41 Interview Questions for a Computer Teacher (And Sample Answers)
A computer teacher is a teacher who helps students learn computer and technical skills they can use in their careers. This means being able to use word processors, make presentations, learn to type, and know the basics of how to stay safe on the internet. If you want to become a computer teacher, it can help to know what kinds of questions you might be asked and how to answer them. This article has a list of general, background, and in-depth interview questions, as well as some sample answers and tips for the interview.
General questions
Most of the time, interviewers use general questions to learn more about you. They might ask what your career goals are or if you have any special skills. Here are some questions you can ask a computer teacher in general:
- Are you excited to work on a project with your coworkers?
- Do you think your life has gone well?
- How can you tell if a student is improving or not?
- How do you choose the first thing to do?
- As a teacher, what does success mean to you?
- Tell me a little bit about yourself.
- What about you is unique? What are some things you can do well at this school?
- How would you describe yourself as a computer teacher in five words?
- What do you choose to teach?
- What made you want to be a teacher?
- What do you think teachers need to be good at what they do?
- How do you give grades?
- What ideas do you use to guide how you teach?
- What makes you a good fit for this group?
Questions about work and history from the past
The person in charge of hiring can use questions about your experience and background to figure out if you’re the best person for the job based on your education and experience. Here are some questions you can ask a computer teacher about his or her background and experience:
- Can you tell me about a time you helped a student or coworker?
- Tell me about a time in class when you had to punish a student.
- Do you know much about the technology of today?
- Have you ever had to work with robots?
- Have you ever been to any tech conferences?
- Have you ever won a technology grant?
- What did you learn in school that made you a good teacher?
- Tell me how you’ve made rules in your classroom in the past.
- What do you like best about being a teacher of IT?
- Where did you earn your master’s degree?
- For this job, we wanted someone with more experience than you. How can you make it up to them?
In-depth questions
During a thorough interview, you will be asked about your computer teaching skills and methods. Here are some detailed interview questions to ask a computer teacher:
- Can you tell me about some websites that you like to use when you teach?
- How do you make sure it’s safe for your students to use the Internet in your classroom?
- Do you think knowing how to use a computer is important?
- How can you get people to learn how to use computers?
- What kind of technology would you put in your classroom if you had a budget that would never run out?
- Let’s say you wanted to help other teachers learn more about technology and use it in their own ways. How do you plan on doing that?
- Let’s say you are taking a test on a computer and the power goes out. What do you do?
- How do you like to help people learn best?
- How do you teach students how to use the internet safely?
- How do you make plans for lessons?
- How would you improve our computer lab’s tech, based on what you see?
- How do you think students can feel the best about their computer skills?
How to Answer 4 Interview Questions for a Computer Teacher
Reviewing how other people answered interview questions can help you think of your own answers. Here are some questions you could ask a computer teacher and some answers they might give:
How can students who don’t know much about technology be helped?
Even though computers and other forms of technology are everywhere, some students may not know how to use them at all. This could include students who don’t have their own computers or devices at home. The person in charge of hiring might want to know more about how you handle this situation to see if you can teach each student what they need to know to do well. To answer this question, you can think about how to make sure that every student in the classroom gets the same chance to learn.
Example: “Like any other subject, computer science and technical skills are taught in school. I always start by assuming that none of my students know what a keyboard or mouse is, which can be frustrating for people who use computers a lot. But I like this method because it lets me go over the basics with my students and lets those who don’t know much about the subject learn at the same pace as their classmates. For example, I always teach a unit on typing, and no matter how other students type, we always learn the traditional ways to type.”
Give me an example of a time you worked with a group of students.
This computer teacher interview question helps the principal or hiring team find out more about your experience working with groups of students. Clubs, study groups, and school trips are all ways to do this. People in charge of hiring might want to know more about how you’ve worked with groups of students in the past. This can help them see how you help and work with students outside of school. To answer this question, you can give a specific example of a time you worked with students and how you helped them do well.
Example: “When I worked at Mountain Hill Tech High as a computer teacher, I was in charge of the robotics team on Wednesday nights. There were about 15 students in the group, and they all wanted to build robots to make the world a better place. I helped them get better at computer science and mechanics, and they made a school robot that gives pencils to students walking through the hallways.”
What method do you use to teach?
The way a teacher does their job is based on their teaching philosophy. It tells you what to do in tough situations and how to plan lessons and talk to students. The principal or person in charge of hiring will probably want to know more about how you work as a teacher and how you feel about teaching, learning, and student growth. You can answer this question by saying what your philosophy is or by putting it in your own words and explaining what it means.
Example: “My goal as a teacher is to make sure that everyone has a place in the classroom. Every day, I try to make my classroom a good place for my students to learn and do well. As a teacher, my main goal is to get my students to love learning so they can keep getting better even after they leave school.”
How do you handle viruses on a network that other people use?
As the computer teacher, the administration may want to know more about your experience with computer and internet safety. Depending on how big the school is and how roles work, you may also be in charge of some of the school’s IT. This could mean giving students their own computers or helping them figure out how to fix their computers when they break. To answer this question, give a detailed plan for how to stop network viruses from spreading and how to stop them from spreading.
Example: “When it comes to viruses on a shared network, the most important things to do are prevent them and teach people about them. All computers and other devices on the school network should have good antivirus software installed as a safety measure. This also means that all students, staff, and teachers will have to learn a lot about how viruses spread and what they look like. If a virus had already started to spread, I would gather all school devices, reformat them, and update the antivirus software.”
How to get ready for your computer teacher interview
Here are some tips to help you get ready for an interview to become a computer teacher:
- Learn how to talk about tech. As a computer teacher, you need to be able to help your students understand complicated technical ideas. Depending on the interviewer, you might talk to them the same way to help them understand your teaching skills and the ideas you’re talking about.
- Practice being sure of yourself. Make sure to sit up straight, make good eye contact, and smile when you can during your interview. This can help you feel more at ease and make a better impression on the principal or hiring team.
- Bring your application materials. To show that you are ready, you might want to bring hard copies of your application materials to your meeting. This can include copies of your resume, CV, cover letter, teaching philosophy, and credentials.
- Ask the person being interviewed things. You can ask the hiring team or principal questions about the school and learning environment at the end of the interview. This can include questions about how much money is available for teaching, what school programs are available, and what the next steps might be.