Tell me about your most challenging discipline problem.

     Q:   Tell me about your most challenging discipline problem.

     A:   That would be Derek!  In a word, Derek was unmotivated.  He could care less about school and he could care less about life in general.  For Derek, everything was boring.  In a conversation I had with him I discovered that he loved stock cars and probably knew more about stock cars than most of the people who raced them.  One day I brought in a photo of my brother’s stock car and showed it to Derek.  His face lit up like a Christmas tree!  I arranged for Derek and my brother to meet after school one day and the two of them couldn’t stop talking for hours – stock cars, stock cars, stock cars!  From then on I had his attention.  He and I worked out a simple behavior plan – he’d do a certain amount of homework or a class assignment and in return he’d earn some points.  The ultimate reward was the opportunity to work the pits at one of my brother’s races at Williams Grove Speedway.  I never saw a student change so much as Derek.  His final project for the year was on the history of stock car racing.  It was phenomenal!  Nobody had taken the time to find out what Derek was all about…but when we did he was a changed person.

            You can almost “bet the farm” that you’ll get asked one or two discipline-related questions.  Count on it!  The principal or interviewer wants to know how you handle one of the “constants” in the life of any classroom teacher.  Provide a specific example and show how you addressed the issue with specific details.  Never talk in generalities on matters of discipline; demonstrate with specific details and specific examples how you dealt with an issue. 

INSIDER TIP:      Before the interview, identify two or three specific discipline “problems” you encountered during student teaching.  Write each of those out on an index cards (don’t use actual names) and detail how you handled each one in a positive way.  Make sure that you do not over-emphasize the “negatives” of the situation, but rather the “positives” (what you learned, how the students(s) improved, etc.).  Keep those cards with you and review them periodically before any scheduled interview.

What Does it Mean to be a Successful Teacher?

     Q:  What does it mean to be a successful teacher?

     A:   I believe successful teachers have five distinctive qualities – qualities that set them apart from the so-called “average teacher.”  For me, a successful teacher is one who is flexible – someone who can take charge no matter what the situation or circumstances.  Second, I think successful teachers must exhibit a sense of fairness throughout the classroom – that is, a fair teacher treats all students equally in the same situation.  Third, I believe all outstanding teachers have high expectations for each and every one of their students.  Fourth, and this is absolutely critical, successful teachers have a consistently positive attitude.  They don’t let the little things get them down and they serve as positive role models for their students.  And, finally, I believe that the most successful teachers are those with a sense of humor.  Not cracking jokes all the time, but rather looking at the bright side of things…laughing out loud…and using self-deprecating humor when appropriate.  As elements of successful teachers they are also personal goals for me as I begin this lifelong journey.

            This is another question designed to tap into your personal philosophy.  It is strongly suggested that you respond in the first person, rather than in the more distant third person.  Let the interviewer know that you are, or you have the potential to become, a successful teacher.