Asking the right child care teacher interview questions can sometimes become a bit difficult. However, the right questions are what will get you a good employee.
So before you sit down and make a questionnaire for a forthcoming interview, think – what type of person would I like to hire if it were for my child? This thought alone will give you several ideas on what to ask.
To make things a little easier for you, here are a few questions that you can ask a child care teacher whom you are interviewing for your facility. Appropriate answers are also included to assist job seekers.
See also: Child Care Teacher Resume Sample
Sample Child Care Teacher Interview Questions & Answers
1. Tell me a little about yourself.
I am a passionate child care teacher, with current childcare and CPR certification and 5+ years of experience under my belt. I love everything that this work stands for. My future aspirations are to assist children with special needs to flourish and thrive in their respective environments.
2. What duties have you performed in a child care teacher role?
As a child care teacher, I have been busy handling many tasks, including providing basic care, developing age-appropriate socialization skills, encouraging positive behavior, and identifying behavioral issues. In addition, I designed a full schedule of activities and evaluated children’s performance to ensure that they remain on the right learning track.
3. What skills best describe you?
I feel that I have a strong set of personal and child care skills. These include:
- knowledge of using a wide range of teaching methods to enhance children’s abilities
- the ability to enforce rules and regulations
- the capability of overseeing behavioral issues and problems
- creating and maintaining relationships with parents in order to ensure that they remain on top of their children’s education and issues
4. How do you handle difficult children?
I believe that children are never difficult. At least, that is not how I would want to describe a child. Each child has their own specific personality, and it is our ability, or lack thereof to handle them that makes things difficult. I make sure that I understand each child’s specific situation, and determine the right way to handle it.
5. What has been your most formative experience with children and families?
The first child care job that I held was at a small daycare in Aurora, called The Daisies. This was 15 years ago. There has been no looking back since then. I have worked in many different childcare roles and attained experience in handling babies, toddlers, and young adults too.
6. How do you handle childcare? What is your mantra?
There is no mantra. Each child that I look after and teach is an individual with his or her personality and specific needs. While I create a wide curriculum, each module of the curriculum has leeway for individual incorporation. And that is how I handle adapted child care.
7. What part of being a child care teacher gives you the most satisfaction?
When you have cared for a child for a certain period, you see him or her developing the exact habits that you have taught them. That is satisfaction in itself. Seeing the success of my work in little people’s eyes, speech, and actions are gratifying.
8. How do you assess a child?
Assessing a child accurately is only possible if you have been observing him or her constantly since the day they enrolled. Catching nuances of physical display and seeing how they connect is the best way of assessing them.
9. What do you like about your work the most?
The fact that I can make a positive impact on children’s
life makes this work worthwhile for me.
10. What do you dislike about this work?
I love this work immensely, and cannot think of a single thing that I dislike about it.
11. Why do you like working with children?
I have always been drawn to children, and they respond to me extremely well. This inherent love for children and their welfare is what makes things likable for me.
12. How do you make parents comfortable in your ability to handle their children?
I make sure that I understand their child before I decide
to take them on. My initial interaction with children is largely responsible
for making parents comfortable with me.
13. What age groups do you prefer working with?
I love working with all age groups, as I am equally competent in managing them all.
14. What is your way of reprimanding children?
I almost never reprimand children. Like I mentioned earlier, there are no good or bad children. It is the fact that they are learning new things, and are overwhelmed by a lot of emotions, which makes them behave in certain ways at times.
15. What do you consider as your strength as a child care teacher?
My strength is in my ability to easily reach out to children even when their nature is one that does not allow it.
16. What is your biggest weakness?
Perhaps I get too attached to my students, which often leads to me feeling more than I should about them. However, I am learning to
control my emotions, and feel only as much as is good for them.
14. How do you encourage children to work in groups?
My encouragement style includes showing them how much fun it is when one works in groups.
18. How do you feel about the physical aspect of working as a child care teacher?
One has to be on one’s feet at all times when working as a child care teacher. This is all in a day’s work for me, and I do not mind it
one bit.
19. How do you prioritize student interaction?
Prioritizing student interaction is a bit tricky, as you do not want to give too much attention to one, and not enough to another. I basically work on a need basis. Whoever needs me more gets my attention most.
20. How would you handle an unhappy parent?
I would first try to find out what it is that has made them unhappy. If it has to do with something that I did or said, I will do my
best to make things better by explaining and correcting them.
21. How would you handle it if you found out that a child you knew was being physically abused?
I would calmly talk to the child in question, and then take it up with the school management first, and then the parents.
22. Have you ever handled child abuse issues?
There was once a 5-year old boy that I was working with who had visible signs of abuse on his neck. Alarmed, I asked him gently if he had fallen. He shook his head and refused to talk. And then he began crying and hugged me. I had no choice but to talk to the principal, who investigated the matter further.
23. In your opinion, how important is emotional detachment when working as a child care teacher?
One cannot be completely detached, to be honest. As a child care teacher, you must know how to keep a balance between being close and detached.
24. How do you feel about working in a role that is emotionally draining?
Working as a child care teacher is emotionally draining for sure. However, it is as emotionally fulfilling as well, which is why I love
working in this role.
25. What date can you give us for joining?
After a formal offer, I can join within 30 days, as that is the time that I need to give as notice to my present employer.
26. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself as a child care teacher trainer after 5 years.
27. Do you have any questions for me?
I would love to know more about your school, child care policies, and the way crisis management is handled here.