How to hire preschool teachers, except special education
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests. • Attend to children's basic needs by feeding them, dressing them, and changing their diapers. • Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order. • Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and needs, determine their priorities for their children, and suggest ways that they can promote learning and development. • Organize and lead activities designed to promote physical, mental, and social development, such as games, arts and crafts, music, storytelling, and field trips. • Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play. • Serve meals and snacks in accordance with nutritional guidelines. • Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Associate's degree] • Strong speaking, active listening, learning strategies, critical thinking, monitoring and reading comprehension skills • Working knowledge of education and training and English Language • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $18.34 an hour ($38,140 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for preschool teachers, except special education
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to attend to children's basic needs by feeding them, dressing them, and changing their diapers. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and needs, determine their priorities for their children, and suggest ways that they can promote learning and development. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- How do you teach yourself a new process, and how would you teach it to someone else?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What preschool teachers, except special education do
- Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.
- Attend to children's basic needs by feeding them, dressing them, and changing their diapers.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order.
- Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and needs, determine their priorities for their children, and suggest ways that they can promote learning and development.
- Organize and lead activities designed to promote physical, mental, and social development, such as games, arts and crafts, music, storytelling, and field trips.
- Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play.
- Serve meals and snacks in accordance with nutritional guidelines.
- Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, and social skills.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for preschool teachers, except special education
- Typical education to start: Associate's degree (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
- Job outlook: +4.5% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 66,700 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay preschool teachers, except special education
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $62,150 |
| Vermont | $49,730 |
| Hawaii | $48,780 |
| New Jersey | $48,220 |
| Kansas | $47,750 |
| Wyoming | $29,930 |
| Kentucky | $29,780 |
| Alabama | $28,310 |
See preschool teachers, except special education pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
- Special Education Teachers, Preschool
- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School
- Childcare Workers
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School
- Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.