A Second Career Choice?

It is not unusual to be asked a "zinger" - a particularly challenging question designed to determine the strength of your philosophy or the intensity of your commitment to teaching.  Here's an example that frequently pops up in many interviews:

     What was your second career choice?

     A:   I’ve never considered anything else but teaching.  I’ve been influenced by many teachers in my life – from elementary school all the way through college.  I know how one teacher can change the life of one student.  Perhaps I was that student – an average individual who was pushed to excel by Mrs. McDonald in sixth grade, challenged to go above and beyond by Mr. Donahoe in tenth grade, and inspired to create a “hands-on, minds-on” curriculum by Dr. Oliver in college.  Teachers have had a profound influence in my life and I would like to make the same kind of difference in the lives of my students.  I can’t think of any other profession, or any other occupation, that would give me the opportunity to change lives – in such a positive way – as teaching.  For me, there is no second career.  I want to teach!

Don’t even think about suggesting an alternate career path.  This is when you must convince the interviewer – beyond a shadow of a doubt – that your life’s mission is teaching.  Demonstrate your singular passion for the field and let it be clear that teaching is in your blood, is an integral part of who you are, and is the singular pursuit of your life.  This is not the time to be wishy-washy – this is the time to be clear, passionate, and compelling about your career choice.

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Full Inclusion Classrooms

Here’s a question that frequently arises in teacher interviews, for both elementary and secondary positions.  This is an opportunity for you to show both a breadth and depth of knowledge about special needs students.  If you are “running neck and neck” with another candidate, your detailed and specific response to this question will always tip the scales in your favor.

     What are some teaching methods used in full inclusion classrooms?

     A:   One method is the One Teach One Support method.  With this method students sit in rows in front of the chalkboard and instructing teacher.  As the teacher, I would station myself off to the right or left of the students in order to provide extra help and support as needed. In this model the participants are all following my instruction so that no child is excluded.  I could also use Station Teaching. Using this method my classroom would be divided into two, even three, different sections.  One group of students would be situated facing horizontally toward the blackboard; the second would be arranged vertically facing the right wall.  If a third group is present they would be arranged parallel to their vertically arranged classmates and will be turned to face the opposite wall or the front of the classroom.  Students with special needs will be divided among these groups evenly.  A third method I could use would be Parallel Teaching.  In this case my classroom would be arranged so that students are split into two groups. These two groups would be placed back to back with students from each group facing me.  One group would face me in the front of the classroom, and the other group with face the special education teacher in the rear of the classroom.  Students with special needs would be divided equally between these two groups and their classmates - making sure that one group doesn’t contain all the special needs students.  Of course, these aren’t the only options I could use, but they are some of the most effective in terms of a full inclusion classroom.

If the answer above sounds detailed and specific – that is intentional.  If I was a betting person, I could almost guarantee you that you’ll get a question (or two) regarding inclusion.  Take the time and make the effort to know everything you can about inclusion.



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Most Challenging Discipline Problem

You can almost “bet the farm” that you’ll get asked one or two discipline-related questions in any interview.  The principal or interviewer wants to know how you handle one of the “constants” in the life of any classroom teacher.  Here's one of the most frequently asked questions: 

     Tell me about your most challenging discipline problem.

     A:   That would be Derek!  In a word, Derek was unmotivated.  He could care less about history 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 course 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.

In response to the question, you should 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. 

 

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The Most Difficult Aspect of Teaching

Principals want to know whether you have a cogent and solid philosophy of teaching.  If your philosophy isn't well-established by the time of an interview, you will be casting considerable doubt on your ability to do the job.  Here's a question (and response) that frequently comes up in many interviews.

     What do you think is the most difficult aspect of being a teacher?

     A:   Patience.  One of the toughest lessons I learned is that change does not come about overnight.  Just because I put together a dynamite lesson plan doesn’t necessarily mean that every student will “get it” the first time around.  Just because I make a sincere effort to involve parents in the affairs of my class doesn’t mean that every parent will come on board.  And just because I reprimand a student for some inappropriate behavior doesn’t mean that he will change right away.  I have to always keep in mind that good teaching, like good gardening, always involves a large measure of patience.  A gardener doesn’t expect all his seeds to sprout at the same time; neither should a good teacher.  I think that if I can keep that concept in mind then I’ll be successful in this profession.

Here’s an opportunity for a large dose of humility and an equally large dose of reality.  Show that you’ve done some self-evaluation and demonstrate that you’ve learned something in the process.  You’ll win a lot of fans that way.

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The Biggest Challenge for Teachers

Be sure you are up to date on the latest educational theories, initiatives, “hot topics,” and issues.  You will, sometime during the interview, be asked about your opinion or your experience in dealing with one of these concerns.  Here's a typical question: 

     What do you think is the biggest challenge teachers face today?

     A:   Teachers are challenged from all sides – the media, parents, government officials, elected leaders, and communities.  We are in the proverbial spotlight – constantly.  That’s why I think that one of the greatest challenges we face is that of assessment.  That is, are students learning to the best of their potential and are teachers providing their students with the best quality education possible.  Educational initiatives such as “Race to the Top” have put educational assessment on the front burner, so to speak, of educational reform.  Are we teaching what we should be teaching and are students achieving as they should be achieving?  During my student teaching experience I was able to fully integrate assessment throughout all my lesson plans – from beginning to end.  For that, I can thank Dr. Cranshaw, who showed me how to effectively integrate assessment throughout any lesson, any unit.  I certainly don’t have all the answers regarding assessment, but I’ve received some excellent training and excellent experiences I can use throughout my career.

 Be sure to demonstrate how you have addressed an element of an issue sometime in your pre-service training.  If you don’t you will be sending a very powerful message to the interviewer that you don’t stay up to date and that you are unaware of what is happening outside the classroom.  This is a mistake you can’t afford to make.

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