How to Answer: What would you do if your Principal made a decision you did not like?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for an Elementary Teacher job interview.
50. What would you do if your Principal made a decision you did not like?
How to Answer
At this point, if you have a feel for the principal's leadership style, try to say something that aligns with that style. Be honest about how you react to decisions you disagree with. Seeing multiple perspectives is important in education because unpopular decisions have to be made often.
If you are a more agreeable person, explain your view on leadership and lay out the actions that you would perform.
If you are a less agreeable person, be forthright about it and move quickly to demonstrate your professionalism and ability to defer to authority.
Either way, it's important to express a willingness to put aside your temporary differences to act towards a common overarching goal.
Written by Audra Kresinske on August 22nd, 2021
Answer Example
"We all have our own opinions, but barring unlikely situations, I have to trust that the principal is making decisions that are in the school's best interest. After all, the principal has more information than I do as a teacher. Depending on the situation, I might ask to speak further about the issue with the principal to gain insight into their perspective. Ultimately, I can only control the concerns within my direct scope of work, so that's where I'd put my focus."
Written by Audra Kresinske on August 22nd, 2021