Mentor Interview Tips

Prepare for your mentor interview

 Look up your potential mentor’s school website and learn as much as you can about the school, the curriculum and see if your mentor has a webpage.

Think about questions you are likely to be asked and be ready to answer. This might include:

1. Why do you want to be a teacher?
2. Tell me a little about yourself and your background.
3. What are your strengths and passions in your subject area?
4. What is your working style?
5. What are you most excited about as you think about being an intern?
6. What are you most anxious about?

Here are possible questions that you might ask to learn more about your potential mentor. Choose a few that really speak to you and write them on an index card if it will help you remember:

1. What do value most about teaching (your subject)?

2. What do you see as the most important goals of teaching (your subject)?

3. What do you enjoy most about teaching in general?

4. What are the strengths of students at (your school)? What are their biggest challenges?

5. How do you address some of those strengths and challenges?

6. What do you do for professional development?

7. How do you work and interact with other colleagues?

8. How do you reflect on your practice?

9. When do you do planning for next year and what role do you see that I could play in that?

10. As an intern, feedback will be really important for me to grow. Would you be open to establishing a weekly time to talk about my progress?

11. What are your hopes for me as an intern and a colleague?