A Master Teacher

Are you cognizant of what it takes to be a master teacher?  In the question below, the interviewer wants to know if you are aware of the qualities of outstanding teachers AND how well you match those qualities. 

    

What characteristics make a master teacher?

     A:   I believe there are three qualities every outstanding teacher should have.  First, he or she should be a constant learner.  They should realize that education is as much about the journey as it is the destination.  Continuous learning is an essential ingredient in every teacher’s career.  Second, they need to develop a positive partnership with their students.  They need to create a classroom that is truly a “Community of Learners” – one that supports and encourages learners of very stripe both cognitively and affectively.  And, third, a master teacher must be willing to admit mistakes.  Teaching is never a perfect science and we will all make some mistakes along the way.  Good teachers – just like good students – learn from their mistakes to become stronger, better, and more accomplished.  I believe I have those three qualities.

 

From your answer the interviewer must be confident that you are keenly aware of the expectations of teachers and must be equally aware that your skills and talents are in line with those abilities and/or philosophy.  If you are not directly asked this question, it would be a good one to use as a wrap-up to the interview – particularly in response to a question like, “Is there anything else you would like to say or add to this interview?”

The Best Teacher

Most of us have been positively influenced by one or more teachers in our educational career.  We get into teaching because some teacher made a profound difference in our lives. As a result, you may find yourself facing this all-too-common question:

Describe the best teacher you ever had and what he or she taught you about teaching.

A:   That would be Mr. Hart, my 11th grade English teacher.  He was tough…he was more than tough, he was demanding, challenging, and uncompromising.  He never took second best – we had to turn in our best work or it would come back to us with “Do Over” penned across the front.  We probably had more to say about Mr. Hart – unflattering, to be sure – than any other teacher we had.  But, as I look back, he taught me more about writing than anyone ever has.  He taught me that writing is a subject of exactness, a subject of details and definitions.  “You can’t be mushy,” he would say.  And, we weren’t.  He pushed us to new heights, he prodded us into new and often uncomfortable areas, and he made us all better writers.  I think one of the primary reasons why I want to be an English teacher is because Mr. Hart took an average student – me – and turned her into a far better writer than she would have been otherwise.  I want to make that difference in students’ lives, too!

 Let the interviewer know how this person made a difference in your life and how you want to “pass the baton” to a new generation of learners – giving them the same learning opportunities as you had.  This is the time to be passionate, sincere, and complimentary.  Like you, I’ve had a few really tough teachers in my life, but they all planted some powerful seeds that have taken root and sprouted in each and every class I teach today.  Make sure the interviewer knows precisely how you’ve been influenced and precisely how you will influence others.

Check this out: http://www.brpressbooks.com/teacher-interviews-why-theyre-important/