Your comprehensive guide to a range of common ECT questions and answers. Perfect for NQTs, ECTs or those who are simply curious about what they may be preparing for.

If you've arrived at this blog after landing an ECT interview, firstly, congratulations! What an amazing achievement, we hope you celebrate with cake. Secondly, we’re here to help. If thoughts of intimidating interview questions and educational jargon are floating around your head, fear not. 

We’ve created a handy guide that includes common ECT interview questions and answers, as well as context-based scenarios and even example phrases for you to use. 

So, you've submitted your strong application that has highlighted all of your wonderful achievements, qualifications and experiences. You've waited in anticipation for that all-important email or call to let you know that you've been offered an interview. 

Now what? 

Well, it’s time to prepare. You’ll need to showcase your teaching skills and ability to handle classroom challenges that may arise during your time as an educator. Although this may sound daunting, remember that preparation is the key to success. Interviews for teaching positions are curated to assess your knowledge and skills, as well as your passion for teaching. You will also be assessed on your ability to think on your feet and envision yourself and your reactions as an educator. 

Top tip - Don’t forget, interviewers are there to cheer you on, rather than scare or trick you. They are interested in you as a person, what you've got to offer and how passionate you are about the role. So, don't worry if you slip up or make a little mistake, the overall impression is what’s most important. Take your time and make sure to keep hydrated too! 

At ElevateSupply, our ethos is to help both learning institutions and educators. We offer support for them with our services, which include providing information on how to ace interviews! 

Our team is fully committed to making life easier for our users and our platform is designed to be as user-friendly as possible so you can easily set up and manage your preferences if you’d like to.

1. Tell us about yourself and your teaching experiences. 

Interviewers will typically begin with simple ECT interview questions to ease you into the discussion. However, it’s understandable that sometimes individuals draw a blank when asked this. This can be to do with a multitude of reasons. Maybe they have prepared for more difficult questions, or the nerves may simply be getting to them. 

Do you tell them about your hobbies? Holidays? Pets? Your favourite teacher? The societies you were a part of at university? Your final degree mark? 

Although these topics are all interesting, they’re not exactly what the interviewer is looking for.

Instead, you can use this question to introduce yourself, set the tone for the discussion, highlight your main strengths and demonstrate why you are motivated to pursue a career in education. 

We would recommend starting with a brief overview of your professional background, such as any teaching experience you have. This could be examples of mentoring, volunteering, tutoring, placement experiences or classroom experiences. You can use these examples as a springboard to highlight your love for teaching. 

Top tip - You can use the SPARK method to answer ECT interview questions. SPARK stands for 

Situation - Discuss the situation in detail and provide context to help the listener understand the scenario. 

Purpose - Explain the overall purpose of the task and why it was important or relevant. 

Action - Include 3-5 steps you took to accomplish the task or improve the situation. 

Results - State the positive outcomes of your individual actions. 

Knowledge - Reflect on the knowledge you gained from this experience and how it has benefitted you. 

2. Why have you chosen teaching as a career? 

When it comes to answering ECT questions, interviewers are keen to know if you have a genuine passion for teaching and whether you are motivated to work in a demanding and rewarding profession. Teaching is an incredible job and there are so many positives. 

However, teaching is a vocation to a certain extent, so interviewers are keen to know whether you’re genuinely interested in the role. 

You may wish to discuss a particular experience that drew you to teaching, or maybe it's your desire to inspire students. 

You may be passionate about helping specific age groups or you may love a specific subject if you are interviewing for higher education roles. It would be handy to provide an example, such as how eager you are to make a difference in student’s lives and how you may have supported their academic and personal development. 

3. How would you manage behaviour in the classroom?

Classroom management is arguably one of the most important skills a teacher can have. You could be a fantastic educator who is extremely passionate and organised, but if you can’t hold the floor, your ability to be a good teacher may dwindle. It’s important to maintain a positive and focused learning environment, whilst also setting boundaries and making your classroom rules clear. Interviewers want to know that you have a range of successful strategies in place for handling all kinds of classroom situations. 

You may wish to refer to specific approaches you have learnt about, but the best idea would be to demonstrate and describe a situation where strong classroom management was critical. Use examples such as positive reinforcement, praise systems, how you build a rapport with students and clear routines. This shows your understanding of the essential criteria for building relationships with students to foster mutual respect. 

You may also wish to include specific examples or key points from the structure of the year. Such as setting clear expectations at the beginning of the year so that students know what to expect immediately, and understand what they have to adhere to. Or, reflection periods that allow students to consider their actions and what they may have done differently. 

You can get access to a FREE Twinkl Ultimate Membership when you work with Elevate Supply at least once a month for access to top-quality resources to make life in the classroom easier. 

So, you will always be able to instantly download excellent interview preparation activities and advice from one of the global leaders in Ed-Tech publishing.

Sounds good? Check out Elevate Supply for more. 

4. Can you provide an example of how you would differentiate your lessons?

When you answer the ECT interview questions about differentiating lessons, it’s essential to be aware of how to approach teaching. Differentiation is crucial to meeting the needs of diverse learners in the classroom. It’s essential to be aware of each and every student and their learning outcomes, particularly if they require specific resources or additional support. This question assesses your ability to tailor your teaching methods to accommodate various learning styles and abilities.

Discuss strategies like using different types of learning materials, adjusting the pace of lessons or providing students with specific learning plans. You may also wish to acknowledge the different kinds of learners, such as visual learners or auditory learners. Discuss how you would provide different activities such as diagrams, songs, charts, group discussions or listening activities. The possibilities are endless! As long as you show an awareness and understanding of the importance of differentiation, you’ll be thriving! 

Take a look at some of Twinkl’s ECT interview preparation resources here.

5. How do you assess student progress? 

Understanding how to approach assessment is an essential component of teaching.  Interviewers want to see that you have a clear understanding of how to monitor and evaluate progress effectively.

You can discuss the different methods of assessment you plan to use, such as formative assessments and summative assessments. You can also explain how you would use assessment data to influence your teaching and provide clear feedback to students. Use examples such as quizzes, reflection activities, non-examined assessments and peer assessments. You should also discuss the importance of constructive feedback and how to incorporate feedback into new pieces of work.

Elevate Supply can also offer ongoing support, including access to a dedicated team for any questions or concerns you may have. Fancy a chat about any of the issues discussed above? Simply call us on 0114 700 8490 and one of our lovely members will be able to support you. 

Securing your first teaching job requires more than just academic knowledge. It’s essential for you to demonstrate that you are passionate, adaptable and capable of fostering a positive learning environment! 

By preparing thoughtful answers to these common ECT interview questions, you’ll be well on your way to impressing your interviewers and landing your first teaching role. 

Remember, each interview is a learning experience. The more you practice, the more you’ll continue to improve your responses and build your confidence!