Infant and Toddler Specialist

While an infant teacher needs to be hands-on in many areas, it is her prime responsibility to ensure that children are kept safe at all times. I make sure that all the children under my care are well looked after.

This is a loaded question! Of all your qualifications, state the ones that put you over the top. Although you need to maintain a professional demeanor throughout the interview, this question calls for your personal views on early childhood education and how you see yourself contributing to the program. When preparing for the interview, consider the following: Why did you choose the field of early childhood education? How dedicated are you to the young children you teach? How has the field affected your thinking, previous jobs, and life experiences? This is the last message you will share with interviewers, so be sure to give an answer that represents you as a unique individual.

I have been fortunate enough to work with several children with “special needs” as we insist on calling them. I find these children to be highly intelligent – they do not conform to ordinary channels of communication or instruction but their achievements surpass anything that I have ever seen.

Basic care, supervision and instruction are the three most important duties that any daycare teacher performs.

To be honest, all days are challenging in their own way. However, there was a time when a child managed to lodge a grape in her throat, and an emergency was declared. Putting my first aid training into action, I managed to get her to throw it out. Those few moments were quite harrowing though!

Children in their formative years require more out of a teacher than others. The interviewer wants to find out if you have any goals or takeaways for your preschoolers.

"I have a few goals I aim to achieve that allow me to measure my success as well. First, my overall objective is to instill a positive attitude towards education. Second, I strive to build independence and confidence in my preschoolers so that they use their full potential. Lastly, I teach my students to celebrate their differences and interact positively with one another. If they walk away with at least a little of each aspect, then I feel as though I have succeeded in my role."

Being a preschool teacher requires a true love for the field and working with kids. The interviewer is ensuring these are traits you possess.

"Growing up I was the oldest of six brothers and sisters. Helping my mother to care for them gave me the skills to be a nurturer. I worked as a babysitter and in various child care centers before I became a teacher. I always found myself drawn to similar jobs. I developed a passion for working with kids and found I was quite skilled at it."

I have always genuinely loved children, and was motivated to pick up this line of work, as I was convinced that making a difference in their lives was my forte. I took up special Montessori training, and have been working as an infant teacher ever since.