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Considering the dozens, if not hundreds of children that will attend your school, it’s easy to see why the responsibility of being a school principal can be so formidable.
Overall, a good principal can produce better test and report card results (which can improve funding), foster a more positive and vibrant campus culture, and most importantly, inspire young learners to pursue their education.
Employers will interview you carefully and intentionally. Therefore, answering their questions in a professional, experienced, and knowledgeable manner will give you the best chance of moving forward in the hiring process.
Luckily, this article will address 40 common and crucial questions you may be asked in your interview, as well as provide sample answers that you can use as a guide.
After all, when you’re prepared for your interview you can exude the confidence you’ll need to manage those teachers and students.
When answering behavioral interview questions, the STAR response technique can help you hone and professionalize your answers. The acronym stands for:
Situation. Setting the stage for your example, and giving context to the challenges you faced. This will frame the rest of your answer, so you don’t need to spend a lot of time talking about it.
Task. In any situation, especially in the workplace, we all have a role to play. Briefly mention your typical responsibilities in order to move on to the next part of your answer.
Action. To fulfill our responsibilities and meet challenges, we have to take action. Therefore, explain the actions you took to resolve the situation. This part of your answer can be longer, but you should still avoid rambling. Keep your words focused.
Result. Describe how your actions resulted in a positive outcome. Try to quantify when possible, and though this part of your answer shouldn’t be too long, be sure to highlight your positive results as much as possible.
Communicating your answer in this order will allow you to provide adequate examples and background, while also effectively communicating your qualifications.
For instance, talking about the situation you dealt with allows you to then examine the task you had, and then you can explain how the actions you took caused a positive result. Ideally, your STAR response should be as detailed, specific, and quantifiable as possible.
Often, even hiring managers from completely different campuses will want to know similar things about you. Therefore, be on the lookout for these general questions:
What was it about our school that piqued your interest?
Can you tell me about your educational background?
What inspired you to become a school principal?
What sets you apart from other candidates?
How do you think you could improve our campus?
What is your impression of our school thus far?
Can you perform under pressure?
If you could use three words to describe an ideal school principal, what would they be?
Example Answer
Question: “Can you perform under pressure?”
“When I was working as an assistant principal, I remember a day when I had to think on my feet and deal with a potentially dangerous situation. I was informed that two students were planning to fight in the cafeteria, and because the situation was escalating rather quickly, I knew it was my responsibility to prevent any violence.”
“I immediately contacted the principal, as well as our officer on campus. Luckily, the officer was able to deescalate the situation, and sent the students to my office. The two boys and I actually had an extremely productive conversation, and they were able to communicate their concerns effectively. After that day, they actually made up and became friends again.”
In any job interview, the hiring manager will ask about your previous working experience, as well as how you’ve grown over time.
These types of questions will give the employer a better idea of your potential responses to future situations, knowledge of similar organizations, and your capabilities as a school leader. Here are some examples:
How would you tackle student discipline?
Give an example of a time you implemented a positive change on campus.
Describe a time you had to creatively solve a problem on campus.
Have you worked with students in this age range before?
What are the most important aspects of a safe school?
What advice would you give to incoming teachers?
How has your leadership and management style changed over time?
What was your greatest accomplishment in your previous position?
Example Answer
Question: “Have you worked with students in this age range before?”
“I started teaching in 2006, right after I got out of college, so by the time I became a principal at my last school, I’d been teaching first graders for nearly 10 years. I just adore the level of passion young students have, and I enjoy helping them realize their future potential.”
“One of my favorite memories was raising monarch butterflies with my students. One of the girls was extremely introverted and disinterested in the sciences, but when that butterfly landed on her nose, she lit up like a Christmas tree. After that, her interest in science grew tenfold and her test scores improved by a whole letter grade.”
Whether you’re talking to a gymnasium full of children or having a one-on-one meeting with a teacher, communication is a key skill for any principal to have. With that in mind, here are some communication-related questions you may be asked during your interview:
If there was an issue between two students or staff members, what steps would you take to resolve the issue?
How would you go about organizing faculty and staff meetings?
Describe how you would support teachers and other staff members.
Have you worked with troubled students in the past? If so, did they show improvement?
How might you deal with an angry or otherwise distressed parent who calls or approaches you?
Describe how you would reprimand a teacher who displayed inappropriate conduct.
Describe a time you successfully motivated a colleague.
When is it appropriate to involve parents in student discipline?
How would you make sure students and teachers understand their role in school success?
What steps would you take to recognize student and staff achievements?
Example Answer
Question: “Describe a time you successfully motivated a colleague.”
“When I was a high school math teacher, our newer physics teacher had become extremely distressed. His students weren’t listening to him, and he felt as though he couldn’t reach any of them.”
“I sat down with him for coffee while we talked about our classes and students. I talked about challenges I’ve had in the field, and explained various steps I’ve taken to overcome those challenges. I helped him implement a more hands-on curriculum for his students, including a lesson where they built popsicle stick catapults.”
“Not only did his students have higher interest in lessons, but their weekly quiz scores also improved by up to ten points. I was so happy to see that my ideas helped this teacher feel more connected to and heard by his students, which gave him the motivation boost he needed to move forward.”
Humans are always evolving, and education is ever-changing. Knowing that, it’s important to demonstrate your philosophical understanding of the complexities of education. Do your best to research the organization you’re applying for, so you can get a sense of their philosophies and education style.
Here are some more philosophical questions you may be asked:
Do you consider yourself a natural leader? If so, what is your leadership style?
Describe your vision and goals for our school.
How would you build a positive school culture?
What role do you believe school plays in students' lives?
What do you think is missing in many schools?
Describe your philosophical approach to education.
Why is education important for young students?
What is your stance on equity?
How would you tackle bias and inequality in the school system?
Do you believe that young students should have a level of agency over their education?
Example Answer
Question: “What do you think is missing in many schools?”
“When I was a principal for Rune Elementary School, I noticed that many students were hyper and unable to focus in the classroom. I think younger students struggle with this because there’s a lack of playtime and outdoor learning activities.”
“After doing some research, I decided to extend recess by 10 minutes, and allocate funds to improving outdoor equipment and activities. After only two months, teachers reported greater retention rates. Additionally, after a year our school-wide bullying dropped by over 15%, and test scores increased by seven points.”
Generally speaking, employers will be looking for a school principal candidate who’s a highly experienced, innovative, and inspiring leader. With that in mind, you should go into your interview with confidence, knowing that you have a long list of qualifications from your previous principal, administrative, or teaching jobs.
For the best interview success, you should:
Properly resign from your previous job before your interview
Send a follow-up email after your interview
Provide recommendation letters from your colleagues to the hiring manager
Remember to utilize the STAR response technique to hone your examples and answers, so the hiring manager can immediately understand your ability to positively resolve tasks and conflicts.
Don’t be shy about providing hard data either. The more dates, numbers, percentages, etc., you can give that show the success of something you implemented, the better.
Overall, you know that the success of your students and teachers will be the heart of everything you do, so let that knowledge guide your responses to every interview question.