Preschool Teacher interview questions and answers
These preschool teacher interview questions are based on important preschool teacher qualifications that you should look for during interviews.
Are you a candidate?
Crush your interview with our guide
Preschool Teacher Interview Questions
Preschool teachers interact with children at a critical moment of their childhood. Shortlisted candidates should possess a degree in early childhood education. Depending on the company and position’s requirements you can hire experienced teachers or enthusiastic graduates looking to start their career. Teaching credentials and CPR/first aid certification may be required and if not, they’re still a good way to find the best candidates.
During the interview, ask questions that refer to three different aspects of teaching: preparing for classes, teaching in the classroom and communicating with parents and other teachers.
Ask about teaching plans and methods they have used in the past. Isolate different common situations and ask them to explain how they would handle them. You want to hear people talk about being patient but firm, loving but serious, promoting fun and learning at the same time. Communication skills, passion and diligence should be apparent in their answers.
Operational and Situational questions
- Imagine two children in the classroom misbehave and fight constantly. What do you do?
- If a child showed signs of defiance, how would you act?
- Imagine you suspect a child is being neglected by their family. What is your course of action?
- What would you do if a child got hurt while playing?
Role-specific questions
- Why did you choose to teach preschoolers instead of older children?
- What’s the biggest challenge working with children?
- What steps would you take to make class interesting?
- How does having different age groups in the classroom affect your curriculum?
- What methods do you use for language development?
- What kind of record should a preschool teacher keep?
- Describe your ideal classroom
- How often do you think you should communicate with parents?
- How do you stay updated on news and innovations in the field of education?
Behavioral questions
- Recall a time you had to deal with a dissatisfied and aggressive parent. How did you handle it?
- Tell me about a time you organized a group activity the children liked