What type of questions will they ask at a teaching assistant job interview?

Question

What type of questions will they ask at a teaching assistant job interview?

Answer 1

Yes, I agree with all that. They will also ask you, "do you mind working for peanuts?"

Answer 2

If  I were interviewing you (I'm a former teacher), I would want to know:

1.   how much experience and what type you had had working with students. (That would include church school, private school, baby sitting and public school work)

2.   How do you think children learn best (reading from a textbook, doing workbook pages, doing hands on activities, taking field trips, doing project work, working alone or working in pairs ?) You might want to visit a bookstore and look at some ideas for teaching children effectively.  

3.  what activities you enjoy doing the most with students

4.  how you manage student behavior when it starts to get out of control (e.g. two students are talking and not paying attention while you are giving directions)

5.  how you give feedback to students when they give you incorrect or partly incorrect answers

6. how you give feedback to students when they get the right answer.

I'm sure there are others.  Talk to a teacher friend about these questions and ask him/her if they have others you might need to consider.

Good luck!  Teaching assistants are invaluable helpers in the classroom when they they their jobs well.

Answer 3

Obviously your experience with working with children. Is it secondary or primary?  The way you conduct yourself. Dont pretend to know kids regardless wether you have your own. A parent is an advantage but not an essential part of the job. Kids come from all walks of life and many have baggage.

Dont rehearse, be yourself it will show.

Are you ambitious, do you want to develop your strengths, are you willing to train and improve your capacity for the job?

They may put forward a scenario between you and a kid with special needs or behavioural issues or statement. Without the scenario I cant help but be yourself and dont be a hero answer genuinly and if you dont know say so it's the better answer.  Iv'e been there on several occasions.  Good luck.

Answer 4

The other answers were great, but I would also add that you should not be afraid to think for a second before you reply.  An articulate response that is well reasoned is much better than a quickly thrown out reply.  It is also a benefit to spend time volunteering in local area schools, if possible.  I know of several teacher assistants who were hired  after they originally came in as high school, college, or parent volunteers.  Good luck!