13 Best Questions to Ask a Special Education Teacher During an Interview

Special education teachers help children struggling with disabilities and understand the importance of taking an organized and creative approach to learning. Below are some questions you can use when conducting a special education interview. Alternatively, if you’re interested in obtaining a certificate in special education, it helps to know what questions employers might ask and how they evaluate candidates.

1. Why Did You Decide to Make Special Education Your Career?

Why this is important

Special education, while rewarding, can be challenging and sometimes draining. It’s essential that you understand the motivation of candidates. Interviewers must evaluate each candidate carefully to ensure they bring in someone who will be a good fit for the students in their care.

Many special educators are motivated to join the field because they have family members with disabilities. Someone who’s seen the challenges firsthand may be better equipped to handle the stress that often arises from the position.

What to listen for in responses

• Ability to show empathy and understanding
• Answers provided by candidates should demonstrate their enthusiasm for the field and the opportunity to change lives

2. What Qualities Should a Special Education Teacher Have?

Why this is important

Even those who are passionate about the field need to have the right skill set to achieve success with students. Special education interview candidates should understand the importance of establishing an organized, structured environment for students. For example, setting up color-coded folders for baskets to demonstrate different class levels or giving every student a notebook to communicate with parents.

What to listen for in responses

• Ability to accept the differences between students
• The desire to set up creative learning activities suited to each student’s capabilities
• Understanding the need to be patient and allow students to learn at their pace

3. What Experiences Make You a Good Fit for a Special Education Teacher?

Why this is important

Unlike other professions, special education teachers typically don’t have time to ease their way into the role. They often must take on many responsibilities from the start, including learning new curricula, getting to know students, and finding lesson resources.

What to listen for in responses

• Knowing how to work effectively with leadership, parents, and students
• Knowing how to allow sufficient time for lessons
• Understanding the need to work around shortcomings like a lack of resources

4. What Types of Disabilities Have You Handled in a Classroom Setting?

Why this is important

Every student with a disability has unique needs that special education teachers must learn to navigate. What works for one person may be the opposite of what another student needs. For example, teachers need to apply different techniques for a student with dyslexia versus another with a speech disorder.

What to listen for in responses

• Understanding of how to develop multiple lesson plans to match the educational needs of students
• The desire to do more research into various disabilities

5. How Do You Prepare for the Challenges of Teaching Special Education?

Why this is important

Some teachers struggle because they have unrealistic expectations of their students. The best teachers prepare for the challenges ahead by reviewing students’ goals, where they may be having trouble, and accounting for any special accommodations they might need.

What to listen for in responses 

• Experience setting up schedules based on individual student capabilities
• Willingness to reach out to parents or guardians to establish positive relationships

6. What Successful Strategies Have You Seen When Teaching Special Education?

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

Special education teachers must understand how to provide quality education to students with disabilities. Candidates must determine how to deal with each student’s skill set and abilities. Examples of successful techniques include setting up smaller groups for more personalized teaching or blending basic concepts with more specialized instruction.

Why this is important

• Willingness to adopt different levels of educational material
• Ability to rotate lessons for different groups to meet various educational needs

7. How Have You Adjusted Your Approach to Teaching Special Education Over the Years?

Why this is important

With so many potential classroom scenarios, special education teachers must be willing to adjust their approach if something isn’t working for one or more students. You want candidates who are willing to recognize when things go wrong and come up with alternative solutions

What to listen for in responses

• Details on situations where teachers changed their approach to education when it didn’t produce desired results
• Discussion on how they communicate those changes to students, higher-ups, and parents

8. How Does Your Experience Set You Apart from Other Special Education Teachers?

Why this is important

Students benefit from learning brought to them by special education teachers with different experiences and skill sets.

What to listen for in responses

• When candidates went above and beyond for students
• Stories on how they managed students with various learning disabilities

9. How Do You Handle Situations with Misbehaving or Disruptive Students?

Why this is important

Healthy relationships with students are vital in helping them find success. Candidates need to understand that students may lash out in frustration. They must demonstrate patience and understanding to help the student through those moments.

What to listen for in responses

• Empathy for students unable to control their emotional or physical responses
• Willingness to continue engaging even after a student seems to shut down

10. What Techniques Do You Use to Make Students Feel More Comfortable in Class?

Why this is important

Candidates need to be aware of how to adapt how they interact with students. Some welcome overt gestures, while others may respond to more subtle overtures. Either way, special education teachers should want to help students feel safe in their learning environment.

What to listen for in responses

• Willingness to listen to students versus thinking for them
• Able to engage with parents and find out how best to reach out to students

11. How Do You Incorporate Technology and Other Tools into Your Teaching?

Why this is important

Technology can help special education teachers accommodate students with specific learning needs. Software like communication devices to explain lessons and reading software help students feel a sense of independence in the classroom.

What to listen for in responses

• Knowledge of different types of software available to help students
• Openness to trying new technology to help students

12. What Roles Do You Consider Specific to Being a Special Education Teacher?

Why this is important

Special education teachers fill the role of mentor, support, and resource for students. They must be able to advise students on tools and skills they’ll need to navigate everyday life. Some students have trouble taking in new information, and candidates should encourage them to keep pushing forward in a positive manner.

What to listen for in responses

•  A willingness to engage one-on-one with students
• The ability to listen and offer sound advice based on the needs of students

13. How Do You Evaluate Success in Your Classroom?

Why this is important

Tracking students’ progress in the classroom is key to helping them develop fundamental skills that help them throughout life. Candidates should know how to measure a student’s development against their strengths and weakness to create an accurate picture of their growth.

What to listen for in responses

• The ability to gather and measure data based on defined metrics
• Development of a rating scale that documents performance over time

Get Certified in Special Education

University of the Cumberlands prepares students for careers in everything from technology to education. Click here to learn more about earning a special education certification to supplement your field of study.