How have you handled criticism of your lessons or teaching performance?

     Q:  How have you handled criticism of your lessons or teaching performance?

     A:   My college supervisor sometimes mentioned that I had time management issues – that is, I found it difficult to get everything done that I had planned.  Some parts of a lesson would go too long and others didn’t have enough time to develop.  I learned that this is a common problem with pre-service teachers.  So, I took the opportunity to talk with some of the more experienced teachers in the school to see what kinds of tips or strategies they had that would help me master my time a little better.  One of the best ideas I got was to list my lesson objectives on the board for students to see and then check them off as the lesson develops.  That gave me - and the students - visual proof on how the lesson was progressing.

            This question often provides the interviewer with insight into your accountability and professional character.  How do you handle criticism – positively (as a learning opportunity) or negatively (the reviewer didn’t know what he/she was talking about).  It would be most valuable to take this opportunity to demonstrate (with specific examples) how you were able to use that criticism to become a better teacher.