Teacher interview questions: 23 questions and a scorecard for interviewers
The short answer
Good teacher interview questions test how a candidate plans lessons, manages behavior, checks what students have learned, adapts teaching for students with special educational needs and disabilities, keeps children safe and works with parents. Ask for real classes and real students, such as a lesson that went wrong or a student whose progress stalled, and listen for what the teacher noticed, what they changed and how they knew it worked. Before an offer or placement, verify the credential: in the US, a teaching license or certificate from the state where the job is, checked on that state’s lookup; in England, qualified teacher status and any prohibition from teaching on the Department for Education’s Check a teacher’s record service, plus an enhanced DBS check with children’s barred list information for regulated activity. Score every candidate against the same five criteria, and watch them teach if you can.
All 23 questions with why you ask each one, what a strong answer shows and follow-ups, plus the teacher scorecard and rating guide. Free to download and adapt; no sign-up needed.
When to use these questions
Teachers plan and teach lessons, manage behavior, assess progress, adapt teaching for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), keep children safe and work with parents, often all in the same day. Interviews work best when every answer is tied to a real class, lesson or student, and when the panel also sees the candidate teach: England’s safer recruitment guidance describes observing shortlisted candidates, with appropriately supervised interaction with students, as common and recognized good practice.
Check the must-haves early. In the US, public school teachers need a license or certificate from the state where they teach, and each state sets its own requirements, so verify the license on that state’s education agency lookup, such as the Texas Education Agency’s Certificate Lookup, and run the background checks your state and district require. In England, ‘Keeping children safe in education’ sets out safer recruitment for schools: agreed, structured interview questions, a full employment history with gaps explored, references, an enhanced DBS check with children’s barred list information for regulated activity, a check that the teacher is not prohibited from teaching, and QTS verified on the Check a teacher’s record service. For supply teachers, the school must get written confirmation from the agency that it has completed the same checks.
23 teacher interview questions
Grouped by what they test. Pick the questions that match the role, ask every candidate the same ones in the same order, and score each answer against the scorecard below.
Planning and teaching
Ask for a real unit, lesson or class. Strong planning starts from what students need to learn, not from activities.
Question 1: Walk me through how you planned a recent unit, from the learning goals to the final lesson.
- Why ask it:
- Shows whether planning starts from what students need to learn.
- A strong answer shows:
- Clear goals, lessons that build on prior knowledge, and checks for understanding planned in rather than added at the end.
Question 2: Tell me about a lesson that didn’t go to plan. What did you notice, and what did you change?
- Why ask it:
- Tests reflection and the ability to adjust in the moment.
- A strong answer shows:
- Specific signs they spotted, a change made during the lesson, and a lasting change to their planning.
- Follow-up:
- How did you know the change worked?
Question 3: What is a concept students often get wrong in your subject or grade, and how do you teach it?
- Why ask it:
- Tests subject knowledge and an understanding of how students learn it.
- A strong answer shows:
- A specific misconception, why students hold it, and a teaching approach that tackles it directly.
Question 4: How do you work with the curriculum or scheme of work your school gives you, and when do you adapt it?
- Why ask it:
- Shows the candidate can work within a shared curriculum while using judgment.
- A strong answer shows:
- Respect for the shared plan, with reasoned adaptations for their class that colleagues know about.
Question 5: You arrive for a supply or substitute day and the work left for the class is thin or missing. What do you do?
- Why ask it:
- Agency teachers often walk into unfamiliar classrooms with little notice.
- A strong answer shows:
- Checking with the school office or head of department first, using a ready fallback that fits the subject, and leaving clear notes for the class teacher.
Behavior and classroom management
Look for routines taught early, consistent use of the school’s policy and calm responses in the moment.
Question 6: Describe the routines you set up in the first weeks with a new class.
- Why ask it:
- Good behavior usually rests on routines taught explicitly and early.
- A strong answer shows:
- Specific routines for arrival, transitions and getting attention, taught, practiced and reinforced consistently.
Question 7: Tell me about a student whose behavior was consistently challenging. What did you try, and what worked?
- Why ask it:
- Tests persistence and a range of strategies.
- A strong answer shows:
- Looking for causes, applying the policy consistently, working with colleagues and the family, and a real change in the student’s behavior.
- Follow-up:
- Who else did you involve, and at what point?
Question 8: A student refuses an instruction in front of the whole class. Walk me through what you do.
- Why ask it:
- Tests de-escalation under pressure.
- A strong answer shows:
- Staying calm, giving a private and clear choice, following the behavior policy, and following up later rather than escalating in public.
Question 9: How do you use a school’s behavior policy when you are new to the school or covering a class you don’t know?
- Why ask it:
- New and supply teachers need to use the school’s system, not their own.
- A strong answer shows:
- Learning the policy, rewards, sanctions and key contacts before the first lesson, and applying them consistently.
Question 10: How do you build good relationships with students while keeping professional boundaries?
- Why ask it:
- Relationships support behavior, and clear boundaries protect students and staff.
- A strong answer shows:
- Warmth with high expectations, and clear limits on personal contact, social media and one-to-one situations.
Assessment, differentiation and SEND
Ask how the candidate finds out what students know and adapts teaching for the full range of learners, including students with SEND.
Question 11: How do you check what students have understood during a lesson, not only at the end of a unit?
- Why ask it:
- Shows whether assessment happens while there is still time to act on it.
- A strong answer shows:
- Specific techniques, such as targeted questioning, mini whiteboards or exit tickets, and what they do with the results.
Question 12: Tell me about a time assessment results changed what you taught next.
- Why ask it:
- Tests whether assessment drives teaching decisions.
- A strong answer shows:
- A specific gap they found, the change they made, and evidence that students caught up.
Question 13: How do you give feedback that students actually act on, without unmanageable marking?
- Why ask it:
- Feedback only helps if students use it.
- A strong answer shows:
- Specific, timely feedback, time in lessons to respond to it, and efficient methods such as whole-class feedback.
Question 14: Tell me about adapting your teaching for a student with SEND, or a student with an IEP or 504 plan. What did you change?
- Why ask it:
- Tests inclusive practice and how the candidate uses support plans.
- A strong answer shows:
- Reading the plan, specific adjustments in class, working with the SENCO or special education team and support staff, and checking progress.
Question 15: How do you plan for a class with a wide range of attainment, including students who are still learning English?
- Why ask it:
- Shows practical differentiation in a real class.
- A strong answer shows:
- Scaffolds and stretch built into the same lesson, so every student works toward the same goal.
Safeguarding and working with parents
These questions check that the candidate knows how to act on a concern and can build trust with families.
Question 16: A student tells you something that makes you worried they are being harmed. What do you do?
- Why ask it:
- Tests whether the candidate knows how to respond to a disclosure.
- A strong answer shows:
- Listening calmly without leading questions, not promising to keep a secret, writing down the student’s words and reporting the same day to the designated safeguarding lead or the person the child protection policy names.
- Follow-up:
- Who would you tell first, and what exactly would you write down?
Question 17: What would you do if a colleague’s behavior with a student made you uncomfortable?
- Why ask it:
- Tests willingness to raise concerns about adults, not only about families.
- A strong answer shows:
- Reporting it to the principal or headteacher as the policy says, even when unsure, and not investigating or confronting the colleague themselves.
Question 18: Tell me about a difficult conversation with a parent or guardian. How did you handle it?
- Why ask it:
- Tests communication with families under pressure.
- A strong answer shows:
- Listening first, specific facts about the student, a shared plan and follow-up, with a senior colleague involved when needed.
Question 19: How do you keep parents informed about progress between formal reports?
- Why ask it:
- Shows a proactive partnership with families.
- A strong answer shows:
- Regular, specific contact that includes good news as well as concerns, using the school’s channels.
Must-haves and logistics
Ask these of every candidate before the full interview, and verify the answers.
Question 20: Which teaching license or certificate do you hold, from which state, and for which subjects and grade levels? (In England: do you hold QTS, and what is your teacher reference number?)
- Why ask it:
- US public school teachers need a license from the state where they teach, and QTS is a legal requirement to teach in maintained schools in England.
- A strong answer shows:
- Credential details you then verify on the state’s lookup or the Department for Education’s Check a teacher’s record service.
Question 21: In England: do you have an enhanced DBS certificate with children’s barred list information, and do you subscribe to the DBS Update Service? (In the US: are you ready to complete the background and fingerprint checks the district requires?)
- Why ask it:
- Schools in England must obtain an enhanced DBS check with children’s barred list information for staff in regulated activity with children.
- A strong answer shows:
- Certificate details and consent to the checks; if they use the Update Service, you still need to see the original certificate.
Question 22: Can you give us a full employment history, with any gaps explained, and references from your current or most recent employer?
- Why ask it:
- England’s safer recruitment guidance asks schools to see a full employment history, explore gaps and take up references, ideally before interview.
- A strong answer shows:
- A complete, consistent history and referees in senior roles who can speak to the candidate’s suitability to work with children.
Question 23: The role is [subjects, grades or key stages, days, daily or long-term, location] and involves [duties such as recess duty, trips or after-school clubs]. Can you do these tasks, with or without adjustments, and when could you start?
- Why ask it:
- Rules out mismatches on schedule, setting and duties early.
- A strong answer shows:
- A clear yes, or the specific constraint, and a firm start date.
Teacher interview scorecard
Five criteria for this role, with what a score of 1, 3 and 5 looks like. Scores of 2 and 4 sit between them.
| Criterion | What it means | Score 1 looks like | Score 3 looks like | Score 5 looks like |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planning and subject knowledge | Plans coherent learning and knows the subject well. | Describes activities rather than learning goals, with no real example. | A clear example of a planned sequence and of teaching a common misconception. | Plans backward from goals, anticipates misconceptions and adapts plans from evidence. |
| Behavior management | Creates calm, purposeful classrooms using the school’s policy. | Relies on raised voices, or blames students and the school. | Clear routines and consistent use of the behavior policy. | Strong routines, calm de-escalation and examples of turning around difficult behavior. |
| Assessment and inclusion | Checks learning and adapts for every learner, including students with SEND. | Assesses only at the end of units, with no example of adapting teaching. | Uses checks during lessons and adapts for students with support plans. | Uses assessment to change teaching and shows clear progress for students with SEND and students learning English. |
| Safeguarding and boundaries | Knows how to act on concerns and keeps professional boundaries. | Unsure who to tell, or would keep a secret for a child. | Knows the reporting route and records concerns the same day. | Acts promptly on concerns about children and adults, with clear, consistent boundaries. |
| Communication and teamwork | Works well with parents, colleagues and support staff. | Avoids parents, or describes every conflict as the parent’s fault. | Handles difficult conversations calmly and keeps parents informed. | Builds trust with families and colleagues and directs support staff effectively. |
The 1–5 rating scale
The same scale for every criterion and every candidate.
| Score | Level | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Well below requirement | No relevant evidence, or an answer that contradicts the requirement. |
| 2 | Below requirement | Partial evidence with important gaps. |
| 3 | Meets requirement | Clear, relevant evidence at the level the role needs. |
| 4 | Above requirement | Strong, specific evidence beyond the expected level. |
| 5 | Exceptional | Repeated high-quality evidence with clear impact. |
How to run the interview with these teacher interview questions
- 01
Step 01
Agree the must-haves first
Confirm the essential credentials, experience and availability with the hiring manager or client before any interviews. - 02
Step 02
Pick 8 to 12 questions
Take the must-have questions, then the questions that test what this role needs most. Use the same set, in the same order, for every candidate. - 03
Step 03
Ask for real examples
When you hear “we” or “I would”, ask what the candidate personally did, and what happened in the end. - 04
Step 04
Score before you discuss
Rate each criterion on the scorecard with the evidence behind it, then compare with other interviewers. - 05
Step 05
Verify before you submit
Check licenses, certifications and right to work against the original source before you put the candidate forward.
Red flags, and questions not to ask
- Answers that stay at the level of teaching philosophy, with no specific lesson, class or student.
- Blaming students, parents or the school for every behavior problem.
- Not knowing who to tell about a safeguarding concern, or offering to keep a child’s disclosure secret.
- Unexplained gaps in employment, or frequent moves between schools without clear reasons; England’s safer recruitment guidance says to probe both at interview.
- Credential details that don’t match the state lookup or Check a teacher’s record, or reluctance to share them.
- Age, marital or family status, pregnancy or plans for children, religion, ethnicity or national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity. These are protected characteristics under the UK Equality Act 2010 and US federal law, and they say nothing about whether someone can do the job.
- Health, sickness absence or disability before an offer. You can ask whether the candidate needs any adjustments for the interview, and whether they can do the essential tasks of the job.
Screen teacher applicants before the first call
Add these questions to a Beatview AI interview and every applicant answers them on video or audio, with the same time limit. Beatview scores each answer against your criteria and shows the reasoning, and you can share the shortlist with your client through a password-protected link. AI interviews are on the Pro plan; the Free plan screens resumes for one active job.
Teacher interview questions: frequently asked questions
Still deciding?
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Ask for real examples that test planning and subject knowledge, behavior management, assessment and adapting for students with SEND, safeguarding, and work with parents, such as a lesson that went wrong or a difficult conversation with a parent. Add must-have questions on license or QTS, background checks, employment history and availability, ask every candidate the same questions in the same order, and watch the candidate teach where you can.
In the US, each state issues teaching licenses and sets its own requirements, so check the license on the education agency lookup for the state where the job is, such as the Texas Education Agency’s Certificate Lookup, and confirm it covers the subject and grade level. In England, use the Department for Education’s Check a teacher’s record service before the teacher starts: it shows QTS, induction and any prohibition from teaching, but not whether someone is barred from working with children, which the enhanced DBS check with children’s barred list information covers.
Under ‘Keeping children safe in education’, schools must get written confirmation from the agency that it has carried out the same checks the school would otherwise do, including that an enhanced DBS certificate has been obtained, and where the role needs a children’s barred list check, the agency must obtain it before the teacher is placed. The school should also check that the person who arrives is the person the checks were made on, and record the agency’s confirmation on its single central record. Teacher supply agencies can use the Check a teacher’s record service too.
Where you can, yes. England’s safer recruitment guidance says observing shortlisted candidates and appropriately supervised interaction with students is common and recognized as good practice, and that students should be involved in recruitment in a meaningful way. Score the observed lesson against the same criteria as the interview, and for supply roles, ask the school for feedback after the first placement.
Get the teacher interview questions template
All 23 questions with why you ask each one, what a strong answer shows and follow-ups, plus the teacher scorecard and rating guide.
Opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers. Version 2 October 2026.
Sources: GOV.UK: Keeping children safe in education (statutory guidance); GOV.UK: Check a teacher’s record; GOV.UK: Qualified teacher status (QTS); GOV.UK: DBS guidance on regulated activity with children; NYSED: certification for teaching in New York public schools; Texas Education Agency: Certificate Lookup; NCES: test requirements for initial teacher certification, by state. This template is general guidance, not legal advice.