had to do an oral self-evaluation of the case study with an interviewer.

We had plenty of time to interact and talk to other candidates and also go over any notes, before we were shown some videos about Teach First and what could happen after you were accepted for a place on the programme.

Then I was called in to present a 7 minute sample lesson to 2 assessors who were pretending to be kids. I would have to teach the lesson to them, while responding appropriately to any questions or distractions they posed. Meanwhile a third assessor was at the back taking notes. After this was over, I was taken to a separate room to complete a written self. evaluation of the lesson and then I needed to compete an online feedback form of the assessment centre.

After completing a very complex application procedure between November and December 2013 (in which 4 copies of all my academic records, references, passport, medical assessments etc. had been posted to the Embassy of Japan in London), I was e-mailed to say that I had been invited to interview (which I had to confirm my prospective attendance again by e-mail) in late January 2014 at the JET Office in the Embassy of Japan in London. I had applied for the ALT position with a friend and we both were given a 1pm interview time so we traveled down to London together by coach the day before and stayed in a cheap hotel about 20 minutes away and on the day arrived at the Embassy at around 11.30am so we had plenty of time to check-in to the Embassy which was also quite a complicated procedure. Then a previous JET member guided us around the building (who had completed two years of ALT teaching in the city of Sanda in Japan), we completed a 5-minute written English test prior to the interview, then talked to other previous JET members to find out about their experiences whilst watching a sample video of the experiences of teaching in Japan, then I was called to be seated outside the interview room with a large sign placed in front of me which I had to read before entering the room (it said in large letters that if I went into the interview room before I was called in by an interviewer then my interview would be cancelled and I would have to leave - it's just so that I don't overhear anything that would give me an advantage over other candidates prior to interview, but it felt like I was waiting for a long time, possibly 20 minutes to be called in), then when I was asked to come in I shook the hand of the English interviewer who led me into the large interview room to be seated in front of a grand wooden desk, the English interviewer sat next to a Japanese interviewer at the desk, and there was another Japanese man seated separately like myself and he was judging how well the interviewers interviewed me. I shook everyone's hands both when I arrived and when I left the room, and I was asked questions as to why and how I could bridge the gap between science and teaching? why Japan and JET specifically? to which I answered I was very interested in science communication which I could possibly add to this programme and it would give me an edge over other candidates, and I have always been interested in Japan but not for the animé more specifically for the culture/food/hobbies that can be carried out in Japan, the humbleness and hospitableness of the people of Japan and the fact that I knew somebody who had previously been involved with a JET-like activity and who had said they enjoyed it (they actually applied to JET but had to cancel as they didn't graduate in time for the programme but have since participated in the Interac programme which is very similar; HOWEVER, please if you mention you do know somebody who has participated in the JET programme find out what specifically they enjoyed about the TEACHING ASPECT of the programme as I was grilled on this but didn't actually have an answer - so I sort of tried to bluff my way by saying something I thought they might like to hear, but they may well have seen through my bluff, please be prepared!!!), the interview lasted around 20 minutes like they said it would in the interview letter and I think overall it went quite well but I find out in April 2014 whether I have the place outright or whether I'm on the reserve list or whether I don't have a place at all.

Could you demonstrate for us how you would teach a class of Japanese children? and I had to stand up and pretend to be a teacher (bare in mind that I have had no formal teacher training whatsoever, but this didn't matter as I wasn't expected to have any, apparently I found out later from friends who had previously applied that they were testing me to see how I cope under pressure / the unexpected)

Just be yourself, apparently they seem to want you to be humorous and be able to story-tell and be interesting, but just do your best as many of the questions were unexpected as they asked me about my previous cultural experiences and if your previous jobs aren't compatible with teaching, they really drill down to the specifics as to why you want to change into teaching from your previous area of expertise (mine being science) and how you would be a good candidate because of your previous experience / how you can apply it to teaching? ... I would also urge applicants to not focus too much during the previous JET member questioning period (just before being interviewed) as it could cloud your mind if you think too much about things that interest you about the JET programme e.g. social/extracuricular activities as they are not exactly related to the teaching job you will ultimately have, so pose a few questions to the previous JET members but don't lose track of your thoughts / prepared answers to interview questions as it could negatively affect your interview performance if you become too engrossed in what previous JET members did.

As I said the check-in procedure to the Embassy is very complicated, me and my friend had to place our baggage on a conveyer belt and step through a metal detector (similar to the security in the airports), then we walked up a flight of stairs to reach reception where we had to hand in our interview vouchers (which had our names on, details of the assessment which we had previously filled in, an attached passport-sized photo of ourselves), plus our passports (which we needed to bring along for verification purposes), we then had to sit and wait for around 20 minutes in a separate see-through-glass-seperated exhibit room (which contained Japanese artifacts / pieces of art/literature of importance to the Embassy) which already contained two other applicants to the JET programme who were interviewed around the same time as me and my friend, then we were called upon and guided through a set of electronic lock-operated wooden double doors by the previous JET member who was wearing an earpiece to receive instructions from JET interviewers/officials within the building, we left our phones etc. in lockers and then went up in a lift to complete the written English test (there were 5 grammar/spelling/proof-reading questions which had to be answered in 5 minutes, both me and my friend only answered the first 4 questions - it is very difficult to complete in such a short amount of time as each of the questions were fairly detailed / require a good amount of concentration), then we spoke to previous JET members about their time e.g. where were they placed in Japan? did they get involved in AJET? (= like universities have an NUS organisation in England, the JET programme has AJET for job-related issues, extracurricular activity organisation etc) What level of Japanese speaking / writing proficiency are they now at following the JET programme? etc. ... it was quite useful and completely different experience to the interviews I have had in the past.