Basic Daycare Worker Interview Preparation Guide

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This question is being asked to gauge your commitment to the school district, as well as what your objectives are as a teacher. It also wonders whether you are goal-oriented or not. For a question such as this, it helps if you have a five-year plan in place. It also helps if you have a goal as a teacher but also a vision for the school, so doing some research beforehand may help. When answering this question, always focus on how your goal-oriented tasks will benefit the school and the students.

Hopefully she will carry on a normal with the children. At this point she might suggest contacting local hospitals, the police or any emergency contacts that she has for you if she can’t see a logical reason for the delay. A nanny should never suggest leaving your children with anyone else unless you’ve given specific instructions and contact details for family members who live nearby to cover this contingency. If she needs to leave to sort out her own family she should either suggest taking the children with her and leaving a note for you, or contacting social services.

What the interviewer is looking for is your body language and reaction. Ouch! I absolutely hate this. As a human services professional, you want to convey a sense of likability. The worst thing you can say is that you have no such quality. However, try to pick something fairly tam, and then tell the interviewer you are working on it. Things not to talk about? Impatience or having a bad temper. Maybe you could say that sometimes the kids push your buttons, but that you try to have a sense of humor about it.

A great answer will stress the importance of confidentiality, gathering some evidence to support the nanny’ suspicions and having a meeting without the children present while remaining aware that she will be raising a possibility, not giving a diagnosis, and it would be your job as a parent to move forward with other professionals.

Here's where you ask about specific training or courses pertaining to in-home health work. Also ask for details that apply to your loved one's needs, such as experience bathing, feeding, dressing, cooking, cleaning, or lifting from, for example, a wheelchair to a toilet or bed.

Any nanny who isn’t totally naïve will have anticipated problems arising at some point. You want a reply that indicated clear, honest and professional communication, rather than just ignoring the problem entirely or (worse) leaving without trying to put things right.

Start with a broad question that encompasses more than in-home health work to give you a general sense of the person. Try to identify patterns or trends that show experience in care giving, companionship, and working with people, even if it isn't specifically with older adults. Look for experience that indicates an ability to work independently, without close supervision.

What the interviewer is really asking is how might you respond if there were a possible crisis, where you might not know immediately what to do. Do you have strategies? If so, then say so. Would you call some to assist you? Explain. Again, do the best you can with your experience. Your interviewer also wants to see how well you think on the spot.

This is a tough one since the way of disciplining classrooms or students vary according to each teacher. It’s important that you stay apprised of on-going discourses regarding effective classroom disciplining in order to keep your teaching methods up to date. But the most important reason for having an answer in a case like this is to answer the question without offending anyone but also showing your effective teaching ability. The interviewer is asking this question to get a sense of who you are as a teacher, and whether or not you are prepared when it comes to disciplining students. Knowing the school district’s mission statement or discipline philosophy in advance will help you to answer this question best, so that you do not say anything out of line, but you must also remain honest to your own goals as a teacher. A good balance of these two elements will be the best answer. Try to provide a real scenario where you had to exercise discipline and it had an effective result. Explain why you felt that this course of action was best, and how it worked out for the student(s).

If you're tired of the old "tell me your strengths and weaknesses," give this question a try. This will tell you about their interests and their capacity for self-reflection. You might want to weigh how enthusiastically they answer the question. Do you pick up that they're hesitant to try new things or haven't given much thought to their growth at work? A quick answer on their part may mean they've already given some serious thought to their own professional development. Also you can compare their proposed area of growth with the current and future needs of the program. If they received education/training in their desired area, how would that help your program?

There are times when you’re going to be together with your nanny in front of your children. Some children try to exploit any differences of opinion. You’re looking for a nanny who would be consistent and firm in her way of handling rudeness. A nanny who is happy to continue disciplining the children in front of you in exactly the same way she does when you’re not around is giving consistent care and shows she has nothing to hide.

In my experience as a childcare worker I have found that the best approach would be to first explain how nobody likes to lose and that nobody wins games all the time. I suggest you let her follow your example and play a game where you lose and then show her how to respond to the situation, for example, congratulate the other person and shake their hand. Children learn most by watching their parents and so can you play a vital role in teaching her the correct behaviour. When she loses a game, you could remind her of a time when she won and tell her how this time it is the other person’s turn to win. When she behaves more appropriately, for example shaking hands with the winner, make sure you praise her for her good behaviour.

To shine when you’re asked this question, pick a recent example that has as much relevance as possible for the job you’re applying for.

The STAR technique, which we’ve talked about before on this blog, is a good structure to use when working out how to answer this. Here’s how it works:

First, identify the situation in a few sentences – what was the problem that needed to be solved?;
Then clearly identify what your part was in solving the problem, including the steps you took; and
Finally, what was the result of the actions that you took?
It’s the result that you should focus on most when answering this question, as this will prove that you were able to deliver a successful outcome.

The interviewer wants to see what kind of inter-personal skills you have. You may want to talk about being a good listener, making the parent feel like he/she has been heard, not reacting, being proactive and solution-oriented, and even giving the person the impression you like them (even if they don't like you) and to ask for their input.

Lots of children have difficulty sharing toys as they worry their playmate will not give the toy back. My suggestion to you would be to get a group of children together with one of their toys and then swap them with each other for a set amount of time – about two minutes. When the time is up, the children can swap back. Gradually you can build up the times that the children swop the toys for. In my experience as a nursery worker, as soon as children realise they will get their own things back, they become more willing to share.

Children often try to test boundaries but in my experience as a childcare worker I have found that the best approach is not to make too much of an issue of it. The more you try to get children to do something the more determined they tend to become. Shouting and telling children off in these situations can be useless, so try to remain calm. It’s can be useful to find out exactly why your child doesn’t want to do something; talk to her and ask her if there is a reason she doesn’t want to go into nursery. If there is persistent refusal to attend nursery I would suggest you speak to the staff and organise a little job for her to do before nursery starts, for example help set up a play area with toys. This way you and your child’s nursery worker can work to find a solution together.

This question is a good way to get to know the person behind the application. It asks them to talk about how their personality interfaces with their work. Asking them about what provides satisfaction will help you understand what motivates them to do high quality and help you determine if the applicant is likely to find that satisfaction in your program. By asking them what's difficult for them, you may learn whether or not this candidate will be happy working in your program over a long period of time. You may determine that it's unlikely you could provide those things that give them the greatest satisfaction, or prevent things that are problematic for them. This question will help you determine if it's a good match or a good fit between what it is that you do, and what they need to be a productive and happy employee. This question may require you to press a little bit further. It's not enough for them to respond that they do this work "Because I love children." They need to elaborate on this and be specific about what aspects of their work are the most exciting. It's also interesting to note how much they respond to this question by separating out the child from the family context. How do they feel about working with parents or other family members? Do they find satisfaction in working with children but frustration in working with parents? This isn't an unusual dichotomy, but it will be problematic further down the road.

The interviewer is looking for professional competence, even though this is a very subjective question. Draw from your experience, or if you have not had that much, try and catch up on your reading from school where various experts would have weighed in on this topic.

This question is a variation of the classic "tell us about your previous work experience and education" and I like it better because it should tell you more than you'll find on their resume. When I ask this question I'm listening not just to find out where they've worked and what they've done, I'm asking what they got out of those experiences. Have they grown with each job experience, and how? Hopefully I'll know if their experiences fit with what we do and if there's a solid foundation to build on. If they answer with a recitation of what's on their resume then I ask them to clarify further what happened at that job that significantly affected how they now work with children and families. Let them tell you which of their previous experiences were important. Finding out which jobs weren't helpful to their growth and why can also be revealing.

The interviewer again is looking for your ability to respond promptly, to think on your feet and even to see to what extent you would go to. Would you intervene physically as well? This is a very hands-on job!

This is a challenging question overall since it asks for you to be honest about something that you may not be comfortable with. But it’s important to answer it honestly because it’s a realistic question. Conflicts may arise but there’s always a way to resolve them. Be reasonable when you answer this question. Don’t get angry or defensive. Provide the scenario as objectively as possible and reflect on both sides of the argument. Be clear as to what happened step by step. Explain your side as well as the other position’s side. Explain how the situation was resolved. What the interviewer is looking for here is whether or not you’re a team player, and whether you have a reasonable state of mind. As long as you answer it providing the full picture and circumstances, you should be in the clear. Don’t discuss any major conflicts that might’ve led to enormous problems in your past.

☛ Do caregivers have first-aid/CPR and child development training?
☛ Is each child assigned to a primary caregiver?
☛ How many children do you serve, and what are their ages?
☛ What is the range of activities in which the children participate?
☛ How large is the center? (There should be 35 square feet per child in order for each child to have enough room to play comfortably.)
☛ Is the center licensed?
☛ What happens if I need to bring my child early or pick him up late?
☛ Do you let kids attend if they're not potty-trained or if they have a runny nose or a cough?
☛ How do you discipline kids?
☛ Is there an outside play area? Do kids use it every day?
☛ Do you ever take children on outings off-site?
☛ Will I be charged if I take a vacation or my child is sick?

☛ What are your greatest strength and your biggest weakness?
☛ (Look for patience or similar qualities)
☛ How do you think children at the various age groups should be disciplined?
☛ What experience do you have with children?
☛ What can you bring to our center that would be an asset?
☛ What types of activities would you do with the children as infants, toddlers, preschoolers, schoolagers?
☛ What do you think is most important in taking care of infants?
☛ If two children were disagreeing over something and became physical what would you do and how would you deal with the situation?
☛ If there was a child whom just would not sleep at naptime what would you do?
☛ How would you try to calm an infant if they were crying but they were not hungry, wet or sick?
☛ What types of stimulation do you think are important for babies, toddlers, preschoolers?
☛ How do you think a typical day would be scheduled in the infant, toddler, or preschool rooms?
☛ If you had to deal with a parent each day whom just was not ever happy what would you do to make them happy?
☛ How would you help new parents of infants feel that you are providing the best care to their baby?
☛ How do you feel that you communicate with parents?
☛ Do you think that babies should be on a schedule? ( The answer should be "No" for the younger ones, they should make their own schedule for the older infants it should go by the parents request).

☛ How long have you been providing care?
☛ Do you have first-aid/CPR and child development training?
☛ Do you have a current state license or registration?
☛ How many children do you care for? What are their ages?
☛ Do you care for the same group of kids every day?
☛ What is a typical day like for the children? How much time do they spend outside?
☛ What meals and supplies do I need to provide?
☛ Can I drop my child off early or pick him up late sometimes?
☛ What happens if you are ill?
☛ If my child gets sick, would you give him medication?
☛ If my child misses a day, do I still have to pay?
☛ Do you let children watch TV?

☛ What days and times are you available and how many hours are you looking for?
☛ What are your vacation, holiday, or time-off needs?
☛ Do you have a car and are you comfortable driving my parent?
☛ Are you a legal resident?
☛ Does the salary work for you?
☛ Are you bonded?
☛ I plan to do a background check on all applicants who are strong contenders for the job. Is there anything you'd like me to know first?
☛ Are you comfortable signing a work contract?
☛ If we offer you the job, can we agree on a two-week trial period to see how we all feel -- you, me, and my parent?
☛ Can you provide at least two references?