What Three Things Make You Angry?

     Q:  What three things really make you angry?

     A:   I get really angry when a lesson doesn’t go as well as it should.  I put a lot of time and effort into each lesson and I hold high expectations, not only for my students, but myself as well.  When a lesson doesn’t work then I get very upset.  I also get angry with myself when my enthusiasm and excitement for a science lesson isn’t there.  I know that classroom teachers need to be good role models for their students and one of the best ways to demonstrate that is through my own enthusiasm for learning.  But, sometimes, with science, it just isn’t there and I know that that’s not fair for the kids.  Although science was never one of my favorite subjects in school I have to work at making it always exciting for my students.  And, finally, I get angry when we run out of time.  Sometimes my students and I are really getting into a lesson – they are working hard on some hands-on, minds-on activities in social studies, for example, and we see that it’s almost time to get ready for the buses.  I sometimes wish I had another hour or two in the school day in order to get everything in.

            This is a terrific question and your response will say a lot about who you are as a person.  Don’t ever make the mistake of blaming anyone else for your anger.  Don’t blame kids, don’t blame colleagues, don’t blame administrators, don’t blame your former professors, don’t blame your cat, don’t even blame your parents or your friends.  The key is to take full and complete responsibility for your actions and for your anger.  Make sure the things that anger you are school-related and that they are within your control to change.

How will your students’ overall performance improve as a result of technology?

Q:  How will your students’ overall performance improve as a result of technology?

     A:   I believe my students’ performance will improve in three specific areas.  One, students will have increased opportunities to become more actively engaged in the dynamics of a lesson.  Technology will offer them an array of information available nowhere else.  Second, I believe technology will help me help my students improve their thinking skills as well as their problem-solving abilities.  Through the use of technology, we will be able to focus on higher-level thinking skills that go beyond rote memorization into new worlds of discovery and exploration.  And, third, it will provide me with some incredible opportunities to differentiate my instruction.  I’ll be able to use technological resources to target specific students with specific instructional options.  I was able to incorporate all these concepts into a unique project during my student teaching experience.  The project, which we named “Explorers for Hire” was developed as part of our social studies unit on the exploration of the New World.  Students had to obtain information from the Internet about specific explorers, they had to write personal biographies, they each took on the role of a specific explorer and applied for a selected exploration, they mapped and tracked their routes of exploration, they planned their voyages and the supplies they would need, and they reported the results of their exploration in the form of special documents and records.  It was a great project – one the students embraced enthusiastically and one that generated a new interest in social studies.

            In your response to this question you need to include two things.  One, you must demonstrate your knowledge of technology and its instructional advantages.  And, two, you must provide the interviewer with a specific example of how you put those principles into practice.  In other words, you must be able to “talk the talk and walk the walk.”

FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK:      “We once interviewed a young lady who told us she was well-versed in technology – she told us she could operate a CD player and use an overhead projector.”

When did you make a difference in a child's life?

     Q:   Describe a situation in which you made a difference in a child’s life.

     A:   Karen was one of the students in Mrs. Ginnodo’s fourth grade classroom – a classroom I had been assigned in order to complete some of my field experience hours.  She had been through a succession of foster homes and didn’t have a father and barely knew anything about her mother.  She had two dresses that she alternated wearing from day to day.  She had seen tough times and it was likely that she would continue to do so.  But, for some reason, she and I connected.  I have always enjoyed horseback riding and Karen was a fan of horses.  So, I hunted up some horse books in the school library and we read them together.  We talked about horses, we made models of horses, we wrote horse stories together, we created a PowerPoint presentation on horses, and we even visited a friend’s horse farm one Saturday morning.  Probably, for the first time in her life, she smiled.  And, probably, for the first time in her life someone took the time to learn something about her.  One of my professors always talks about the power of the affect in education.  I got an opportunity to see that power in action…and I’ll never forget it!

            I particularly like this question for several reasons.  It provides an insight into the real educational philosophy of a candidate – a philosophy that goes beyond book learning and memorized strategies.  It allows me to see into the true character of a person and whether her or his commitment to teaching is sincere and passionate.  In short, are they in it for more than just a job?  You would be well-served to practice this question (and your response).  Of course, this is not the time to pontificate (“If it wasn’t for me, she would never have….”), but rather be humble.  Focus on the affective side of teaching and let the interviewer know that you have been touched by students as much as you have by your own teachers and professors.

INSIDER TIP:      Make sure you have some stories about yourself.  Make sure they are relevant to teaching, that some involve experiences other than student teaching, and that they are short.  45 seconds is plenty of time for any anecdote.

Mistakes You Can't Afford!

   Know-it-alls

Ever since I first began teaching more than 40 years ago I have always lived by one simple philosophy: “The best teachers are those who have as much to learn as they do to teach.”  Simply stated, good teachers are good learners.  Don’t think for a minute…or even a second…that just because you’re about to get your college degree you know everything there is to know about teaching.  I don’t…and you certainly don’t!  Come into an interview thinking you have all the answers to all of education’s challenges and you will soon find yourself on the outside of the school looking in.  Here’s the reality – I’m not an expert and neither are you.  I certainly have more experience than you, but I still have a lot I’d like to learn.  So should you.  Your learning doesn’t end with graduation – guess what, it’s just beginning.  Let a principal know that learning is a lifelong mission (rather than a completed task) for you and you’ll score major points in an interview.

Mistakes You Can't Afford!

Negative attitude

Listening to someone with a negative attitude is always a drain – emotionally, psychologically, and personally.  The same holds true for someone who is always badmouthing other people (“Well, of course, I got a “B” in the Teaching Elementary Science course; my professor was a total idiot!”).  Principals don’t hire “bad attitudes” – they want people with a positive outlook, a good sense of humor, a sunny disposition, and an engaging personality.  They want to hire teachers who will be good role models for students.  Negative people are not part of that dynamic.

INSIDER TIP:      Be a gracious guest.  If the interviewer is late for the interview, shrug it off.  If the interviewer answers the phone several times during the interview, just let it be.  If people stick their head into the room several times during the interview, don’t let it rattle you.  If you show any signs of irritation or over-reaction over these little “slights,” you’ll never get a job offer.