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Preschool Teacher Interview Questions

Edited by Indeed Employer Content Team
Last updated December 5, 2024
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Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

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9 min read

Whether you are preparing to interview a candidate or applying for a job, review our list of top Preschool Teacher interview questions and answers.

  1. If I entered your classroom, what would I notice? See answer
  2. What are your strengths as a preschool teacher? See answer
  3. How do you manage a classroom when children are disruptive? See answer
  4. How do you encourage teamwork among students? See answer
  5. What approach do you use to reach young learners? See answer
  6. How do you measure student success as a preschool teacher? See answer
  7. How do you encourage parental involvement in learning? See answer
  8. How do you handle making a mistake in the classroom? See answer
  9. Why did you become a preschool teacher?
  10. Tell me more about your educational background and work experience.
  11. Describe your typical day as a preschool teacher.
  12. What are a preschool teacher’s most important skills, and which do you have?
  13. What’s your biggest challenge working with children?
  14. What’s your favourite subject to teach and why?
  15. What’s your philosophy about preschool teaching?
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15 Preschool Teacher Interview Questions and Answers

Why did you become a 3003150early childhood educator11.75ece7.65early childhood assistant6.86child care6.79daycare4.62219113136514.0022.2338.25HOURLY6730072025-10-012025-10-312025-09-012025-09-302025-11-05Preschool Teacher?

People have various reasons for becoming preschool teachers. For example, working with children inspires some. They feel they can use their unique skill set to help children grow. This question helps you determine whether a candidate is passionate about teaching children and what motivates them. What to look for in an answer:

  • Passion for teaching
  • Empathy and love for children
  • Communication skills

Example:

"I became a preschool teacher because I love teaching children and supporting their academic, social, and personal development. As a preschool teacher, every day is unique and there's never a dull moment. I would love to work in your school and help children learn exciting new concepts in a friendly environment."

Tell me more about your academic background and work experience.

Preschool teachers must have post-secondary school education and years of work experience as a teacher's assistant or substitute teacher. By asking this question, you can determine whether a candidate is qualified to teach in your establishment. What to look for in a suitable answer:

  • Level of education
  • Passion for teaching
  • Eagerness to develop on the job

Example:

"I earned a bachelor's degree in early childhood education at the University of British Columbia. After my studies, I got a licence from my provincial association of early childhood educators. I also worked as an intern at a private preschool in Montreal after my university degree. Teaching children excites me and I love coming up with fresh ways to keep them engaged."

If I entered your classroom, what would I notice?

This question helps you understand a candidate's teaching philosophy and whether it aligns with your establishment's teaching culture. What to look for in a candidate's answer:

  • Ability to create a positive learning environment
  • Effective communication skills
  • Leadership and problem-solving skills

Example:

"If you were to walk into my classroom, you'd see a lot of communication and movement. I like my classes to involve a lot of question-asking so students develop various hard and soft skills and stay curious about the world. I also encourage students to interact with one another and make sure the classroom environment allows them to speak freely. From my experience, setting up my classroom this way helps children to learn in a fun environment."

What are your strengths as a preschool teacher?

Understanding the strengths of a potential 3003150early childhood educator11.75ece7.65early childhood assistant6.86child care6.79daycare4.62219113136514.0022.2338.25HOURLY6730072025-10-012025-10-312025-09-012025-09-302025-11-05Preschool Teacher helps you determine whether they are the best fit for the role. A good candidate knows their strengths. They're also eager to use them and improve their skills continuously. What to look for in an answer:

  • Effective communication skills to connect with children
  • Example of how they used their strengths
  • Evidence of teaching experience

Example:

"I'm extremelycreative. In my previous role, I developed various activities that involve crafts and let the kids express themselves. My students loved working with bright colours, getting a little messy, and creating art they could bring home. Their parents loved seeing their creations, too."

How do you manage a classroom when children are disruptive?

The purpose of this question is to learn whether a candidate can redirect a student's attention and correct misbehaviour. An excellent candidate has an action plan to make sure children pay attention and experience managing behaviour. What to look for in an answer:

  • Patience when handling disruptions
  • Familiarity with classroom management strategies
  • Understanding of age-appropriate behaviours and discipline

Example:

"As a preschool teacher, I understand that there are various ways to manage disruptive students in my classroom. I know disruptive behaviour is often because of stress, or the student is not engaged. I address the disruption calmly and separate them from the other students so they don't distract others. I often bring them to sit next to my desk so I can keep a closer eye on them. I understand that every school has limitations on how a preschool teacher should handle disruptive behaviour."

How do you encourage teamwork among students?

Encouraging children to work in groups and socialize is an important duty of a 3003150early childhood educator11.75ece7.65early childhood assistant6.86child care6.79daycare4.62219113136514.0022.2338.25HOURLY6730072025-10-012025-10-312025-09-012025-09-302025-11-05Preschool Teacher. Before you hire a candidate, find out their attitude towards teamwork and peer-to-peer interaction. What to look for in a candidate's answer:

  • Ability to motivate and engage children in social activities
  • Communication skills to connect with children
  • Ability to foster collaboration and teamwork

Example:

"I use various techniques and methods to encourage teamwork among students. I organized lots of playtime activities for the children to do together. I also used incentives like special stickers for group work. I talked to parents on the importance of collaboration because I believe they have a vital part to play in encouraging teamwork skills."

What approach do you use to reach young learners?

The question seeks to determine whether a candidate understands how to work with children. A good applicant would have a friendly approach to learning. What to look for in an answer:

  • Creative skills to keep students engaged
  • Organizational skills
  • Flexibility and adaptability to switch between dynamic activities throughout the day

Example:

"At my first job, I worked as an elementary school teacher. However, when I switched to preschool, I realized that I needed a different teaching approach to reach younger learners. I need to be open, silly, patient, and use simple terms to make lessons accessible to all the children. I include games and creative activities to engage students during the day. I also explain concepts step-by-step and teach by showing."

Describe your typical day as a 3003150early childhood educator11.75ece7.65early childhood assistant6.86child care6.79daycare4.62219113136514.0022.2338.25HOURLY6730072025-10-012025-10-312025-09-012025-09-302025-11-05Preschool Teacher.

This question helps you evaluate the candidate's ability to plan their day and stick to a routine. It also tells you whether their working style matches your organization's teaching culture. What to look for in an answer:

  • Ability to plan dynamic activities
  • Organizational skills
  • Effective communication skills

Example:

"I arrive half an hour early to prepare my classroom and other materials I need for the day. When students come to school, I welcome them and start my teaching sessions with a song. I involve at least one reading activity and one numbers activity per day. Children need to express their creative sides, so I keep them engaged with artistic learning activities throughout the day."

What are a preschool teacher's most important skills and which do you have?

Preschool teachers need soft skills like organization, communication, and creativity. Asking this question reveals whether a candidate understands the skills they need to teach basic language, problem-solving, and social concepts. What to look for in an answer:

  • Knowledge of the relevant and required soft skills for a preschool teacher
  • Experience with early childhood education
  • Desire to work with young children

Example:

"I think a good preschool teacher must be patient, organized, and creative to stick to daily routines and design fun activities for children. Problem-solving and effective communication skills are also important. I'm confident I have these skills and can use them to help children develop key skills in your preschool."

How do you measure student success as a preschool teacher?

Effective 3003150early childhood educator11.75ece7.65early childhood assistant6.86child care6.79daycare4.62219113136514.0022.2338.25HOURLY6730072025-10-012025-10-312025-09-012025-09-302025-11-05Preschool Teachers have strategies to assess student learning. An excellent candidate is familiar with various methods and understands the importance of measuring success. They use their assessments to target aspects where students need additional support. What to look for in an answer:

  • Communication skills to encourage student success
  • Importance of measuring success
  • Desire to support student learning

Example:

"I use a performance-based method of measuring student success. It involves creating fun games that enable students to practice what they've learned. Students are always interested in a sticker rewards chart, so I employ one in every classroom. From my experience, this method helps me identify students who need support quickly, and encourage them to do their best."

How do you encourage parental involvement in learning?

The goal of this question is to understand how a candidate includes parents in a child's learning process. What to look for in an answer:

  • Creative-thinking and collaboration skills
  • Communication and interpersonal skills
  • Preschool teaching experience

Example:

"I think communicating with parents is vital to a child's success. In my previous role, I created a blog and an online calendar for parents to track their child's progress. I also encourage parents to come for parent-teacher conferences and volunteer during school activities. Many parents became actively involved in their children's learning because of the resources I offered."

What's your biggest challenge working with children?

Asking this question reveals whether a candidate has experience working with children. An excellent candidate expresses a common classroom challenge and how they have managed it in the past. What to look for in an answer:

  • Communication skills
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Experience teaching children

Example:

"I think catering to the needs of each child is the biggest challenge of being a preschool teacher. Every child is unique, and their learning levels differ so much at this age. It's my duty to help them reach their full potential. So, I give each student my full attention and schedule some individual time with each student every day."

What's your favourite subject to teach and why?

3003150early childhood educator11.75ece7.65early childhood assistant6.86child care6.79daycare4.62219113136514.0022.2338.25HOURLY6730072025-10-012025-10-312025-09-012025-09-302025-11-05Preschool Teachers introduce children to math, social skills, creative art, and literacy concepts. By asking this question, you determine which subjects a candidate is comfortable teaching. What to look for in a candidate's answer:

  • Versatility to teach the basics of multiple subjects
  • Desire to impact the lives of children and make a difference
  • Effective communication skills

Example:

"I love teaching math because I enjoy explaining how numbers work and use counting tools to teach students the subject. It's rewarding to see the children understand new concepts and feel proud of what they learned. Although I like teaching math, I understand how important creative art, literacy, and science are to a child's overall development. I believe a good preschool teacher must be versatile."

What's your philosophy about preschool teaching?

The goal of this question is to determine what core values are important to a preschool teacher. An excellent candidate has a strong philosophy and is eager to articulate them in interviews. What to look for in their answer:

  • A good philosophy of education
  • Desire to adapt to an organization's culture
  • Understanding of how to teach children effectively

Example:

"My philosophy is that all children are unique and they need a friendly learning environment to grow. As a preschool teacher, I believe it's my duty to bring out every child's full potential. I'm confident that my philosophy aligns with your organization's goals, which is one of the many reasons I'm so enthusiastic about the role."

How do you handle making a mistake in the classroom?

Asking this question reveals how a candidate handles mistakes. An excellent candidate acknowledges it, teaches children that everyone makes mistakes and explains the importance of learning from it. What to look for in an answer:

  • Honesty
  • The ability to turn mistakes into learning opportunities
  • Passion for teaching students integrity and moral principles

Example:

"I'm not afraid to acknowledge mistakes. I use the opportunity to teach children that mistakes are normal, and to connect with them. I also use mistakes as a way to explain core values, such as integrity and honesty, to students."

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