Practice Questions for Mock Interview for Para Educator



1. Please tell us why you are interested in this position.


Look for: Interest in the position, working with students, and RSD. Energy, enthusiasm, and positive approach.


2. Please describe the extent of your work experience and/or training in the following areas:


Look for: Experience or interest working with children, training related to working with children in any environment.




3. Can you tell us what an IEP is? Please give an example of an appropriate goal for a student in this program.


Look for: IEP is an individual plan designed to meet the needs of students who qualify for Special Education.

4. Please share with us three words or phrases you feel would describe students served in this program.


Look for: Special needs, support, capable, learning.

5. Discipline may pose special concerns in this position. Please describe an example of your successful handling of a discipline situation involving an individual or group of special education students. Please include what discipline techniques might be effective?


Look for: Awareness of IEP/behavior plan, etc. School expectations, teacher expectations. Treat all students with respect, problem-solving approach, pro-active, redirection, lowest possible response.

6. Sometimes the teacher will ask you to do an activity one way and you think it would work better another way. What will you do?


Look for: If appropriate, ask teacher for clarification and/or offer suggestion. If not appropriate or teacher wants it done a certain way- comply with enthusiasm.

7. What did you do in your last job to contribute towards a team environment?


Look for: Positive, meaningful steps; mutual respect, open to feedback, professional, not defensive.

8. In working with people in your past employment, please tell us about a situation which was annoying to you, or frustrating for you, and how you handled it.


Look for: Frustration is understandable, response was positive.

9. During your day, you will be doing a variety of tasks, some working directly with children and others to support the teacher or classroom needs. Do you see them as equally important? Why or why not?


Look for: All tasks are in support of students, whatever the teacher needs is the priority.

10. Tell us about a time you went above and beyond the call of duty to get something done or resolve a problem.


Look for: Open communication, problem solving approach, collaborative, learned something from experience.

11. What are some techniques that are effective to de-escalate a child who is having an outburst?


Look for: Quiet space, time to calm down, positive, support, speak in quiet voice, keep student and others safe.

12. Our school has a close and supportive community. If a parent approached you one evening at the grocery store and asked you about a specific incident that happened at school involving his/her child, how would you respond?


Look for: Decline to answer, refer to teacher, polite, positive.

13. What do you feel is a reasonable number of days to be absent in a year for a 180-day school year position?


Look for: As few as possible without exposing others to illness. Importance of being reliable.
14. This is a yes or no question. More students are attending school who need assistance in their physical needs. Because these young people are being main-streamed, we need to provide specialized services in the school. The services required vary from student to student, with some needing no physical assistance while others need more. This assistance can be in the form of: diapering, gastrostomy feeding (being fed through a tube in the stomach), clean intermittent catheterizations, or possible other invasive medical procedures. Some of these procedures can be delegated to non-medical personnel. The criterion for designating these procedures is the responsibility of the nurse. Training must take place and be monitored by the nurse, as the procedures and delegation are being done under his/her professional license. Would you be willing to perform such procedures with the proper training and supervision of a school nurse?	YesNo


15. If we were to contact your current (last) supervisor, what would he/she say are your three greatest strengths with regard to this position?


Look for: Strengths- collaboration, team player, open to feedback, learner, communication, hard worker, organized. Growth- lots to learn about supporting students/school, etc. hard worker, work-life balance.


16. Is there anything else about yourself that you want us to know, or do you have any questions about the position?