Q: If an administrator visited your
classroom, what would she/he see?
A: She
would see an educational environment where every student is respected, every
student is trusted, and every student is learning. She would see an active classroom – a
classroom where students are never absorbing information passively, but are,
instead, actively participating in a curriculum that puts a premium on personal
and meaningful engagement. She would see
students taking responsibility for their learning through self-established
goals, projects and activities that are pedagogically sound and
standards-based. She would see students
achieving…she would see students challenged through higher level thinking
questions, specific RTI activities, and a teacher dedicated to success. She would see a classroom that embraces every
student’s cognitive and affective potential.
She would see a community of learners!
The answer
to this question should focus, not on the physical environment (“Well all the
chairs would be lined up in neat, straight rows and the teacher’s desk would be
placed in the front of the room and….”), but rather on your philosophy of
education. This is a question that gets
to the heart of what it means to be a teacher.
Here’s where you can let your beliefs and your values shine. But be careful – this is not the time to
ramble. Be concise and keep your answer
to two minutes or less.
