Top Preschool Teacher Interview Questions Part – 2

Q – 1 Explain what are your lesson plans aimed at?

Ans- All my lesson plans are aimed at organizing and leading school activities that promote physical, mental, academic and social development of each child, based on his or her ability to cope and learn.

Q – 2 Tell us how do you handle behavioral problems in class?

Ans- Students at the preschool level are in the initial learning processes which is why it is important for a teacher to come down to their level.

I almost never reprimand my students for bad behavior although I do speak to them in a calm and controlled manner by explaining to them why they have behaved wrongly. At the end, I always encourage handshakes or high fives which helps in minimizing hard feelings.

Q – 3 Tell me isn’t this work extremely challenging?

Ans- For sure it is! Working as a preschool teacher means that you are molding lives. And it is great responsibility. I believe that I am ready for this responsibility though.

Q – 4 Explain me what do you consider to be the role of parents in preschool?

Ans- As a preschool teacher you need to be able to balance the needs of the parents and children.

You want parental buy-in. Discuss how you communicate with and involve the parents including newsletters, notes home, progress reports, organizing family days and parent activities.

Q – 5 What are your long-term goals as Preschool Teacher?

Ans- This question is being asked to gauge your commitment to the school district, as well as what your objectives are as a teacher. It also wonders whether you are goal-oriented or not. For a question such as this, it helps if you have a five-year plan in place.

It also helps if you have a goal as a teacher but also a vision for the school, so doing some research beforehand may help. When answering this question, always focus on how your goal-oriented tasks will benefit the school and the students.

Q – 6 Tell us what do you consider your strengths as a preschool teacher?

Ans- Possible strengths include the ability to observe each child keenly and objectively in order to best meet each individual needs, planning and organizational skills to ensure the day is a productive as possible, strong communication skills to build positive relationships with each child, dedication, flexibility, energy and creativity, high levels of patience and a good sense of humor!

Q – 7 Explain me what is your method to incorporate play into regular school work?

Ans- I am all for incorporating play into regular school work which makes the latter interesting for young students. I use technology, usually smart boards, to help me do this, along with making sure that I bring in as much interactive activities as possible.

Q – 8 Why do you want to work for our school as Preschool Teacher?

Ans- This is a fairly obvious question, and the answer to answering this question successfully lies of research you do to prepare yourself in advance.

Be sure to know about the school district, the needs of the school, the successes of the school, the faculty, the board, the educational vision that the school promotes, the reputation, demographic, activities and neighborhood. Have some sense of what the school struggled with but also have excelled in to provide a balanced vision of your own that would be a good fit at this district.

Q – 9 Explain me your approach to classroom management?

Ans- Possible answers to this type of preschool teacher interview question include:

“Managing a class full of preschoolers is challenging, I have to gain their respect and ensure appropriate behavior without intimidating them. A successful approach is to control the classroom while keeping things educational, enjoyable and encouraging.

I achieve this through excellent organization of both learning activities and the learning environment. The classroom is a supportive and structured environment where children learn while having fun.”

Q – 10 Explain me what defines success for you as a preschool teacher?

Ans- Children in their formative years require more out of a teacher than others. The interviewer wants to find out if you have any goals or takeaways for your preschoolers.

“I have a few goals I aim to achieve that allow me to measure my success as well. First, my overall objective is to instill a positive attitude towards education. Second, I strive to build independence and confidence in my preschoolers so that they use their full potential.

Lastly, I teach my students to celebrate their differences and interact positively with one another. If they walk away with at least a little of each aspect, then I feel as though I have succeeded in my role.”

Q – 11 Explain how would you handle a particular situation in the kindergarten classroom?

Ans- This question is more or less aimed at finding out whether you can think on your feet and how child-appropriate your course of action or thought is. Describe how you handle children wanting the same toy. Or what you would do if one child ruin’s his classmate’s art project or kicks and hits.
Detail how each child is spoken to; how you focus your attention on the injured party.

Q – 12 Tell us what strategies do you use to encourage children to work in groups?

Ans- Group work allows students to interact and stay engaged. The interviewer is inquiring how you go about incorporating that into the classroom.

“I have a few strategies I use to encourage my preschoolers to work in groups. I am adamant about sticking to hands-on activities only, which are more likely to turn into a group activities versus individual work. Also, I like to take activities that can be done on an individual basis and turn them into group work.

For example, in my previous position instead of having each student draw a separate picture, I allowed them all to work on a collaborative mural that hung on our wall for the remainder of the year. It encouraged team work and open communication among the students.”

Q – 13 Explain what is the meaning of a primary caregiver to a child?

Ans- this is a term used instead of ‘mother’ or ‘father’, as many children today are raised by one parent or another person entirely, be it relative or friend. This term avoids calling attention to each child’s state. If there are children in the class whose primary caregiver is not the mother, sensitivity and forethought will allow you to tell all kinds of stories without upsetting or embarrassing children.

Q – 14 Explain what are your weaknesses as a teacher?

Ans- This is always a challenging question. The best way to answer it is to be honest, humble but not defensive. You can go for an answer that says something positive about you but accurately reflects the fact that you are prone to human flaws.

A safe way to answer a question such as this would be to say that you have a hard time fitting in your entire agenda for the day because there’s a lot you have planned for students, so what you try to do when faced with this challenge is that you prioritize what lessons that might benefit students the most in terms of their educational advancement, and set aside others activities for another time.

This answer reflects your hardworking efforts and planning ability so that you don’t run out of lesson plans. It also shows that you have a sense of priority when it comes to educational assets for students. It also reveals that you have what it takes to keep students occupied.

Q – 15 Explain me about a typical daily schedule in your classroom?

Ans- Provide a concise overview of the types of activities you engage the preschoolers in, rather than a minute-to-minute account of your day. Give reasons for your choice of schedule.

“I like to mix it up between indoor and outdoor activity, big and small group and individual activities, free play and structured activities, and hands-on and listening activities . This keeps the children engaged and provides opportunities for both learning and fun. I start with a large group activity and then move on to ..”

Emphasize your ability to be flexible and to adapt your schedule to meet changing needs and demands.

Q – 16 Tell me what do you like most about the preschool teaching job?

Ans- “The highlight of my teaching day is when I see the excitement of the children when they learn something new, when they are able to do something for the first time. It is very fulfilling how responsive young children are to learning, to see their enthusiasm for different and fresh activities.”

“I enjoy getting to know each child as a unique individual, finding out what makes them tick and then using this knowledge to help them grow, to maximize their strengths and to build their confidence and competence. I find it so rewarding to be an integral part of their development.”

Q – 17 Explain what have been your prime duties as a preschool teacher in the past?

Ans- I have been actively involved in creating preschool curriculum and lesson plans, and implementing both according to the protocols of the school and state.

Imparting education to young students according to their specific learning speeds, ensuring that they are kept comfortable during their time at school and making sure that behavior models are maintained, was also part of my work.

Additionally, I was responsible for creating and maintaining a classroom environment that is conducive to young students’ development and learning.

Q – 18 Explain me how do you handle classroom discipline?

Ans- This is a tough one since the way of disciplining classrooms or students vary according to each teacher. It’s important that you stay apprised of on-going discourses regarding effective classroom disciplining in order to keep your teaching methods up to date.

But the most important reason for having an answer in a case like this is to answer the question without offending anyone but also showing your effective teaching ability.

The interviewer is asking this question to get a sense of who you are as a teacher, and whether or not you are prepared when it comes to disciplining students. Knowing the school district’s mission statement or discipline philosophy in advance will help you to answer this question best, so that you do not say anything out of line, but you must also remain honest to your own goals as a teacher.

A good balance of these two elements will be the best answer. Try to provide a real scenario where you had to exercise discipline and it had an effective result. Explain why you felt that this course of action was best, and how it worked out for the student(s).

Q – 19 Tell me how would you deal with a child who is biting or acting aggressively?

Ans- As the interview goes on, the director or principal may begin to ask more “What would you do if…” questions. The best way to prepare for these types of questions is to know not only how you would handle this situation, but to be able to give a developmentally appropriate reason for doing so.

For example, “Children who bite or act aggressively are often lacking the language to tell others what they are feeling. After observing the child for a short time, I would attempt to stop the biting by shadowing the child, documenting the behaviors and the events that led up to them and trying to find the root cause of the biting or aggression.”

Q – 20 Tell us what is your belief about the most important aspect of a preschool staff?

Ans- It is the primary duty of a preschool staff to ensure that students are taught to develop a positive attitude towards education. It is import to build independence, raise confidence and celebrate students’ differences. It is also important to ensure that students interact positively with each other.

Q – 21 Tell me why did you select a preschool teacher career?

Ans- Being a preschool teacher is not an easy job. And not everyone can be a preschool teacher. There has to be some aspects in yourself that made you desire such a position and that will make you the perfect candidate for a preschool teacher job position.

One of the most important aspects is that you should have a natural love for kids and enjoy helping them and being surrounded by them. There is no place for irritability, intolerance or impatience in the job and life of a preschool teacher. These are the concepts that you should bring out in the interview answers, with perhaps a brief, revealing anecdote or two.

Q – 22 Suppose I were to walk into your classroom during an early literacy or math activity, what would I see?

Ans- This answer can be a bit lengthy, because you want to explain your intentional planning and the activity’s learning goals. Speak at a steady pace and stay on topic, and the length won’t be a problem. Your answer depends on the children you would be teaching and your teaching style’s fit with their unique characteristics.

Are you leading a small group, working one-on-one, or working with the whole group? Explain how you would get the children interested at the beginning of the activity. During the activity, what will you be doing? How will you end the activity? Think about your teaching strategies, and tie them in with the curriculum (typically found on the program or district website). Using the name of the curriculum shows interviewers you are interested in their school or program and that you researched it.

Q – 23 Tell me how to created a happy learning environment for the children in your previous job?

Ans- This preschool teacher interview question is to evaluate how well you manage your classroom. Effective organization is the cornerstone to this. Describe how you have created a welcoming, structured and supportive learning environment.

Q – 24 Explain how important do you believe the first five years of a child’s life are and why?

Ans- The formative years of every child are extremely important. This is the time they are provided with a foundation on which they work for the next decade. Also, the first five years are important because children have the capacity to absorb a lot at this time and we as instructors need to ensure that they make full use of this.

Q – 25 Suppose the theme were farm animals, what kinds of activities would you plan for children?

Ans- Telling your interviewer the type of projects you would like to plan as well as your reason for choosing a particular project will more than likely impress her. For example, “I think it’s important that preschoolers learn to work together, so I would plan a cooperative art project such as a farm mural. Each child could select a part of the farm to draw on the class mural such as a barn, a tractor or animals.”

Q – 26 Explain me do you think students with special needs should be enrolled in a regular program? Why or why not?

Ans- It all depends on the nature of disability and the student’s own ability to cope. If the student does not get traumatized, I believe there is no harm in enrolling his or her into a regular school program.

Q – 27 Explain me an example of when you had to recently deal with a concerned or angry parent?

Ans- Parental involvement can be negative as well as positive. It is important to be able to manage this.

Appropriate methods include speaking privately to the parent away from the children, listening closely to the parent’s concerns, asking the right questions and ensuring you understand the situation before you explain or discuss possible solutions, showing genuine concern and empathy and remaining calm and professional.

Q – 28 Explain me what do you think is the most important aspect that a kindergarten works on, and what is the most important aspect that a preschool teacher imparts to the child?

Ans- Education is not just teaching the written word, but it is also molding an entire generation into forward thinking, practical individuals. Also, values are the most important aspects that one can give to the young generation.

Therefore, you should be careful and answer the question with an answer that would send across the point that you focus on the discipline and values that a preschool teacher can impart to children. This is the time to arouse in the children interest in learning and socializing appropriately, while introducing them to rules and regulations.

Q – 29 Tell me what skills do you possess that make you a great preschool teacher?

Ans- I am patient and flexible – two attributes that are core ingredients that should be present in a preschool teacher. Since I am a trained preschool teacher, I am well-aware of creating and using age-appropriate teaching materials, evaluating student performances and providing them with a safe and nurturing environment to thrive in.

Additionally, I am proficient in handling in-class problems before they become crises.

Q – 30 Explain me some of your positive guidance strategies?

Ans- Be sure the strategies you describe are developmentally appropriate and effective. It is best to share ones that you have implemented successfully, so you can use examples from your own experiences. Administrators seem to appreciate discussing guidance that reinforces positive behaviors and involves children in deciding how to work together in the classroom.

Q – 31 Tell me how do you handle working with children of different age groups?

Ans- Most likely as a preschool teacher you will be working with students from ages three to five. The interviewer wants to make sure your curriculum will be relevant to the entire range of age groups.

“The most important thing I keep in mind when working with children of different age groups is to keep each child engaged and mentally stimulated.

Everyone must have equal attention because often if a child feels neglected they will start to act out. All students physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs should be met and further developed. I make sure to keep a diverse curriculum that is specified and beneficial to each age. I develop cross-age activities as well.”

Q – 32 Tell us what would you do to promote parental involvement?

Ans- This is often a big question for preschool directors. They often have hundreds of parents to keep happy, and having teachers that are able to take the reins and plan parent luncheons, family days and other activities will help them tremendously.

If you have any prior experience planning family days or parent activities, be sure to take this opportunity to toot your own horn! For example, “At my last job, I planned the school’s annual Apple Fest.

It was a Saturday afternoon affair for the whole family with games, prizes and food. It was a lot of work, but I enjoyed it because we were able to connect with a lot of the families in a way that isn’t always possible during the school day.”

Q – 33 Explain and summarize your preschool teaching philosophy?

Ans- This is a personal question that you need to think about in-depth before your job interview.

Possible examples include:

“I strongly believe it is important for preschoolers to be in an environment that is both consistent and secure. A nurturing and supportive school environment makes the child feel safe and instills confidence. I believe learning and development are optimized when a child is secure and comfortable.”

“I believe that a mixture of structured activities and free and creative play allow for optimal learning and fun. Each child is an unique individual and should be allowed to learn at his or her own pace. Activities should be centered on establishing self-esteem and confidence”

Q – 34 Explain me what are the key responsibilities of a preschool teacher?

Ans- Preschool education is not just about teaching letters and numbers but also about instilling values and characteristics such as a love of learning, curiosity, discipline, teamwork, independence, communication and socialization skills.

Q – 35 Explain me why did you select teaching preschool as a career?

Ans- Being a preschool teacher requires a true love for the field and working with kids. The interviewer is ensuring these are traits you possess.

“Growing up I was the oldest of six brothers and sisters. Helping my mother to care for them gave me the skills to be a nurturer. I worked as a babysitter and in various child care centers before I became a teacher. I always found myself drawn to similar jobs. I developed a passion for working with kids and found I was quite skilled at it.”

Q – 36 Explain me what makes you the best candidate for this position?

Ans- This is a loaded question! Of all your qualifications, state the ones that put you over the top. Although you need to maintain a professional demeanor throughout the interview, this question calls for your personal views on early childhood education and how you see yourself contributing to the program.

When preparing for the interview, consider the following: Why did you choose the field of early childhood education? How dedicated are you to the young children you teach? How has the field affected your thinking, previous jobs, and life experiences? This is the last message you will share with interviewers, so be sure to give an answer that represents you as a unique individual.

Q – 37 Explain me do you have any experience with students with special needs?

Ans- While my experience isn’t too vast in this area, I have handled a couple of students with physical and mental disabilities over the course of my career – and have done well in adjusting them!

Q – 38 Tell us why is working as a preschool teacher important to you?

Ans- As far back as I can remember, I have enjoyed being around children. I am an ambitious individual and have the flare of ensuring children’s personal, social and cognitive development. These factors are behind my interest in working as a preschool teacher.

Q – 39 Explain about your preschool teacher education (i.e. educational qualifications)?

Ans- Any job in this world requires either a skill set or an academic degree or both. Ensure that you answer this question in a factual and concise manner. The answers that you provide may be referenced and checked; present accordingly.

Q – 40 Explain how do you handle adversity from children?

Ans- I do not think of what is considered bad behavior as adversity. It is alright for children to question and be stubborn at times. I take it in stride and make sure that I respond with positivity.

Q – 41 Tell me how to plan to communicate with families?

Ans- Your answer should reflect the culture of the community in which you are interviewing. Find out the home languages spoken, the economic status of most families, and the kinds of family involvement encouraged by the school or program.

Knowing these details, you can shape a response that demonstrates respect for the families. Would it make more sense to use email or to send letters home? Would it be beneficial to create a class website? Is there a teacher portal available? Be sure to mention that you chose a method because you are aware of the community demographics!

Q – 42 Tell me have you ever had a conflict with a colleague or supervisor? If so, how did you resolve it?

Ans- This is a challenging question overall since it asks for you to be honest about something that you may not be comfortable with. But it’s important to answer it honestly because it’s a realistic question. Conflicts may arise but there’s always a way to resolve them.

Be reasonable when you answer this question. Don’t get angry or defensive. Provide the scenario as objectively as possible and reflect on both sides of the argument. Be clear as to what happened step by step. Explain your side as well as the other position’s side.

Explain how the situation was resolved. What the interviewer is looking for here is whether or not you’re a team player, and whether you have a reasonable state of mind. As long as you answer it providing the full picture and circumstances, you should be in the clear. Don’t discuss any major conflicts that might’ve led to enormous problems in your past.

Q – 43 Tell me what do you like least?

Ans- It is important to be prepared for preschool interview questions like this.

“Children this age can so easily become distracted and I have found this a challenge. I have become less frustrated with this aspect as I have gained more experience and found effective ways to encourage concentration and focus such as involving the children more in the activity, asking them questions and seeking suggestions from them.”

Q – 44 Tell me how have you handled a recent behavioral problem in the classroom?

Ans- Discuss how you speak to the children involved, explore the reason for the bad behavior, show them the difference between right and wrong, guide and help the children towards appropriate behavior. Detail the types of discipline you use. Support why you use these methods.

“I prefer to use time out with preschool children. It gives the child time to cool off and reflect on what he or she has done. After a couple of minutes of being removed from the group I discuss the misbehavior with the child and provide guidance for selecting the right response or behavior the next time”

This is an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of child development :

“Children who behave aggressively at this age are often unable to verbalize their feelings because they lack the language skills.”

Q – 45 Explain me how would you deal with an irate parent?

Ans- You may be surprised to hear this question in an interview, but it is something a director or principal will be concerned about.

Often, the director is unable to be involved in the day to day happenings of every classroom in the school and may be unaware of an irate parent situation. Answer honestly, and take this opportunity to show off your professionalism. For example, “I would ask the parent to speak privately, either by leaving the room or asking them to call me at the end of the day, as I wouldn’t want the children to see me having a heated discussion with a parent.

I would do my best to answer the parent’s questions and explain any situation they may have an issue with. As a last resort, I would speak to the director or assistant director if I were having trouble communicating with the parent.”

Q – 46 Explain me what would the daily schedule look like in your classroom?

Ans- The interviewer is probably not looking for the play-by-play of how you would organize your preschooler’s day, but rather a brief overview of the types of activities you would provide the students. For example, I believe that the preschool day should have a balance of indoor and outdoor, quiet and noisy, and small group, individual and large group activities.

I would like to open the day with a large group activity to discuss the plan for the day and then move on to small group centers. I would plan for at least two outdoor playtimes each day, weather permitting, and close with another quiet large group activity before dismissal.

I think it’s most important to be flexible about schedules as a preschool teacher, though. If the children are engaged in an activity, I would have no problem continuing it and reworking the daily schedule to allow for these things.

Q – 47 Tell me how do you encourage children to work in groups?

Ans- Group work is essential for learning cooperation and collaboration. How do you incorporate group work into your activities? Discuss a couple of projects you instigated such as a hands-on art activity that involved the preschoolers working together in groups.

Q – 48 Tell us how do you handle a behavioral problem in the classroom?

Ans- As a preschool teacher, you must be prepared for children that will misbehave. Explain to the interviewer how you would handle such a situation.

“Preschoolers are on the learning curve of distinguishing between right and wrong so I feel as though light reprimandation is adequate. As their teacher, it is my job to inform and help guide them. If a behavioral problem does arise, I typically put the child in time out.

It’s extremely crucial that parents are on board with my route of disciplinary action . Also, time out gives the child the opportunity to calm down and reflect on his or her misbehavior. After about five or so minutes, I would have a one-on-one discussion with the child about why they were removed from the group and how to make a better choice next time around.”

Q – 49 Tell me about yourself and past?

Ans- It’s typical for interviewers to make this request at the start of the meeting. They want to know what you consider important enough to mention. It is difficult to know just how much to say, because you want to highlight all your abilities and experiences but avoid rambling on.

Definitely prepare this answer beforehand, so that you are not randomly recalling résumé bullet points on the spot and debating which ones to bring up. Restate your name, your certification, and the school you attended. Talk about the teaching experiences you consider important and relevant (student teaching counts!), and end with a short sentence about the reasons you want to teach in this particular school.

Q – 50 Tell me have you ever had to handle an in-class emergency?

Ans- One of the students that I was teaching seemed to go into an epileptic fit all of a sudden. Thankfully, I had read his file just that morning because he was a newly admitted student and I knew exactly what emergency procedures to follow, and did the needful.

Q – 51 Explain what do you think are your strengths and weaknesses? How would these have an influence on the pre-school?

Ans- No human being is without their strengths and weaknesses. In your response, begin and end with your strengths. Do not overly emphasize your weaknesses, and mentioning one or two should suffice. If it is something that would possibly interfere with your work, explain how you compensate. Focus on your positive attributes and how they help you perform well.