A Positive Classroom Environment

Among all the themes of a teacher interview, interviewers want to know most about your philosophy of teaching.  They need to know if you've given sufficient attention to this all important component of pedagogical success and whether you would be a "good fit" for the philosophy of the school or the current faculty.  This is one area you cannot neglect - simply because you will get several "philosophy" questions during the course of any interview.  Here's one of them:

To establish a positive classroom environment, share what you will do the first few days of school.

A:   I know that those initial days of a new school year are critical, as well as anxious – especially for ninth-grade students.  Some of the things I would do would include 1) meeting and greeting my students at the door to my classroom.  I want to shake their hands, call them by name, and welcome them into the room.  2) I want to establish a seating pattern or seating chart early on.  I’d want to assign them to desks alphabetically, at least initially, so I can learn their names quicker.  3) I would want to talk briefly about myself – sharing with students my own education, my family, and especially my philosophy of education in general and English education specifically.  4) I’d want to take attendance each day, making sure I add a positive comment about each student as I begin learning their names and the correct pronunciation of those names.  5)  I would also share an initial set of rules and classroom expectations – no more than five in number – and invite them to help establish additional classroom procedures throughout the year.  Finally, 6) I would inform students about my expectations for each class and each period.  They need to know my expectations about bringing textbooks, note taking, homework assignments, and appropriate behavior.  I know it’s a tall order – but one that will be essential to the eventual success I envision for every student.

Here’s an opportunity to answer two questions in one.  First, what is your philosophy of teaching?  And, two, have you sufficiently thought about and planned out those critical first days of school?  You want the interviewer to know that you have planned ahead, not that you’ve just made up the answer right there on the spot.

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