Nursery Teacher Interview Questions: 7 Model Answers

By Mustafa Tarabya, founder of CVBooster · Published 2026-10-07 · Updated 2026-10-07

10 min read

Nursery teacher interview questions check three things: that you keep small children safe, that you teach through play on purpose, and that you can talk to parents about a hard day without making it worse. Expect questions on routines, behavior, a child who is falling behind, a worried parent and your own lesson plan, and often a short observed session with the class. The Bureau of Labor Statistics describes the job in the same terms the director will use. Below are the questions grouped the way a director asks them, with seven full model answers tagged by level. Written by Mustafa Tarabya, who hired for his own company, read every application himself and now writes CVBooster's guides.

You can calm a room of eleven three year olds with one song and a raised hand. Then an adult in a cardigan asks you to describe your philosophy of early learning and suddenly you are the one who needs a quiet corner. The answer is in the work you already do every morning. You only need to say it out loud.

What the director is listening for

Most nursery and preschool interviews are run by the center director, sometimes with the lead teacher of the room you would join. The BLS lists the core tasks, including that preschool teachers "Plan and carry out a curriculum that focuses on different areas of child development" and "Watch for signs of emotional or developmental problems in each child and bring them to the attention of the child’s parents."

In a Head Start program the standard is written into federal rules. Section 1302.31 of the Head Start Program Performance Standards says teaching practices must "Emphasize nurturing and responsive practices, interactions, and environments that foster trust and emotional security". If you apply to Head Start or a public pre-K, use those words when you describe your classroom, because the director is checked against them too.

Safety and care: ratios, supervision, allergies, toileting, drop off and pick up.
Learning through play: how a block corner or a sand tray teaches a real skill.
Behavior: biting, hitting, the child who will not join in.
Observation and records: how you notice a child who needs more help.
Parents and colleagues: daily updates, difficult news, working with an assistant.

Complete Entry level: Why do you want to be a nursery teacher? example, 146 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Entry level: Why do you want to be a nursery teacher? (146 words)

I want to teach this age because it is the year children learn how to be in a group. In my student placement I worked in a room of sixteen four year olds, and the change I saw between September and December was bigger than anything I have seen in older children. One boy who cried at every drop off was handing out snack cups by Thanksgiving because we gave him that job on purpose.

I like that the learning is hidden inside play. When we built a shop in the dramatic play corner, the children were counting, taking turns and using new words all morning without anyone calling it a lesson. I finished my associate degree in early childhood education this summer, and I want a room where I can plan that kind of work every week with a lead teacher I can learn from.

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Nursery teacher interview questions on safety and routines

These come first because a director cannot hire someone who is unsafe, however good their art projects are. Answer with the routine, step by step, and say what you check.

How do you make sure every child is accounted for during a transition?
A child has a severe nut allergy. What do you do on the first day?
Talk me through your drop off routine with a child who is upset.
How do you plan a day so children get enough activity and enough rest?

The BLS lists this as part of the job: teachers "Develop schedules and routines to ensure children have enough physical activity and rest". A good answer names the actual schedule.

Complete Mid level: How do you keep children safe during transitions? example, 139 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Mid level: How do you keep children safe during transitions? (139 words)

Transitions are where things go wrong, so I treat them as an activity of their own. Before we leave the room for the playground I do a name to face count, not a head count, and my assistant counts again at the door. We use the same song every time we line up, so the children know what happens next and nobody wanders.

On the playground I stand where I can see the gate and the climbing frame at once, and my assistant covers the sand area. When we come back in, we count again before the door closes. In my last center I added a laminated card on the door with the number of children in the room that day, updated at every arrival and pick up, so any adult walking in could check it in two seconds.

Questions about learning through play

This is where you show you are a teacher, not only a carer. The director wants to hear the activity, the skill it builds and how you know it worked. The O*NET profile for preschool teachers lists the task as to "Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play."

Describe an activity you planned and what children learned from it.
How would you teach early math to three year olds?
How do you adapt an activity for a child who is ahead or behind?
What does your room look like at nine in the morning?

Complete Entry level: Describe an activity you planned and what children learned example, 135 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Entry level: Describe an activity you planned and what children learned (135 words)

In my placement I planned a week around a pretend vet clinic. We set up the dramatic play corner with soft toy animals, a clipboard, bandages and a phone. On the first day I modeled the roles: one child was the vet, one the owner, one the receptionist taking names.

The children practiced language, because they had to explain what was wrong with the animal. They practiced early writing, because the receptionist made marks on the clipboard, and two children started writing the first letter of their names. They practiced math when they weighed the animals on a kitchen scale and compared which was heavier. At the end of the week I added photos and short notes to each child's record, so the lead teacher could see who had tried writing for the first time.

Behavior and child development questions

Directors ask these because every room has a biter and every parent of the bitten child calls the director. Show that you look for the reason behind the behavior and that you have a plan you can repeat.

A child keeps biting other children. What do you do?
How do you handle a child who will not join group time?
How would you respond if you noticed a child was not speaking as much as others the same age?

Complete Mid level: A child keeps biting. What do you do? example, 136 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Mid level: A child keeps biting. What do you do? (136 words)

First I keep everyone safe. I comfort the child who was bitten, clean the area and write an incident report for both families that day. Then I start watching the child who bites, because biting at this age is usually communication.

I keep a short log for a week: the time, where it happened, who was nearby and what happened just before. In my last room the log showed every bite happened in the ten minutes before lunch, when the toddlers were hungry and crowded at the sink. We moved snack earlier, split the hand washing into two groups and I stayed next to that child during that time. The biting stopped within two weeks. I shared the log with his parents so they could see we were working on it together, not just reporting it.

Questions about parents and colleagues

Parents trust you with the most important person in their lives, so the director wants to hear how you share both good and hard news. The BLS lists the duty to "Keep records of the children’s progress, routines, and interests, and inform parents about their child’s development."

How do you keep parents informed day to day?
How would you tell a parent you are worried about their child's development?
How do you work with a teaching assistant who has more experience than you?

Complete Senior level: How would you tell a parent you are worried about their child's speech? example, 144 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Senior level: How would you tell a parent you are worried about their child's speech? (144 words)

I would never raise it at pick up in the doorway. I would ask the parent for a short meeting at a time that suits them, and I would bring my observation notes so the conversation is about what I have seen, not about a feeling.

I start with what the child does well, because the parent needs to know I know their child. Then I describe the specific thing: for example, that over six weeks she uses mostly single words while most children in the room use short sentences, and that she points instead of asking. I ask what they see at home. If we agree it is worth checking, I explain how a referral for a free developmental screening works and offer to help with the form. I write a short note of what we agreed and follow up in two weeks.

Questions for experienced and lead teachers

If you are applying as a lead teacher, expect questions about planning for the whole room, supervising assistants and inspection or licensing visits. The director wants proof you have run a room, not only worked in one.

Complete Senior level: How do you plan the curriculum for your room? example, 131 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Senior level: How do you plan the curriculum for your room? (131 words)

I plan in two week themes, but the theme is chosen from what the children are interested in, not from a list. Last spring the children kept bringing worms in from the garden, so we spent two weeks on things that live in soil.

Each week has a plan for every learning area: language, early math, science, art, physical play and social skills, with one or two small group activities a day. On Fridays my assistant and I review our observation notes and adjust the next week for the children who need more challenge or more support. I keep the plans in one folder with the observations, so when the licensing visitor or a parent asks why we are doing something, I can show the reason in the child's own record.

Complete Mid level: How do you work with a teaching assistant? example, 126 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Mid level: How do you work with a teaching assistant? (126 words)

I treat the assistant as the second adult in the room, not as a helper. At the start of each week we spend ten minutes on the plan, so she knows which small group she leads and which children I want her to watch.

In my current room the assistant has worked there longer than I have, so I asked her what routines worked before I changed anything. She knew which children struggled at nap time, and that saved me weeks. We split jobs fairly, including the less fun ones like cleaning the paint area, and I thank her in front of parents when an activity she led goes well. If we disagree, we talk about it after the children leave, never in front of them.

Questions to ask the director

End with two questions that show you want to stay. Ask about the ratio in the room and how often it is covered when someone is sick, and ask how planning time is protected. For more general advice, see our guide to questions to ask in an interview, and for school based roles, our teacher interview questions and teaching assistant interview questions. If the posting asks for a resume first, our preschool teacher resume guide shows how to list your room, your ratios and your credential. CVBooster needs an account: the free plan lets you fill in your resume by hand and see your ATS score and the keywords you are missing, and the AI writing, templates and the finished file are Pro.

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Frequently asked questions

What questions are asked in a nursery teacher interview?

Expect questions on why you chose early childhood, how you keep children safe during routines and transitions, an activity you planned and what it taught, how you handle biting or hitting, how you talk to parents about concerns, and how you work with an assistant. Many centers also watch you lead a short activity with the children.

How do I prepare for a preschool teacher interview?

Prepare one real example for each group: safety, learning through play, behavior, parents and teamwork. Bring a short sample lesson plan and your credentials. Read the center's website and any licensing or quality rating it shows, and if it is a Head Start program, read the federal teaching standard so you can use its words.

What should I bring to a nursery teacher interview?

Bring copies of your resume, your degree or credential, any CPR and first aid certificates, and one or two lesson plans or photos of activities you led, with no children's faces shown. If you are asked to lead a session, bring the materials, because the room may not have what you need.

What is a good answer to why do you want to work with young children?

Name the specific thing you enjoy about this age and give one short example from a real child or room. For example, describe a child who changed over a term because of something you planned. Avoid answers that only say you love children; every candidate says that and it does not show teaching.

Do nursery teachers have a demonstration lesson in the interview?

Often, yes. Many centers ask you to lead a short story, song or small group activity while the director watches. Keep it simple, about ten to fifteen minutes, get down to the children's level, learn two or three names, and have a plan for the child who wanders off.

Looking for a worked example for your job title? Browse the resume examples by job title.

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