When You Don’t Know How to Answer an Interview Question
by Amanda Melsby — March 21, 2024
You cannot believe it; your mind is completely blank. Maybe you’re unfamiliar with the concept or topic they’re asking about. Maybe you have zero experience with the situational question. Either way, panic immediately sets in. What should you do when you don’t know how to answer an interview question?
For this article, we focus on strategies for what to say when you don’t know what to say. In theory, any interview question can cause you trouble. However, we’ve broken it down into two main types of questions that can stump a candidate.
Each category has a different approach.
- Situational questions with which you have no experience
- Questions about topics with which you are unfamiliar
Related Read
“How to Impress in a Teacher Interview With No Experience”
Scenario #1: Situational questions with which you have no experience
Examples of these questions are:
- “Tell us about a time when…”
- “How did you handle ____ situation?”
- “Describe an interaction that demonstrates…”
Situational questions call on you to provide an example from your professional experience. If you have limited experience, you may be unable to recall an appropriate example.
In these cases, we recommend that you use the “GET” response method.
- General philosophy/belief. Identify the large issue the question addresses. Whether it is classroom management, instruction, or working with colleagues most questions fall into just a few categories. If you want to read more about the question categories, take a look at “Teacher Interview Questions Are More Predictable Than You Think“. Finally, briefly share what your overall philosophy is on that particular topic.
- Examples. Share that you have not had experience with this particular situation. Transition to explaining how you would handle the situation and explain your rationale for your choices.
- Tie it back. End by tying your response to your philosophy or back to the school.
Example: Tell us about a time when you dealt with an unhappy parent.
General belief/philosophy: “It’s so important that we partner with parents and families. Students with involved parents who know what’s going on at school are going to have higher rates of success. I know how important it is to maintain open lines of communication and, if possible, have positive interactions with parents.”
Provide examples: “While I’ve never directly dealt with this situation personally, I do understand where parents are coming from. They want the best for their student, and sometimes they just want to hear that the teacher feels the same way. I would make sure to let the parents know that I genuinely like their child and that I enjoy having them in class. The parent and I would come up with a reasonable plan to try to solve the situation. Follow-through is vital, so I would let them know when and how I would contact them to let them know how things are going.”
Tie it back: “Most of all, I want parents to know that I’m here to help their student be successful. I’m willing to work with them in that process.”
Scenario #2: Questions about topics with which you are unfamiliar
Let’s face it, education loves its acronyms. There are so many different initiatives and trends that it is virtually impossible to stay on top of them all. If you are in a situation where you don’t know anything about the topic, we recommend approaching it this way:
- Start by asking questions. It is perfectly acceptable for you to ask for clarification. You can say something like, “I’m not familiar with this topic, can you share a brief overview?” This gives you a few moments to identify the large issue or category and begin to formulate a response.
- Link to what you do. Once you know what the topic is (we’ll use the example of standards-based grading) find a common link between the purpose of the topic and your approach.
- Tie it back. End by expressing enthusiasm (if it’s genuine) for trying something new. A nice way to wrap up your response is to connect your teaching philosophy to the topic they are asking about.
Example: What is your experience with standards-based grading?
Start by asking questions: “My experience with standards-based grading is limited. Can you give me a brief overview of what it looks like at this school? How are teachers implementing it?”
Link to what you do: “It sounds like the core purpose of standards-based grading is to increase mastery of the essential standards for each assignment. Increasing mastery of essential skills is something I strive for in my assessments. One way I do this is by…”
Tie it back: “Standards-based grading, from what I know, fits well with my teaching philosophy. I would be excited to implement a grading system that focuses on student mastery.”
Avoid saying “I don’t know”
Saying “I don’t know” effectively ends the conversation. The interview panel is now forced to awkwardly move on to the next question. Remember, this is not an exam, it’s a conversation. You are allowed to ask clarifying questions. It’s better to admit that you don’t know, ask for a brief explanation, and then respond by sharing your educational approach.
From the perspective of a school administrator, it’s illuminating to see how a candidate responds to a question they don’t know. The answer reveals a genuine and authentic side to the candidate–and an unrehearsed one. It gives me a sense of how this teacher will handle those unexpected situations that occur frequently in a classroom.
Some people feel that saying “I don’t know” or “That has not happened to me” is being honest. And it is…but you must also show that you can think through a situation and provide a solution or response to a problem.
No one on the panel expects you to know everything, but we do expect you to talk us through your thought process and show us that you can troubleshoot and draw on your areas of expertise.
After all, that is what you will be doing every day in the classroom.
Teacher Interview Prep Guide
To learn more about getting ready for your teacher interview, check out our Teacher Interview Preparation Guide.
Amanda Melsby has been a professional educator for 20 years. She taught English before working as an assistant principal and later as a high school principal. Amanda holds an Ed.D. in Educational Practice and Leadership and is currently a dean of teaching and learning.