5 Essential Questions to Ask During Your Next Preschool Teacher (or Director) Interview

Ah, that fateful, much-anticipated question at the end of every interview: “Any questions for me?” You’re probably thinking, They’re the ones interviewing ME, so they should be asking all the questions, right? WRONG! Don’t skip this step, and don’t waste it on some stale, generic question you heard back in 2010. You need to ask the right questions to make sure the center is a good fit for you now and that it’ll actually help you move closer to your future goals. Here’s what you should be asking and why:

1. What does your hiring and onboarding process look like?
   

Why you should ask this question: Whether you’ve been a teacher for a month, a year, or a decade, proper onboarding and training are not optional. Every center has its own way of doing things, even if they all claim to follow the same educational philosophy (Montessori, Reggio, project-based, etc.). If you don’t get a solid introduction to their unique approach, they’re setting you up for a world of frustration.

What you’ll learn: This question helps you see if the center has a structured process to set teachers up for success. Without clear expectations from day one, you’re going to feel lost, anxious, and annoyed, and that’s going to come across as a lack of competence on your part. Before you know it, the director is frustrated with you for not “getting it,” and you’re back on the hunt for a new job—either by choice or force. If there’s no clear onboarding process, it’s not you, it’s them. A foundation without expectations is a breeding ground for frustration. (Read that again if you need to).

2. What did your best teacher do that made them stand out to you?
   

Why you should ask this question: A good preschool doesn’t automatically mean a good preschool for you. You might love the center for a lot of reasons, but that doesn’t mean you’re the type of teacher they’re looking for. Better to find out now than after you’ve already accepted the job.

What you’ll learn: Listen closely to how they answer this question because it’ll reveal what the center values. After all, their “best” teacher should be someone who exemplifies their values perfectly (or close to it). For example, if the director says, “Our best teacher was Sharon—she was always there when we needed her. She’d come in early, stay late, and even organize our annual weekend camp trip,” then you know they value flexibility, parent engagement, and a willingness to go above and beyond. That might be a “sign me up!” for one teacher and a “no thanks” for another. This question helps you figure out if their expectations are going to work for you or not.

3. What are your goals for the center?
   

Why you should ask this question: You need to know if their goals align with yours. If you don’t know what your career goals are, don’t even schedule another interview until you’ve created at least a one-year career plan (yes, I’m serious). Not every job offer is an opportunity, and making it a habit to pursue only opportunities that move you closer to your goals will level up your career in ways you can’t imagine.

What you’ll learn: If the interviewer is the owner, they’ll probably start with the story of how they got into child care and share their long-term vision for the center. If the interviewer isn’t the owner, you can still get valuable insights into the center’s mission and overall goals.

Here are some example responses and what they could mean for you:

• “I started this preschool when my son was a baby. I wanted to be hands-on in raising him while still making a living. He’s 20 now, so we’ve been open for almost 20 years. Maybe he’ll take over when I retire.” This might mean they want someone looking for long-term stability, but maybe not someone ambitious to climb the ladder.

  
  

• “We started as a home daycare, and now we’re hoping to reach full enrollment and open a second location.” This could be a great fit if you’re looking for growth opportunities and a stimulating work environment. But if they add, “It’s been hard to get our enrollment up because it’s so hard to find good help,” that could be a red flag—or an opportunity, depending on your perspective.

4. Why is this position vacant?

Why you should ask this question: A vacancy isn’t necessarily a bad sign, but it’s not always a good sign either. In child care, it’s usually one or the other—there’s hardly a gray area. High turnover often indicates deeper issues, especially if they’re hoping the “perfect” teacher will come in and fix everything. (Spoiler alert: they’ll keep cycling through teachers until they figure out that the teacher fairy doesn’t exist.)

What you’ll learn: This question will give you insight into how the center treats and values its staff. If teachers are constantly leaving on bad terms, that’s a circus of red flags. If they’re leaving for better opportunities, you’ll need to decide if you can use this job as a stepping stone or if it’s better to just keep stepping. If the position is open because of enrollment growth, that’s promising—but don’t forget to follow up by asking how many students and teachers would be in your class. With preschool teachers burning out left and right, it’s crucial to know if the center values you enough to ensure you feel supported—or if they’re just going to wait until you’re stretched thin and quitting before they bring in more help.

Bonus tip: You know how they say, “We’ll pay more when enrollment goes up?” Well, if teachers are leaving for better opportunities while enrollment is increasing, that’s your cue to get suspicious. I’ve talked to too many teachers who got strung along with promises of pay increases that never came. More enrollment means more responsibility, which should mean more pay. If the center is ethical, they’ll follow through on their promises and keep staff around.

5. How do the parents and teachers interact?
   

Why you should ask this question: This question will give you crucial information about the school’s culture. A center that calls itself a “family” may expect open communication between parents and teachers—teachers may be encouraged to make calls home, share informal updates at pickup, or send notes. On the other hand, a center that sees itself as an “institution” may expect all communication to go through the director.

What you’ll learn: You’ll learn how involved the parents are and how the center views the teacher-parent relationship. If parents are chaperoning field trips and volunteering in classrooms, that’s usually a good sign of a strong program. Schools typically only invite parents in if they’re confident that what parents see will keep them happy. If the director’s response is more along the lines of “We’ve had issues with teachers talking to parents, so all communication goes through me,” that’s a sign of underlying tension or a potentially hostile work environment. Decide if you’re looking for a close-knit atmosphere or something more formal, and use this question to gauge if the center aligns with your philosophy on parent engagement.

Whether you ask one or two of these questions or come up with your own, the point is to be intentional. Don’t just listen to the answer—hear what they’re really saying. If you don’t understand why everything always sounds good during the interview, but you end up feeling duped, try asking the right questions. And come back to let me know if I did my Kendrick Lamar and put y'all on game!