Interview Questions To Ask Potential Teachers For Your Summer Programs

Increased demand for teachers and tutors during these summer months means as an HR administrator or hiring manager, you’ll need to begin staffing efforts now.

With the Department of Education providing California $4.6 billion in funding for schools to deliver summer enrichment and after-school programs, hiring staff for the upcoming summer is going to be both competitive and quick.

But after a pandemic school year, the average interview questions aren’t sufficient for the classroom candidates are entering in the summer. Experts say schools won’t be able to combat students’ learning loss until they deal with the social and emotional needs of children who have been away from their peers and teachers for more than a year.

Meaning “summer school” isn’t going to be typical in 2021. It’s going to be focused on meeting student’s social and emotional needs.

When it comes to hiring for these summer programs, you need specific questions targeted at how candidates will help students on all levels: academic, social, and emotional.

You’ll be in search of candidates who understand summer and after-school programs require an abundance of patience, empathy, guidance, innovation and support. You’ll also want to gauge potential hires’ level of dedication and endurance to see how you can best support them, because teachers have had a draining year too.

To help expedite your hiring process, we’ve put together a list of interview questions to ask potential teachers, teaching assistants, and tutors when considering them for a summer enrichment or after-school program.We’ve also got a blog outlining how to refine your overall search for the right summer teacher.

Skill-based interview questions

1. What do you think is the best way to help a student “catch-up” if they fell behind during the pandemic school year?
2. You have been hired as the newest member of our teaching team. In fewer than five minutes, how would you introduce yourself to a group of parents, students, and teachers from our school? The only thing you want to be sure to do is to indicate how your education, training, and work experiences have qualified you for your new role.
3. How Would You Handle [Specific Subject Situation/Misconception]?
4. Tell Me About a Time When You Helped Someone Become More Successful.
5. If you were in the classroom during the pandemic, what’s the greatest takeaway you had as a teacher?
6. What is your approach to classroom management and student discipline?
7. Explain — in writing — in 100 words or fewer your philosophy of teaching.

Personal interview questions

1. Why should we hire you?
2. What days and hours are you available each week?
3. How flexible is your schedule?
4. Do you have any activities that would prevent you from working on your schedule?
5. Do you have summer vacation plans?
6. What’s the last book you read that helped you refine your craft as a teacher?
7. I’ve read your application and resume, but what are the most important things I should know about you, your life, your experiences? Who is the real [insert applicant’s name]?
8. You have been hired as the newest member of our teaching team. In fewer than five minutes, how would you introduce yourself to a group of parents, students, and teachers from our school? The only thing you want to be sure to do is to indicate how your education, training, and work experiences have qualified you for your new role.
9. What would your previous employer or college advisor say were your greatest strengths for teaching, and what areas would they suggest were areas that need growth? And do you agree with those assessments?

Endurance/ mental health interview questions

1. How did you manage your mental health during the pandemic?
2. How do you feel about teaching during the summer after the unconventional teaching year we just experienced?
3. If COVID cases were to resume lockdown, and summer school had to be held virtually or in a hybrid model, how would you react? Would that be something you could handle?

Innovation/ growth mindset interview questions

1. How do you keep students engaged when they are used to having the summer off? Can you give me an example of how you’d bring “summer” into the classroom so they don’t feel like they are “losing” or “wasting” their summer?
2. What personal strengths do you find especially helpful in your teaching?
3. How do you organize your classroom?
4. How do you structure your time to manage all of the duties associated with teaching?
5. What would you tell your incoming class in a “welcome to summer school” letter?

Once you’ve found suitable candidates for your summer enrichment or after-school program, extend them an offer quickly because demand for teachers is high and that candidate is likely receiving competing offers.

If you need help sourcing or finding candidates, we’re always here to help.

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