Every step of the hiring process implies an extra effort beyond the status quo. When we write a resume, cover letter, teaching philosophy, etc., we take out that distinctive feature from inside to help us leave an impression and stand out from the crowd.

Preparing for being bombarded with questions at interviews is no less. However, during the interview and particularly by the end, one or more opportunities open up for us to get an impression from our interviewers, the working atmosphere, and the institution itself. 

What and when to ask

We know we need to be ready to "ask questions." Sometimes we feel we do not know what to ask about and miss the chance to learn, not only if we are a good fit for the job, but also if the job fits us. Other times we fall to the temptation to ask questions that we can answer reading the institution website. Or worse still, we become anxious to know about benefits, salary, and vacation time when they have not yet offered us the job.  

Expectations about positions are so varied as people. It isn't easy to know what each person expects from a job. Some people may want to enrich their careers, grow professionally, and face constant challenges while others seek something more standard, which requires an average performance. And there is nothing wrong with these scenarios or any other in between. The point is to do some introspection to learn about what we want. Only then, our questions will be creative, assertive, and will reflect our inner ambition.

Questions to ask in a teacher interview

 If you are into communication and social matters, these are a few examples of what you may want to ask:

• How active is the school PTA? And what it does for the education community.
• What is the interaction between PTA and school?
• What opportunities are there to get to know your colleagues?
• What support does the school receive from the community?
• How does the school handle discipline in general and bullying in particular?

If you would like to have a more in-depth insight into how much involvement the school expects from a teacher. Your questions may include something like:

• What are the extra assignments the teachers are required to do?
• What extracurricular activities are teachers expected to carry on? Such as extra assignments, contests, field trips, and so on? 
• How does the administration assess teachers?

If your interests are related to the school performance projections:

• What are the challenges the school is facing in the present year? And, what are the plans for improvement?
• What are the school's most reliable features and weaknesses?
• What are the significant issues the school is presently addressing? And what is the next step?

There are also some typical questions about classroom life, such as:

• What is the average teacher-student ratio?
• How strict is discipline? 
• How would you describe the school student population?
• How strict is the curriculum? 
• Can teachers bring their materials and ideas to the classroom? Among others. 

Questions to ask for a faculty position

Having different kinds of interviews, such as telephone, videoconference, one-on-one, panel, on-campus, etc., gives you the chance to know different people and pose them different questions not necessarily related to faculty responsibilities. After you have done your research and thoroughly studied their website, you can start writing down your questions to assess the institution and determine if it fits your interests—for example, their focus on research and their research facilities.

You will get a grasp of what academic life is like from the questions they will ask you. However, you may want some more input, for example, on:

• Faculty orientation and mentoring.
• Faculty professional development programs.
• Promotion processes.
• Cross-collaboration projects
• Interdisciplinary projects and programs

One crucial phase for faculty advancement is assessment. Getting more details in this is always helpful. For example:

• What evidence they will consider evaluating your teaching performance. 
• What other habits and attitudes are helpful to get a positive assessment.

Some general questions to identifying the college priorities may include:

• What challenges the college/university has faced the past few years and how they intend to face the next.
• If they are planning any changes and innovations, if so, what they have done so far.

You may ask the same questions to different interviewers to grasp the consistency of important issues to you.

Something not to overlook is that people also have priorities. The committee members surely have their points of view. If you can decipher them, it will help you place yourself as a key contributor. 

There are plenty of questions to make. The point is to ask the ones that appeal to you, your interests, ambitions, and passions.

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