Bad interview questions and answers

[LizzieBananas]

Currently in the application and interview cycle. Was wondering if the lovely staff room people could share any stories of terrible interview questions/answers.

Not really got any stories myself as my interviews tend to be: why teaching, why this school, why this subject, safeguarding question...

However, at PGCE interview, I did get asked “if you had to teach a lesson using this object, what lesson would you teach?” No suggestion of year or subject given.

'How would you describe your leadership style, as opposed to your management style?' I asked for clarification of the question, then got told in feedback that I had poor leadership skills because I had 'asked for the answer'. Never mind that I had already been running the dept successfully for two years....

Oh dear.

Although bad questions like that can be a blessing in disguise with that sort of reply!

I once got asked by a Head “what do you think are the worst things about teaching”, “what’s the biggest mistake you’ve made in a lesson” and “tell us about your biggest weaknesses”. Didn’t ask any questions at all that were framed in a positive way! He then gave us all a written test where he asked us to answer a SATS paper pretending to be a year 2 child. Finally, he put me and the two other candidates in a team and gave us an egg, sellotape, bubble wrap and a cuddly toy of Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc and told us to make up and act out a tv commercial to sell him these products.

When he asked at the end of the interview if I was still a serious candidate I couldn’t say no fast enough!

Was the oddest experience! I later found out that Head had resigned from his previous school after basically receiving a vote of no confidence from the staff and the governors!

This was nearly 8 years ago though so hopefully you won’t get anything as weird 😂.

However, at PGCE interview, I did get asked “if you had to teach a lesson using this object, what lesson would you teach?” No suggestion of year or subject given.

I don’t think this is a bad question for a pgce interview - they’re asking to find out if you have any teaching ideas and how you would explain and whether you have any idea about what level you should pitch things at. Deliberately left open ended to see what you think about different age group topics/activities, and lots of opportunity fir the interviewer to ask follow up questions.