Elementary School Teacher Interview Questions

An elementary school teacher is a person trained to educate children from kindergarten through fifth grade. Some elementary schools also include grade six, while some private and rural public schools include seventh and eighth grades.

Elementary school teachers are responsible for the educational and emotional growth of children in a classroom setting, as well as managing the materials and resources used for educating them.

Whether you're a job seeker preparing to be interviewed for the role of Elementary School Teacher or an employer preparing to interview candidates for Elementary School Teacher position, these Elementary School Teacher interview questions will help you prepare yourself for the job interview session.

Elementary School Teacher Interview Questions

Below are a list of some skill-based Elementary School Teacher interview questions.

1. Why did you decide to go into education? More specifically, why did you want to become an elementary school teacher?
2. What's your educational background?
3. Describe how your academic training and work-related experiences qualify you for this position.
4. How would you describe your teaching philosophy?
5. Why do you want to teach elementary students?
6. What qualities should good elementary teachers have?
7. What is your favorite subject to teach and why?
8. Do you have the ability to present interesting and fun lessons, and why would you say so?
9. Could you give examples from your previous position where you demonstrated the ability to identify outside problems in your students?
10. How do you foster healthy relationships with the parents of your students?
11. How do you encourage positive parental involvement?
12. How would you deal with a parent who is in denial and refuses to address behavioral issues in their child?
13. How would you handle having a classroom with more students than you are used to?
14. What do you want to know about your students so you can help them as best as you can?
15. How do you identify bullying, and how do you address this challenge?
16. How do you build a creative environment in the classroom?
17. What techniques do you use to keep your students motivated and interested in learning?
18. How do you encourage introverted students to participate in group activities?
19. How do you handle discipline in a classroom?
20. What would you do if a child was misbehaving in class?
21. How would you handle a student who refuses to do their assignment?
22. How do you make your lessons applicable to the real world?
23. How do you determine the effectiveness of your lessons?
24. How do you assess student progress?
25. Have you had to adjust your teaching style in the past for different kinds of students?
26. In what ways have you used technology to enhance your teaching?
27. What books or articles have you read that contribute to your success as an elementary teacher?
28. What is your time management strategy to ensure you get all of your teaching done on time?
29. Can you tell me about your strengths as a teacher?
30. What are the things you like best about teaching?
31. What do you love about teaching elementary students?
32. What is the most frustrating thing about teaching elementary students?
33. In your opinion, what is one of the biggest challenges today’s students are facing?
34. What special knowledge, skills or talents will you bring to our school?
35. If you are hired, what will you contribute to the culture of our school and its students?

Elementary School Teacher Interview Questions and Answers

Every interview is different and the questions may vary. However, there are lots of general questions that get asked at every interview.

Below are some common questions you'd expect during Elementary School Teacher interviews. Click on each question to see how to answer them.

1. What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?
2. What is Your Greatest Strength?
3. Are You a Leader or a Follower?
4. Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Job?
5. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
6. Why Do You Want This Job?
7. What is Your Greatest Weakness?
8. Tell Me About Yourself
9. Why Should We Hire You?
10. What is Your Salary Expectation?