This behavioral question will help you gain an understanding of the applicant’s ability to handle potential conflict. Confrontation can be a challenge that many people tend to avoid, but they should be able to talk about their approach to both problem solving in general and, more specifically, how they collaborate with parents in order to resolve conflict. A preschool teacher should have the best interest of the individual child in mind while remaining dedicated finding solutions suitable to the well-being of the entire class. What to look for in an answer:

• Ability to speak honestly yet lovingly
• Strong empathy skills
• Collaborative problem-solving skills

Because a preschool teacher may spend a lot of time trying to redirect students’ attention and behaviors, it is important to know if the job candidate can handle these periods of potential stress. You want to be able to see that they have a plan in place that has worked for them in the past, showing a demonstrated ability to manage a group of young children with a positive demeanor. They should be familiar with age-appropriate discipline and be willing to adhere to your existing approaches and procedures. What to look for in an answer:

• Ability to stay calm in stressful and challenging situations
• Familiarity with teaching techniques and classroom management strategies
• Understanding of child development and age-appropriate behaviors and expectations

While you may already know about your candidate’s educational background and experience from their resume, asking this open-ended question will reveal plenty about your applicant’s personal and professional demeanor, and may reveal their strengths and weaknesses as well. Use this question to assess their ability to stick to a routine, plan activities and take initiative so that you can get an idea what they are like in the classroom. This is also an opportunity to learn more about how well they can follow or develop a formal curriculum and whether their experience is a good match for your school. What to look for in an answer:

• Balance between academics and open play
• Amount of one-on-one engagement with the students
• Willingness to be flexible while still adhering to curriculum guidelines

This question will help you evaluate the candidate’s ability to create a visually pleasing, structured and supportive environment that is conducive to students’ formal and informal learning. It will also show you that they are aware of best practices when it comes to the layout of the classroom to make students feel safe and comforted while also being provided with optimal opportunities for social interaction, quiet moments and more structured activities. They should be sensitive to the specific needs of your student population and their families. What to look for in an answer:

• Mention of sensory factors and spatial features
• Knowledge of age-appropriate classroom materials
• Awareness of possible cultural variations among students and their families

Asking the candidate about a negative aspect of the job can help you see if they are able to be diplomatic in their answer and assess how much this downside to their previous position will impact the job at hand. For example, if a they say the least rewarding thing was working with parents and there will be a lot of parental involvement, such as at a cooperative school where parents are very actively involved, they might not be the best fit. This is a challenging question that may also reveal their ability to think quickly and critically and that is open-ended enough to generate a truly revealing answer. What to look for in an answer:

• Ability to communicate clearly and honestly about challenges
• Recognition that this position may be different from their past experiences
• Personal passions, preferences and aspirations to ensure they are in line with your school’s needs

It's important for teachers at any level to have a clear strategy to ensure their students are learning and fully grasping a concept. Preschool teachers should have a system in place that measures which subjects their students are learning to determine if they're ready for higher-level subjects in Kindergarten. A strong candidate should demonstrate methods they have in place to measure how much their students are learning, which subjects they're mastering and which need additional support.

The candidate's answer should emphasize:

• Dedication to helping students grow and achieve
• Clear process for measuring student success
• Creative games, activities and practices used to engage and assess students

An answer to this question could look like this: