Interview scorecard by role
Teacher Interview Scorecard & Questions
Hiring teachers well means looking beyond credentials to classroom management, lesson planning, differentiation and relationships with students and parents. A demo lesson is the most valuable part of the process.
What to assess: 5 core competencies
Copy this scorecard. Assign each competency to one interviewer, rate it 1–5 and write down the evidence before discussing the candidate with anyone.
| Competency | What good looks like | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instructional planning | designs lessons with clear objectives and assessment. | ||
| Classroom management | creates a safe, focused learning environment. | ||
| Differentiation | adapts instruction to diverse learners. | ||
| Assessment and data | uses assessment to adjust teaching. | ||
| Communication | builds relationships with students, parents and colleagues. | ||
| Overall | ☐ Strong no ☐ No ☐ Yes ☐ Strong yes | ||
10 structured interview questions for a teacher
Ask the same core questions, in the same order, to every candidate. Probe with "What did you do?" and "What was the result?"
- Walk me through a lesson you're proud of. How did you know students learned?
- Tell me about a challenging class. What did you change?
- How do you support a student who is far behind and one who is far ahead in the same lesson?
- Describe a difficult parent conversation.
- How do you use assessment data to plan?
- Tell me about a time a lesson failed. What did you do next?
- How do you build relationships with students in the first weeks?
- How do you collaborate with colleagues on curriculum?
- What does your classroom look like during independent work?
- Demo lesson: teach a 15-minute lesson on a topic of your choice, then reflect on it.
Rating anchors for the critical competencies
Anchors stop one interviewer's "4" from being another's "2". These cover the two competencies that most often separate strong and weak teacher hires. Read our interview rating scale guide to write anchors for the rest.
Classroom management
| 1 — Below the bar | Relies on threats or loses control during the demo. |
|---|---|
| 3 — Meets the bar | Has clear routines and handles disruptions calmly. |
| 5 — Exceptional | Prevents issues through engagement and routines; students self-manage. |
Differentiation
| 1 — Below the bar | Teaches one way to all students. |
|---|---|
| 3 — Meets the bar | Offers some scaffolds and extensions. |
| 5 — Exceptional | Plans multiple entry points and uses data to group and regroup students. |
Red flags to watch for
- Blames students for every classroom problem.
- Can't describe how they measure learning.
- Negative about parents as a group.
30-60-90 day plan outline for a new teacher
| Days 1–30: Learn | Learn curriculum, school policies and students; establish routines; contact all parents. |
|---|---|
| Days 31–60: Contribute | Run full lessons with regular formative assessment; join team planning; get first observation feedback. |
| Days 61–90: Own | Use data to adjust instruction; contribute to a team or school initiative. |
Turn this into a full plan with goals and check-ins using our 30-60-90 day plan guide or the 30-60-90 Day Onboarding Kit.
Skip the setup: get ready-made, editable scorecards
Structured interview scorecards for 5 common roles — hire on evidence, not gut feel.
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Hiring end to end? The Complete Hiring Bundle adds the pipeline tracker and onboarding kit for $49 (save $23).FAQ
How many interview rounds should a teacher go through?
Two or three focused stages are usually enough for a small company: a short screen, a structured interview using the questions above, and a practical exercise or final interview. Score every stage on the same 1–5 scale.
What is the most predictive part of a teacher interview?
The practical exercise — "teach a 15-minute lesson on a topic of your choice, then reflect on it." — because it shows real work rather than descriptions of it. Score it against the anchors on this page.
Generate more questions with the free interview question generator.