• Dress professionally - This should be obvious, but it's worth reiterating.
• Keep your answers short and to the point -Your ability to address the question directly and succintly is important in communicating confidence and a sense that you know what you are talking about.
• Use examples to illustrate your points - For example, if you were asked about assessment, discuss some of the ways you assess students, you might include, "in my class, I not only use pencil-and-paper assessments like Do Nows and Exit Tickets, but I also use assessment games like Kahoot to get students excited about showing me what they know."
• Your interviewer knows what B.S. smells like - They probably have considerably more experience working in education than you do. If you are well prepared, you won't need to anyway!
• Your interviewer may not necessarily be specific - Be prepared for details such as what the "next steps" will be. Sometimes it will be very vague ("we're in the process of interviewing and will give you a call if we select you for the next round").
• You should NEVER go into an interview with no questions (including a phone interview) - Asking questions conveys interest in your prospective employer/job. Some examples are included here. Also, try to make note of what questions you ask on your phone interview so that you do not ask the same questions on a in-person interview.
• Never ask a question whose answer you could have found yourself (and, for that matter, don't ask questions for the sake of asking questions) - The questions you ask very much matter. Asking superficial questions ("How many students do you serve"), especially when you could look up the information on your own (DESE's website has that information), doesn't make as good an impression as asking deeper questions ("How would you describe the students that you serve"), which convey that you have put thought into the questions because you are genuinely interested in the job (even if you aren't really).
• Show up at least 15-30 minutes early for your interview - If you're going to show up late, you might as well not show up at all. Unless there are extreme circumstances, there is no reason for you to be late to an interview.
• Bringing evidence with you to your interview is OK (and in fact is recommended) - This allows your prospective employer to see what you bring to the table. Look for a really good lesson plan you developed or a lesson material you are particularly proud of.
• DO NOT STOP INTERVIEWING UNTIL YOU AT LEAST HAVE A JOB OFFER YOU LIKE - Even if you feel confident about a job, it doesn't mean they will end up going forward with you. Also, some employers will not contact you either way, leaving you hanging. While this is not necessarily professional, it is an unfortunate reality.

 Questions You Should Be Able to Answer:

1. Tell me a little bit about yourself and how you got to where you are today.
2. Why did you decide to become a teacher?
3. What makes you a good fit for ___________________?
4. What is your philosophy of teaching?
5. How do you assess students knowledge?
6. What classroom management structures do you use in your classroom?
7. Wha do you do to address a student who doesn't want to learn?
8. What do you do to ensure all students have access to learning opportunities?
9. What tools do you use for communicating with students and parents/guardians?
10. Describe a time where you disagreed with someone. What did you disagree about, and how did you resolve that disagreement? What did you learn as a result of this experience?
11. What kinds of after school/extracurricular activites would you be interested in participating in?
12. How do you use technology in the classroom?
13. What experience do you have working with students with disabilities?
14. How do your students describe you? (3 words your students would use to describe is a good question!)
15. What techniques do you use to differentiate your instruction?
16. To what extent are teachers responsible for students' success? To what extent are students responsible for their own success?
17. What is the most important thing you learned from your supervising practitioner (or cooperating teacher)?
18. Where do you see yourself in _____ years?
19. How do you use professional collaboration to help ensure more successful student learning outcomes?
20. What do you do to promote collaboration in your classroom?
21. Do you have experience working in a co-teaching environment? If so, describe how you worked with your co-teacher to meet the needs of students with and/or without disabilities?
22. What does a model (or "ideal") classroom look like to you?
23. To what extent do students need to respect you? To what extent do you need to respect students? Should teachers expect or demand their students be respectful? Explain.
24. What kinds of culturally-relevant curricular materials do you use in your classroom?
25. Describe the best lesson you've ever taught?
26. What is your favorite movie? What book are you reading? Why?
27. Are there any classes/grades you would prefer to teach (or to not teach)?
28. What would you say to a parent who was dissatisfied about their child's grade?
29. How do you ensure a safe learning environment?
30. What is the easiest aspect of teaching? What is the most difficult?
31. What do you see as the most important issues in education today? If you were the head of the Department of Education, what policies/procedures would you implement?
32. How do you accomodate English Language Learners?
33. If you could go back in time and tell your first year teacher self something, what would you tell them?
34. You have a colleague who is struggling with classroom management. What strategies could you provide them to assist them in getting through their struggles?
35. What role do the Standards for Mathematical Practice play  in your classroom?
36. If I were to walk into your classroom during a typical lesson, describe what I would see.
37. What do you do to support a student who has been absent for an extended period of tiem?

Questions You Might Want to Ask

1. How many positions are you filling?
2. Why is this position open?
3. What kind of curriculum do you use at your school?
4. How do you support the success of every student?
5. How do you support the whole student? (e.g. social-emotional issues, homelessness, etc.)
6. In general, how engaged are the parents/guardians of the students?
7. What do you feel are the schools greatest strengths/opportunities?
8. Describe a typical day.
9. What are some goals that the school/district has set this year/recently?
10. What types of technology is available to support student learning?
11. What systems do you use for managing student information, including IEPs/504s for students with disabilities?
12. In an average class (or ideally average math class), how many students are there?
13. What courses do you offer in mathematics? (or other subject you are seeking a job for)
14. What are some qualities you are looking for in a teacher for this position?
15. What role do you see teachers playing in helping a student reach their full potential? What about administration?
16. What is the school/district policy on bullying, and what measures are being taken to prevent bullying?
17. What resources does the district provide for helping to accommodate students with disabilities and ELLs?
18. How would you describe the student populations?
19. What are the most significant issues that the students at this school face? How are these issues responded to?
20. How much input do teachers have in decisions made by administration?
21. How much input do students have in decisions made by administration?
22. How open is the school/district to change?
23. What kinds of professional development opportunities are offered?
24. How do you evaluate teachers? How often do evaluators typically observe teachers?