October 26, 2022

Interview questions for physical Education teachers

If you are applying for a job as a PE teacher, you might want to know what questions to expect at your interview! This lesson will help you prepare to make the most of the interview experience.

Why Interviews Matter

Are you applying for a job in physical education? If so, you have probably prepared a strong resume and cover letter already. The next step in the job application process is the interview. An interview is so important because it really gives you a chance to showcase your personality and your ability to think quickly and on the spot. For PE teachers in particular, your interview can give you a chance to show your investment in fitness, your dedication to children and to the school environment, and your charisma in interacting with others. While you will want your interview answers to sound spontaneous and authentic, you also want to prepare by thinking through the ideas you hope to convey. This lesson gives you some ideas of question that principals and hiring committees are likely to ask. While you will want to determine your own answers, this lesson provides you with some suggestions of how a meaningful answer might sound.

Interview Questions and Answers

Why did you decide you were interested in becoming a PE teacher?

Being a PE teacher helps me work on both of my major passions at once: health and education. I have always loved to exercise, and I've always been really interested in fitness. At the same time, I love spending time with children and helping them learn new things. As a PE teacher, I get to help inspire kids to take care of their bodies, enjoy movement, and learn sports and games. I get to spend my days moving and helping others at the same time.

What would you say are the three major goals of a physical education program?

Of course I think every PE program has multiple goals, but the major ones should be teaching about health and fitness, teaching about collaboration and cooperation, and getting kids moving as much as possible. I want kids to come away from my classes with a good understanding of why it matters to take care of their bodies as well as their minds. I want them to understand why working together can be just as important as competing. Finally, I want kids to spend as much of my class as possible moving and exercising.

Provide some examples of how you might collaborate with other teachers in the school.

PE should never be taught in isolation! I like to talk to classroom teachers to find out what their students are interested in, which students especially need a chance to take on leadership roles or get energy out, and what they are studying in class. I can teach sports and games from different periods in history to go along with a social studies curriculum, and I can incorporate counting, measurement and other math concepts into my instruction. I start by listening to what other teachers hope to get out of our collaborative relationship, and I move on from there.