Interview Quesitons
Ending an interview
a. Ask about the school culture i. How do teachers interact with each other? ii. What is a typical day for teachers like? iii. Can you tell me some of the qualities you are looking for in a teacher for this position? iv. Do you have a mentoring program for new teachers? v. How many students are in an average class? vi. What types of technology is available in your classroom? vii. What are some of the goals for the district this year? viii. What are some of the challenges facing your school this year? ix. What kind of staff development is available to teachers throughout the year and during the summer? x. Are there administrators or improvement specialists available to provide support to me? Will there be someone who can recommend additional learning activities or interventions for struggling learners? xi. What kind of resources are available for accelerating instruction or providing remediation? How is the curriculum delivered to the teachers? a. Thank you for the opportunity to meet you all.
How do you build repour with your students?
a. Being genuine and always greet students as you pass them in the hallway and or when they enter your classroom. We are here to create a positive, welcoming environment for our students and a pleasant greeting is simply the beginning of this reality b. Find something you like about every student you work with. Find something pleasant about each student so that you can discuss subjects on common ground. c. Understand that school may not be a student's favorite place and its up to us to understand where your students are coming from, not up to them to meet the expectations of what your idea of a good student is. To some student's academics aren't everything. d. Understand the community in which you work so that you can connect in a meaningful way with those students. Some knowledge about your neighborhood will go a long way whether you're teaching in an area of privilege or an area where most families aren't quite as privileged. e. Authenticity is key, we're teaching people and connecting with our students means that we have a greater chance of teaching them if we establish that respect. Genuinely caring about students leads to positive outcomes. Knowing your student's names, learning about their interest, hobbies, aspirations, being enthusiastic about the subject matter, interacting more, empathize active learning, reward students with verbal praise, f. You must be able to adapt your communication style to the needs of different students, depending on their age, culture, ability and learning style. g. Verbal communication, body language, writing communication, and listening are all key components of creating a positive classroom environment.
Why do you want to be a teacher?
a. Children are the future and I can help them learn skills and ways of thinking that will be needed in the 21st century. As a teacher I want to Introduce students to basic biological principles by arousing their curiosity about the natural world. I myself love to learn and watching students who have that "lightbulb" moment makes everything worthwhile. I feel that I understand that each student has their own differences and that everyone develops at their own rate. Being knowledgeable about these differences means that I can encourage students think about science at a higher level through an analytical, practical, creative, and research-oriented approach. Biology can be tough if the curriculum is boring and not taught properly. However, biology can be relevant to students' lives today and there are numerous opportunities to engage students in active learning while maintain TEKS standards and encouraging a positive learning environment. I believe the classroom is a living community and that everyone, from the principle, to the students, to the parents, must contribute to maintain a positive atmosphere. Biology needs to involve engaging activities along with lectures, discussion, assessments, and labs. Students should have the opportunity to raise question and explore answers as young scientists. Overall, I'm hoping that I can encourage freshman to learn how to love science at a young age so that they might keep some STEM carriers on the table as the continue to college.
How do you get along with coworkers and if there is an issue how do yu handle it?
a. Focus on the problem rather than the personalities. We need to look for a solution rather than focusing on the culprit. We need to be courteous, but don't sugarcoat the problem. Describe the effect it has on others, especially the students b. Keep conversation or decisions strictly confidential. You cannot control what other says, but nothing should come from you. c. Rather than impose a resolution, look to participants to come up with one together. d. Slowly monitor progress and expect that there will be an improvement.
How do you use teaks to prepare your lessons
a. Formulate objectives for a lesson based on the TEKS with content and grade level in mind. b. State objective clearly. Objectives are clear, specific statements that include basic/knowledge/skills and central themes/concepts of biology. Thus, student is generally more successful if they have a target to aim at. They are then able to articulate what they are doing and why as they construct that learning. They can connect it to their own lives, other subject areas, and or issues in the world beyond the classroom. Research indicates that all information taken into the brain must first pass an "attentional" threshold. Students must be engaged and interested in new learning to be self-directed/intrinsically motivated and successful in learning.
WHat is your favotie unit to study?
a. Genetics or the study of heredity and the variation of inherited characteristics or traits from their parents. Gene structures and function, variation and distribution are studied within the context of a cell, the organism, and within the context of a population. I find the subject fascination that the genetic process works in combination with an organism's environment and experiences to influence development and behavior (nature vs. nurture). Students realize that them
Who is your biology hero and why?
a. Gregor Mendel aka the father of genetics. His work on plea pants helped discover the fundamental laws of inheritance by segregation of parental genres and their appearance in their offspring as dominate or recessive traits. He recognized the mathematical patterns of inheritance from one generation to the next. His laws of heredity stem from the law of segregation (parents sex cells are randomly separated so tht sex cells contain only one gene of the pair. Thus, offspring inherit on genetic allele from each partner when sex cells untie in fertilization), law of independent assortment (genes for different traits are sorted separately from one another so that inheritance of one trait is not dependent on the inheritance of another), and the law of dominance (an organism with alternative forms of a gene will express the form that is dominate).
What is your educational phisosophy and how do you demonstrate it in your classroom?
a. How we learn can inform how we teach and perhaps help us bridge the development of students from young to adult learning approaches. b. Everyone in the classroom contributes as a student, teacher, and thinker. I learn from students as much as they learn from me. All students are individual, so I strive to use multiple methods of teaching (linguistic, visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.) and my abilities to motivate students to believe in their skills to reach students and ensure that no one is left behind. c. Students all learn at their own pace, but effective teaching brings everybody along together while promoting critical thinking so that students can succeed both in and out of the classroom. However, a solid education is the foundation for future success. Technological advancements and increased specialization means lifelong learning is required. Students need to think critically and think ahead to prepare themselves for tomorrow's challenges. Ensuring that students have enhancing, real world, experiences help stretch their imaginations and prompt learning that revolves around curiosity and discovery, rather than memorizing information just needed to pass a test. d. Teaching independence and self-reliance will encourage students to learn how to adapt, deepens their understanding of the world (bridging cultural divides) and expose them to new topics to cultivate their interests.
What approach or strategy do you use to learn new infomration?
a. I find I learn new material best by acting as a student myself by writing down notes as I read or as I am listening to someone giving a lecture. The process of writing down the important details works in tow ways, first, it helps me absorbed and think carefully about the new information and second, my notes serve as a study guide that I can reference going forward.
In what ways do you assess and evaluate students? How do you know that are understnding what you are teaching?
a. I make use of different methods. I use formal and informal assessment procedures to promote social, academic and physical development. The usual summative assessment that I use is written quizzes (case studies, discussions, and examinations). b. I also grade and assess students on their class participation such as presentations, reports, lab work, group activities and seat work. I also assess and grade students on their completion of assignments and timeliness in submission. c. I also use formative assessments which show how students perform a task such as misconception checks, four corners, etc. d. Overall, using these assessments showcase students' strengths and weaknesses. It provides insight into which students are struggling and who is ahead. e. Open communication with my students to discover what they need to succeed. f. Hand signals, resposnse cards, four courners, think-pair-share, exit tickets, misconception check, etc.
What did you do to prepare for this interview?
a. I researched the school districts policies and procedures regarding classroom management, discipline, after school activities (Recycled Art competition in April- saw that several schools won), free meals to students during summer break, RHS eagle theater co, received multiple nominations. b. Saw that Garland ISD: Mr. Reyna's garden c. District of innovation d. Use of iPad as part of GISD Ready e. Accountability ratings f. Check out the student code of conduct and handbook g. Research, research, and research more before your interview. Google everything you can about the school. Do they have a theater program? Are the students involved in the community? What type of culture does the principal promote? Use social media to see what the school proudly promoted most recently. Then, ask around. Use your network of colleagues to find out what (current and former) teachers loved and hated about it. The point of all this digging? You need to know if this school is a good fit. If it is a good fit, you'll demonstrate how much you want the job by explaining how you would get involved with all the amazing school programs you've heard so much about!
If a studnet is failing what would you do?
a. I would fist talk with the child to see if there is anything going on in school or at home that is causing them to fail the class. After talking with the child, and depending on what they share, I would discuss with my supervisor the best possible approach to talk to the family about the repeated academic failures. I would also use my experience working with different types of learners and adjust my teaching strategies to engage the student in a way that feels more comfortable to learn and participate. This may be by having the student working with a pattern or adapting lessons to be more relevant or creating my lessons around different learning styles to help motivate the student. b. Cooperative learning, peer tutors, and re-teachng techniques. Modifying assignments.
What would you say to an angry parent about thier child's grade?
a. If I have a parent who is upset about a grade their child received, I would offer to meet with the parent and provide supporting evidence of the lessons the child received in preparation for the assessment. I would then ask the parent(s) to help me brainstorm ways that their child may prepare for and perform better on assessments. For example, I once had a child who consistently struggled with his completing homework assignments. Before his parents contacted me, I reached out to them after he handed in his second weekly homework incomplete. I asked the parent if we could think of some strategies the child could use both in the classroom and at home to improve the student's motivation to complete the work. Every situation is different, of course, but if I can offer a retake of the assessment, I would be more than happy to do so.
How would you differentiate for different levels of learners in your class?
a. It is important to offer students learning tasks that are appropriate to their needs rather than just to the grade and subject being taught. b. Create a class environment that is comfortable for student so that I can teach at an appropriate pace while stopping to check for student understanding and engagement. c. Differentiating process: Process is how students make sense of the content. They need time to reflect and digest the learning activities before moving on to the next segment of a lesson. Think of a workshop or course where, by the end of the session, you felt filled to bursting with information, perhaps even overwhelmed. Processing helps students assess what they do and don't understand. It's also a formative assessment opportunity for teachers to monitor students' progress for example, having one or two processing experiences for every 30 minutes of instruction alleviates feelings of content saturation. Reflection is a powerful skill that is developed during processing experiences. Some strategies include: i. Think-Pair-Share ii. Journaling iii. Partner talk d. Differentiating products: Teachers can give choices where students pick from formats. Students can propose their won designs in which products can range in complexity to align to a respectful level for each student. Must have clear academic criteria that students understand which are aligned to learning targets so that significant content is addressed. e. Differentiating content includes using various delivery formats such as video, readings, lectures, or audio. Content may be chunked, shared through graphic organizers, addressed through jigsaw groups, or used to provide different techniques for solving equations. Students may have opportunities to choose their content focus based on interests i. For example, in a lesson on photosynthesis, students could: 1. Watch an overview video from Khan Academy. 2. Complete a Frayer Model for academic vocabulary, such as photoautotroph vs heterotroph
What would I see if I were to investigate your classroom?
a. Lesson are inviting and exciting. The classroom is organized. There is a place for everything. b. Routines and procedures are evident. Students know exactly what is expected of them. c. There is constant teacher movement around the room d. Lessons are highly interactive, and students remain engaged in meaningful activities and or are participating. e. Technology is used, thoughtfully to enhance lessons and learning f. Positive reinforcement g. Enthusiasm is evident and contagious Studnets look happy
22. How would you manage the discipline in your classroom? What do you think are effective discipline techniques?
a. Monitoring, proximity, teaching from "bell to bell", effective and smooth transitions, and focusing on positive expectations. b. Using non-verbal behaviors such as gestures, walking around and eye contact to reinforce correct behaviors. c. Practice effective classroom management by holding student attention and maintaining respect from the students though clear explanations of behavioral expectations. d. Develop classroom rules that I am willing to enforce. School wide regulations, safety procedures should be clearly explained. e. Modeling expected behavior myself. f. Most inappropriate behavior in classrooms that is not seriously disruptive and can be managed by relatively simple procedures that prevent escalation. g. Monitor students carefully and frequently so that misbehavior is detected early before it involves many students or becomes a serious disruption. h. Act to stop inappropriate behavior so as not to interrupt the instructional activity or to call excessive attention to the student by practicing the following unconstructive strategies: i. Moving close to the offending student or students, making eye contact and giving a nonverbal signal to stop the offensive behavior. j. Calling a student's name or giving a short verbal instruction to stop behavior. k. Redirecting the student to appropriate behavior by stating what the student should be doing; citing the applicable procedure or rule l. Example: "Please, look at the overhead projector and read the first line with me, I need to see everyone's eyes looking here. m. More serious, disruptive behaviors such as fighting, continuous interruption of lessons, possession of drugs and stealing require direct action according to school board rule. n. Misbehavior should be related logically to the misbehavior.
What qulaities do you have that you think will make you a good teacher?
a. New learning must build on prior knowledge - "hook" on which to hang the new. Teachers will be most successful when they can connect new information to prior knowledge and make the learning relevant to the lives and interest of the learners. The highly successful teacher uses unique, creative, and/or innovative strategies to make multiple connections between the critical attributes of the learning and the students' personal lives, work, prior/future learning, content within the subject area, and/or the content in other subject areas. When done successfully, the students will be able to make connections between what is being learned in other subject areas, their own lives, and the world beyond the classroom. c. Teaching is a form of communication, so it follows that effective verbal and written communication, professional yet friendly body language and the ability to really listen are key concepts for an effective teacher. I feel that I can adapt my communication style to the needs of different students, depending on their age, culture, ability and learning style. I can also communicate in clear, concise, accurate, and professional terms with partners, colleagues, and administrators, both in person and in writing. organization and clarity by providing clear and specific expectations for assingmetns along with frequent and immediat efeedback to students on their performance. -Ciritical thinking- instill it in both my studnets and myself becuase as a teacher studntes will ask me questions on the spot, I will need to sovle conflits, revise lesson plans, grade,etc. all within timely manner. -Organizion- teachers juggle multiple task from attending meeting,s lesson planning, tutoring, grading et.c Keeping these organized is essential -passion- need to be enthsiatic about what I am teaching - Patience: dealing with difficult classroom situiaotns, expalining concepts multiple times, managing diverse range of studnets, interacting with partents, colleagues, and aministraotrs means that these situaitons should be handled with clam and pofessional demianor. -Know when to use direct, guided, and independent pratice.
11. If you noticed a child being bullied in your class, how would you deal with the situation?
a. One of the most important large group activities I do with my class at the beginning of the year is writing our class rules together. I make it a big deal; together we come up with and agree to the rules, and we all sign the poster in a commitment to do our best to follow the rules while also helping others to follow the rules throughout the day. One of the most important rules on our poster is to not bully other children. I use this group activity as an opportunity to talk about what it means to bully, and what to do if a student is bullied or they see someone being bullied. Part of the lesson is making anti-bullying posters that we hang in our classroom and in the halls. If I witnessed bullying, I would talk to all the children involved separately, and I would also revisit our anti-bullying lesson and posters with the whole class. Create safe and supportive envionment, manage classrooms to prevent bullying, interveine immediatly, find out what happened and support hte kids invovled.
what is your classroom management plan?
a. Proactive classroom management b. I strive to create a feeling of community in the classroom by modeling and encouraging positive behaviors, creating opportunities for meaningful peer-to-peer or student-to-teacher interactions, and being aware of students who may need additional supports to help them through challenging times of the school day. c. Students need to feel that their opinions are encouraged and respected, d. Understanding student goals and expectations along with my own expectations helps us move towards the same goal. e. Firm and consistent expectations with regular schedule every day. f. Be organized (teachers must juggle numerous tasks, passion- enthusiastic about biology), patience when explaining concepts multiples times, managing student who may be acting up or those who are having a difficult time. A teacher must handle all of it with a clam, professional demeanor and careful attention to the challenge of the moment. g. If a classroom is well management then participants in this learning environment will learn, grown and become responsible citizens.
What is your favorite lab and why?
a. The cell lab: working with microscopes i. Focusing on microscope skills, cell organelle identification and comparisons is a fun way to show students how complex life forms are. I feel that when a student can view objects that are too small for the naked eye. 1. It can be used for tissue analysis 2. Examining forensic evidence 3. Determine the health of an ecosystem 4. Studying the role of a protein within a cell 5. Studying atomic structures b. This process can help student understand what cell activity looks like, attached basic cell and microscope vocabulary to their experience creating and viewing slides, and peaks their curiosity about
Three types of kids who get it, those who kind of get it and those that don't. How do you plan lessons to reach all three types of students, and how do you ensure all three groups of students reach individual success?
a. Through monitoring and assessment by paying purposeful attention to the relationship between their own behaviors and the students' performance allows learning-focused teachers to adjust, modifications, and refinements to that lesson. Checking for understanding through effective questioning and inquiry by both the student and the teacher, helps induce instruction that is student focused, inquiry based, and directed to students as thinkers and problem solvers. Differentiating the curriculum to help meet these needs. b. Brain research supports the opportunity for students to apply new learning, thus making stronger connections, and driving the knowledge deeper into long-term memory. Many of the TEKS/TAAS skills require the application of learning to be successful. Application level activities might ask students to exhibit, solve, simulate, employ, use, demonstrate, dramatize, illustrate, calculate, show, etc. Students' ability to apply new learning gives both teacher and student information on students' understanding of the concepts taught. c. Timely, specific, quality feedback helps students understand why they are successful or unsuccessful in learning and results in a higher level and frequency of student commitment to the learning. Students are then able to repeat their effort and success or adjust to be more successful. Feedback should be reinforcement for the learning process and should motivate the student to continue to put forth effort to learn. Teachers can reinforce learning using a variety of verbal, nonverbal, and extrinsic strategies. However, the intensity and frequency of reinforcement should be specific to the student and the student's response/performance to encourage effort. Reinforcement should also communicate high expectations for learning and performance. d. Advanced children will receive special assignments that work on stimulating higher level thinking skills and present their work to the class. e. Children who are struggling would participate in cooperative learning, work with peer tutors, and I would focus on re-teaching techniques
How do you teach to the state standards?
b. The way that I approach this is to start with the framework of standards and build my lessons around them. I do not teach only what will be assessed in testing, but I make sure that it is included. Objective performance is an excellent way to gauge students' understanding of the material and my curriculum map allows me to ensure that the necessary skills are covered and assessed prior to standardized testing." a. The TEKS are the state standards and everything I do ties into those standards. However, it is essential that we teach that standards to fit into student interests by using student interests as a guide to teach standards in an authentic manner by tapping into the unique qualities of my students. You can teach a subject in numerous ways, but it's not going to grab them unless they decide it matter to them.
Tell me about your expereinces and how they may benefit my school?
reccomended polcies, facilitated field work and mentored young invidiuals for the EYA outreach program in Vancouver. We strived to create curriculums that reduced young people's level of disconnect with the natural environment by empowering participants in transformative natural experiences through educational outreach and hands-on initiatives. Examples of such actions included, how to identify indigenous bee species, understanding the threats to native pollinators, participating in hands-on native plant gardening, wild pollinator monitoring, wildlife habitat stewardship and urban rewilding projects. By redefining education through these innovative approaches, we built a culture that transcended boundaries, tapped into their natural curiosity and motivated participates to become ecological leaders who can be catalysts for positive change. I worked with several groups of young adolescents by carrying out rewilding projects (planting several tree orchards) by creating viable urbanized habitats in city centers that provided native food for pollinators, urban wildlife, and a sustainable food source for underprivileged individuals. These projects empower students to turn their ideas into action through educational outreach and active engagement by sight, taste, touch, and participation in their local communities so that they can learn about their surrounding environments. By encouraging these young people to participate in such projects, they learned ecological stewardship, citizen science data collection, how to turn their ideas into action and how they can change the world one step at a time. b. International Girls Day Educational Outreach Program for the Girl Scouts: Youth Outreach Program to motivate and advise young women on developing and enhancing interview, career and teamwork building skillsets to ensure their future educational and career goals are maximized. c. Formulated content and logistical platforms for the upper-division course: Social Dimensions of Sustainable Food and Fiber Systems at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo that addressed environmental, agricultural, economic and societal aspects associated with enology and viticulture practices. d. Field observational hours and assisting with on-level biology coursework at Jasper High School (co-taught a few lessons and assisted teacher with lesson development).
