10 Tips for Your First Teacher Interview
By: Chad Lesausky
chad@sunriseclassroom.ai
X.com: @cleausky
So, you're about to go into your first teacher interview. You're probably sweating through your one nice blazer, chugging cold brew, and wondering if they’re going to ask you how you plan to turn 30 feral TikTok-obsessed middle schoolers into thoughtful scholars. Deep breaths. I got you. Here’s how to crush it without losing your mind.
1. Stalk That School Like You Would Facebook Marketplace After the Holidays
Before you go in there, you better know that school better than it knows itself. Read the website, dig through their socials, look up the principal on LinkedIn like you're preparing for a courtroom cross-examination. If they ask, “Why our school?” and you say, “Uh, it’s close to my house,” you’re out. Game over.
2. Have a Plan for When Kids Go Full Gremlin
They’re gonna ask how you handle behavior. You can’t say, “I’ll cry and pray they don’t eat me.” You need actual strategies like proximity control, positive reinforcement, and voodoo. Okay maybe not voodoo, but at least mention some classroom management sauce that makes you sound like a wizard, not a victim.
3. Bring Receipts... Literally
Show them a portfolio. Print it, digital, whatever. But bring something. Lesson plans, student work, maybe a photo of you teaching in action. Or pretending to. Even if you taught your little cousins multiplication in the garage during COVID, that counts. It’s experience, baby.
4. Have Your “Tell Me About Yourself” Speech Ready (Not Your Whole Life Story)
This is not therapy. Do not go into how your 5th grade teacher “saved you.” Keep it cute and concise: who you are, why you want to teach, and why you're pumped about THIS job. No tears. No trauma dumps. Save that for your group chat.
5. If You Don’t Know Something, Just Say You Don’t Know It
Don’t fake it. You think they can’t tell when you’re BSing your way through a question about IEPs or EL supports? Just be real: “I don’t have a lot of experience with that yet, but I’m super excited to learn more.” Boom. Honest. Confident. Hireable.
6. Ask Questions... Smart Ones
When they ask, “Do you have any questions for us?” don’t say, “Nope, I’m good.” WRONG. Ask about mentoring, professional development, how often the copy machine breaks. Ask something that shows you’re not just desperate for a paycheck.
7. Dress Like a Grown-Up Who Pays Their Own Bills
No blue jeans. No “I woke up like this” vibes. Look clean. Look sharp. This isn’t the Met Gala, but at least try not to look like you rolled out of a laundry basket. Bonus points if your shoes don’t squeak when you walk.
8. Practice With Someone Who Won’t Lie to You
Rehearse your answers with a friend who’s brutally honest. Not your mom who says everything you do is amazing. Someone who will say, “You sounded like a confused NPC glitching out in an AI generated TikTok video. Let’s fix that."
9. They Want to Know You Can Teach Everyone, Not Just the Smart, Quiet Kids
Be ready to talk about how you support all types of learners, especially the ones who finish in 2 minutes and say “Now what?” AND the ones who stare at their pencil like it owes them money. Show you get that kids are weird, wonderful, and wildly different.
10. Say Thank You Like You Mean It
Send a thank-you email. Mention something specific from the interview. And no, “Thanks for your time” is not enough. You gotta show them you’re a thoughtful, professional unicorn—not a ghost who vanishes after the free coffee.
Final Pep Talk:
You don’t have to be perfect—you just have to be prepared, passionate, and not accidentally call the principal “Mom.” (It happens. Recover quickly.) Remember, they’re not looking for a robot with perfect answers. They’re looking for a real human who cares about kids and doesn’t cry when the copier jams.
You’ve got the heart. You’ve got the skills. And now, you’ve got the tips.
Go in there, crush that interview, and show them why their students deserve a teacher who brings the heat, the humor, and at least one fun bulletin board.
You’re not just ready. You’re main character energy in a cardigan.
Now go get that job!
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