Why did you choose teaching, and what will keep you going through a hard term?
I chose teaching because I enjoy seeing someone understand an idea they had struggled with, and I want to help pupils feel capable. I know the job also involves planning, marking, behaviour and long days, so motivation has to rest on more than the good moments. In a hard term I would lean on colleagues, keep a small record of progress my pupils make, protect time for rest, and ask for advice early rather than struggle alone. I see difficult terms as part of learning the craft, not proof that I chose wrongly.
Tell me about a lesson you adapted after noticing some pupils were left behind.
Choose a real lesson where you noticed some pupils were lost, for example from blank looks, wrong answers or unfinished work. Explain what you saw and how you worked out the reason. Describe what you changed, such as breaking the task into smaller steps, using visuals or grouping pupils differently. Then show the evidence that learning improved, like better answers or work. End with what you learned about checking understanding early.
How would you plan a lesson for pupils with very different starting points?
Start with a clear objective for the lesson, written in simple words about what pupils will be able to do. Find out what they already know with a quick starter task or questions. Plan different levels of support and challenge, such as sentence starters for some and extension tasks for others, while keeping the same goal for everyone. Move around the room and ask questions during the lesson. Finish with a short check, and use the results to plan the next lesson.
How would you know whether a program delivers its intended learning outcomes?
Show that you would gather evidence from several places. Start with assessment results linked to each learning outcome, and look at how students do across the programme. Check progression, such as who passes, repeats or drops out. Gather feedback from students, graduates and employers. Add external review, such as external examiners or accreditation reports, for an independent view. Then compare all this against the stated outcomes, find gaps and agree actions with staff, and follow up the next year.