So You Just Got Your Degree? Here’s How to SLAY Your First ELA Interview

Chelsea Sahagun
Jul 6
3 min read

2021: I had just graduated with my MA in Education and Secondary Teaching Credential!

So you just graduated with your BA and you're interviewing for a 9th grade ELA position?

First of all: Congratulations! 🎓

That’s a huge accomplishment. Not everyone makes it through college, and even fewer feel called to become a high school teacher. So before you stress about interviews, celebrate yourself. You’re already one educated baddie with a purpose, and you deserve all the flowers for that.

Now that we’ve celebrated you (as we should), let’s get you prepped for that interview!

Be Ready for These Top 3 Interview Questions:

How will you meet the diverse needs of your students?

Before your interview, do a little research on the school. What’s the student demographic?

For example, my school has a high population of English Learners, so I made sure to speak to strategies that support those needs.

You might mention things like:

Sentence starters and stems
Graphic organizers
Timed tasks and chunked reading
Translated texts (when needed)
Criteria for success checklists
Student exemplars (sooo important)!

Tailor your answer to the school and show you already think with your students in mind.

What’s your classroom philosophy?

This one comes up a lot: sometimes worded as “What’s your teaching style?” or “What does student learning look like in your room?”

I always share a line from a former professor:

“If I’m doing most of the talking, then I’m doing most of the learning.”

That stuck with me. It’s why I design student-centered lessons where my students are talking, moving, and collaborating.

Some examples you can share if it fits your style:

Turn-and-talks and peer sharing
Movement-based activities
Jigsaws (where students become the expert and teach each other)

This shows you believe in student agency and active learning (something schools love to hear).

What’s your biggest weakness?

The trick here is to reframe your weakness as an “area of improvement”

AKA: Something you’re aware of and working on.

Here’s a safe but real one: Parent communication.

As a brand-new teacher, you may not have had much exposure to this in student teaching.

And if you're a few years in, it's still often one of those things that gets deprioritized early on because you're juggling a million other things (like behavior management, lesson planning, and admin deadlines - just saying 👀).

Frame it like this:

“One area I’m excited to grow in this year is finding meaningful ways to engage with families. I know that consistent communication can build trust and impact student success.”

You can also mention how you’re planning to do that:

Positive phone calls or emails home
Keeping families in the loop when students fall behind
Balancing negative feedback with proactive, positive outreach

Bonus “Area of improvement”: Planning Backwards

Another great option? Say your current focus is planning backwards: starting with the end assessment and designing your lessons from there. It’s a buzzy phrase and shows you're thinking about rigor, differentiation, and scaffolding. Win-win.

ALSO! Make sure that you have prepared IRL Examples:

If you have any IRL (in real life) examples (good and bad) use them.

Sharing a moment where something went well shows your competence.

Sharing a moment that didn’t go so well shows self-awareness, humility, and a growth mindset.

Pro Tip: Show that you’re not just open to feedback, but craving it. That’s gold in an interview.

Lastly, Show You're Coachable:

More than anything, schools are looking for someone who is coachable, collaborative, and eager to grow.

If you’re a brand-new teacher: Emphasize how excited you are to learn from your colleagues.
If you’re more experienced: Share how you’ve collaborated with other educators and how you're continuing to hone your craft.

Being a team player and someone people want to work with matters so much more than being perfect.