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You're Hired! Preparing For Your First Preschool Teacher Interview

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Interviews: The Nitty-Gritty

The Questions

When interviewing for a position as a preschool teacher, there are often questions that you will hear at each interview. By preparing for these questions ahead of time, you will feel more confident going in to the interview. Remember, it is always best to come prepared witha professional resume, which you can present to the interviewer as you begin the interview process.

"Tell me about your work experience": This is a favorite first question in the interview process. Even though you have just handed the interviewer your resume, you will probably be asked to give a verbal summary of your work history. Highlight those areas where you have worked with children in some capacity. If this will be your first work experience with children, discuss an instance when you were asked to lead a group or were in charge of managing a workshop. For example, you can say "This will be my first position working with children, but I was the social chair of my sorority and I feel very comfortable in front of a large group."

"What is your discipline policy?": The best answer for this question is to be completely honest. If you are comfortable using time out, be prepared to state that and be able to give reasons to back up your answers. For example, "I strongly agree with using time out for preschool children. It gives the child time to cool off, as well as time to reflect on his misbehavior. After three to four minutes being removed from the group, I would approach the child and have a short discussion as to why he was removed and give him options for making a better choice the next time around."

"What are your professional strengths and weaknesses?": Aha! The dreaded question. Remember that no interviewer wants to hear that you are perfect, but reciting a laundry list of your shortcomings is probably not the best approach, either. Try something like this: "I am super organized and always know where to find things. The downside to that is that I often forget to explain my system of organization to those I work with, and that can result in some confusion. I'm working on that by asking for input from coworkers and taking their ideas into consideration when organizing the classroom."