Instruction belongs to the most popular careers around the world. No doubt about the touch you can have every bit a teacher. Spending long hours with your students, you can easily become their role model, or perhaps their first ideal love… What's more, giving them some food for idea, and asking the right questions in your lessons, you can help them to form a healthy stance of the world, and of their position in it. And of form you can teach them to read, write, speak a foreign linguistic communication–all these skills are vital for their success in life.

Before information technology can happen, however, yous accept to get the job in an interview. And i of the virtually mutual questions the school principal (or a head department, or a small hiring committee) volition ask you is the dreaded one: What are your strengths and weaknesses as a instructor? They may also split it to two questions, first inquiring nigh your strengths, and but then nearly your weaknesses. But it really doesn't matter whether it's one question or 2. You will have to talk almost both.

Let'south have a look at seven sample answers to the question. Below the answers you volition find some additional hints and explanations that should help you pick the very best respond for your instruction job interview.

7 sample answers to: "What are you strengths and weaknesses as a teacher?" interview question

  1. The passion for my profession is undoubtedly my greatest strengths. I believe information technology reflects in each lesson, in each talk I have with the students. They can feel that I really want the all-time for them, and try my all-time in each lesson, which of course motivates them to too try hard, or at least to stay disciplined. And to be honest, the aforementioned attitude–or to say it more than precisely, the consequences of such an attitude to instruction, is also my biggest weakness. Because I intendance so much that I struggle to maintain professional person distance. I oft take the issues from classroom home, and cannot get them out of my head. This is definitely a problem I am aware of, and try to eliminate.
  2. My communication skills, and understanding for the emotional world of children–particularly at simple level, is my greatest strengths as a teacher. I exercise non find it difficult to proceeds trust of the students, because I understand how they experience in unlike situations and tin can choose the right words in my lessons. My biggest weakness is definitely lack of experience. I taught as a part of my studies, only that was only 6 months and ever in the aforementioned classes–students were not disruptive at all in these classes. I am enlightened that I lack experience with some tricky situations. And they will happen, sooner or afterward. I will have to adapt, and hopefully I can learn from my more experienced colleagues how to bargain with the catchy situation in the classroom.
  3. In my view, nothing can beat the twenty years of teaching feel. That'south my greatest strength. I've seen it all–good students, bad students, violence in school, hanky-panky, merely too potent friendships and students who excelled on a national level in various competitions. I've tried both conventional and unorthodox teaching methods. My experience is vast, and hardly anything can catch me off guard in the classes… During these long years I likewise understood my weaknesses, and somewhen got rid of some. But there is all the same something I'd like to amend on. Sometimes I talk too much in the lessons, and do not involve the students equally much as I'd like to. That's non the fashion to help them improve on their communication and interpersonal skills, something we have to work on in the 21st century.

* Do not forget to check besides: Why do you want to go a teacher? seven sample answers.

  1. To be honest, I cannot tell. This is my outset job application. I've never taught anywhere earlier, and though I take some expectations and good understanding of the task, I cannot really tell how I'd do in a real classroom setting. I believe that I take to do the task first, at to the lowest degree for a few weeks, to empathise in which areas of teaching I excel, and which areas I have to amend on. Certainly I won't excel in everything and it's a procedure–one does not become an excellent teacher by earning their degree. We need practice, and a desire to constantly improve on our skills…
  2. I'd say that my greatest forcefulness is an ability to build respect in the eyes of the students. I know that your school faces a lot of problems with bailiwick, that it is your biggest challenge. Nether my leadership, however, even the near disruptive students eventually started to behave, or at least they did not disturb other students anymore. As it often happens, nevertheless, this strength sometimes turns into a weakness… Because I like to have strong rules of discipline in classes, not tolerating any misbehavior. This is good in some cases, but in some classes it tin can "scare" some students, and eventually they will not express their stance, or feedback on my didactics, for example when they practice not sympathise something. So it's almost finding the right balance, something I still struggle to practise effectively, lesson after lesson.
  3. If I should indicate out one thing, I will become with creativity. Students definitely won't get bored in my lessons. I do not stick to lecturing, at to the lowest degree not all the time. Learning by playing, using interactive technology in the classes, changing roles of teacher and students–are just some of the educational activity methods I use. And then far the feedback has been groovy. The children pay attending in the classes, because they enjoy them.  My biggest weakness is probably existence impatient. I am sometimes concerned nigh staying on schedule with the lessons, and progress to quickly for the students. I definitely take to work on this, asking for their feedback, avert rushing things.
  4. As we speak near University pedagogy hither, my greatest strength is definitely my expertise with the subjects I teach. I've published dozens of research papers, and continuously work on keeping my knowledge up to appointment. If the students really want to acquire something from the subject field, to rise in a higher place the rest of university students, I am the right person to lead the lessons. On the other hand, and that's my biggest weakness equally a teacher, I sometimes overestimate the abilities of my students. Sometimes my lectures are just difficult, at to the lowest degree for the majority of the people in the audition. Non sure how yous look at such an upshot, but I try to notice a skillful residual between teaching something extra, and at the aforementioned time ensuring that students are getting it.

Your biggest strength can be your greatest weakness, or a reason for information technology

Y'all practise not necessarily have to look for opposites in your interview answer, some yin and yang. What makes yous an fantabulous teacher in general, can brand your life difficult sometimes.  For example your passion and commitment to your education mission (definitely a strength) tin make you feeling miserable, when you lot exercise non achieve the desired results with your students. Run into sample answer no. 1 every bit an example.

Or you have an ability to maintain discipline in the classes–perhaps with an iron fist, which is indeed needed in some instances, when students won't obey you lot otherwise. In some school settings this can exist the most important strength. All the same, information technology can turn confronting y'all. Afraid of your reaction, students may struggle to express their opinion on your teaching, and you lack feedback. Check answer no. 5 as a skilful example.

* Read too 7 sample answers to other tricky instructor interview question: Where do you lot run into yourself in v years as a teacher?

Lack of feel or vast experience –  your safe bet when you aren't sure

Just like with everything else in life, experience helps. If you accept ten or twenty years of teaching experience under your chugalug, yous can definitely point information technology out as your greatest strength. It is a prophylactic bet when yous aren't sure, and you can elaborate on it, explaining how the experience helps you in the classes. See sample answer no. 3 every bit a great instance.

Yous tin can too turn this around, and, when yous are just starting out your teaching journey, say that lack of experience (and everything information technology means for you in the lessons) is your biggest weakness. Or you tin can add together some other twist, saying that due to the lack of existent teaching experience, you lot cannot actually point out your strengths and weaknesses every bit a teacher. See sample answer no 4. equally a good example.

Bear witness your want to improve on your weaknesses

Perfect teachers do non exist, and each of united states of america has some weaknesses. Information technology is completely fine for the hiring committee, and they won't transport you hope empty-handed just considering you reveal some meaning weakness.

What matters for them is your attitude. As long equally you tin can admit having a weakness, and bear witness an honest desire to improve on information technology (peradventure even describing how you want to practise it), they will be satisfied with your answer, and your weakness certainly won't be a showstopper…

Fix to answer this one? Great. But it won't exist the only difficult question you will face in your teaching interview… If you want to get ready for every challenge you may confront, impress the hiring commission, and sign the coveted employment contract, have a look at my eBook, the Teacher Interview Guide. Multiple great answers to all questions you may face in your interview will make your life much easier on the big 24-hour interval. Thanks for checking information technology out, and I wish you lot best of luck!

Glen

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