2017 Possible Interview Questions – K.V.Lee 
        
            Know language of NEW BC CURRICULUM https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/ 
            Know big ideas and core competencies 
            Behavioral-based interview questions for teacher:   
                       http://www.best-job-interview.com/interview-questions-for-teachers.html 
           
            Know ‘buzz’ words (education jargon) 
            Prepare a few questions - e.g. Why is position open?  Cultural backgrounds?           
          Funding for music program? Any significant changes?  Main objectives? 
            Know unit plan (some interviews require) 
            Be early, friendly, articulate, honest, polite, good manners  
            Show you love kids, love teaching, enjoy colleagues 
            Have excellent professional grooming, eye contact,  interpersonal skills 
            Write follow-up letter 
        
       Possible Interview Questions 
            Tell me about yourself 
            What is your philosophy of teaching? 
            What are your pedagogical strategies? 
            What are your classroom management strategies? 
            What are your thoughts on assessment? 
            What are your strengths? Weaknesses? 
           
            Why do you want to teach for the VSB? 
            What do you know about the VSB? 
            Why do you want to be a teacher?   
            What did you learn from your practicum? 
            What are your professional goals as a teacher? 
            Why do you want to be a teacher-on-call? 
            What provides you the greatest pleasure about teaching music? 
            Would you prefer to try a lot of strategies or perfect the ones that work for you? 
            Do you like to teach with a plan or let the process determine the results?  
            Where do you see yourself in 3 to 5 years?  
            Can you tell me about any breakthrough moments? 
            What to do with a kid that doesn’t listen? 
            What is an area you still need work on?  
            How to handle an irate parent that phones you? 
            What is difference between teaching band vs. choir?  Vs. strings?  Vs. guitar? 
            Why should we hire you over others in your cohort? 
            How to create lesson plan to address diversity? 
            Tell me about your best lesson on practicum 
            Tell me about your worst situation about classroom management on practicum? 
                                     If  I walked into your classroom and observed you teach from back of the room 
                             for 15 minutes, what would I be feeling while walking out of your classroom?  
                                     What happens if a parent asks why their kid didn't get a line in the musical?"  
                                     After performance assessment, how would you help an under-achieving 
                             student? 
                                     What strategies do you have to teach ESL students? 
                    
                   Collected from applicants:    
                    
                   VSB questions: 
                    
                   Talk about your unit plan, how you implemented etc. 
                   Talk about a successful lesson (not necessarily from same unit)  
                   How did you measure outcomes for aforementioned unit plan?  
                   Talk about a classroom management situation. 
                   Talk about school culture in regards to staff, how can you add to staff, etc.. 
                   Resolving cultural/social-economic gaps in classes 
                    
                   Surrey questions:   
                         •  bring unit plan and talk about it in terms of new bc curriculum. 
                             1.       What strategies did you use to create unit plan? 
                             2.       How did you decide on overarching theme? 
                             3.       What are thoughts on KNOW DO UNDERSTAND bc curriculum? 
                             4.       What ‘big ideas’ will students ‘understand’ at end of unit plan? 
                             5.       What ‘core competencies’ will students ‘do’? 
                             6.       What ‘content’ will students ‘know’? 
                             7.       What is difference between formative and summative assessment ? 
                                  a.  Formative: monitor learning – daily, informal, minute by minute, ongoing descriptive 
                                  feedback, concept map , sentences, journals, proposals 
                                  b.  Summative – evaluate learning at end of unit – high stake assessment, midterm exam, 
                                  final project, major paper, senior recital etc 
                             8.        Pre-assessment: how to pre-assess when you don’t know what students ‘know’ and 
                             ‘understand ? 
                              
                              
                   Burnaby:   
                                  1.   What lesson was effective in unit plan? Why ? ineffective? 
                                  2.  What would you revise in unit plan? Why? 
                                  3.  How does unit plan topic connect to BC arts curriculum? 
                    
                    
                   Coquitlam Interview Questions: 
                    
                             1.       What are some of your resume highlights ? 
                             2.       Of teachers you admire, list qualities they possess? 
                             3.       What of these listed qualities do you have? 
                             4.       What can you do to develop these qualities? 
                             5.       How could you contribute to the school community?  
                             6.       Describe your unit plan for me 
                             7.       How do you talk to students, parents, and staff members? 
                             8.       Why is it important to talk to parents? What’s the purpose of it? 
                             9.       Describe a difficult teaching situation and what different strategies you would 
                             implement  
                             10.      Describe difficult students and how you would deal with them? 
                             11.      Share 1 successful lesson and why it was effective 
                             12.      What were your weakness? And in what ways are you improving on these?  
                             13.      What are your strengths?  
                    
                   Maple Ridge 
                             1.       Tell me about your education background 
                             2.       Your volunteer experiences 
                             3.       How to deal with students who don’t listen 
                             4.       In which situation do you find teachers need to multitask 
                             5.       What difficulties do you think music teachers face today? 
                             6.       What were some difficulties with some students that teachers need to deal with? (Are 
                             students different from the older days? 
                             7.       How do you teach a diverse classroom today? 
                             8.       Will you ever give a student zero? 
                             9.       What to do if you are TOC and the day plan left for you is very sparse 
                             10.      How do you assess and in what ways would you use them? 
                             11.      If the whole class is not listening to you and being disruptive, what management 
                             strategies would you implement ?  
                    
                   MUSIC specific position: 
                    
                   Please tell us about 2 challenging students you had on practicum -- ? 
                   What are you qualifications for position? 
                   What are essential resources for band rehearsals? 
                   How do you teach improvisation? 
                   How to troubleshoot buzzing, squacking,  sounds? 
                   How do you go about selecting repertoire? 
                   Explain some collaborative projects you’ve done? 
                   What is difference between grade 5 vs. grade 9 lesson plan? 
                   Is there any other information you want to give us so we choose for this position? 
                    
                    
                   Problem Solving Questions: (music specific) 
                    
                                     A student is performing poorly in guitar class.  While you talk to her, she says you 
                             are the worst music teacher she has ever had.  What will you say? 
            Building an elective music program with Band and Choir is a challenge due to 
          competing electives.  What steps will you take to strengthen enrollment in the Band and 
          choir programs?  
            Tell us how you select repertoire for your junior band/choir versus your senior 
          band/choir students.   
            A student throws her flute across the room during intermediate band class.  
          What will you do?