Mock+Interview

Mock Interview 

1). A typical day in my classroom would be one filled with exploration, exciting activities and inspirational topics. I would like for each day in my classroom to be one that all of my students look forward to. 2). The way that I would handle a hostile parent, is by responding to them in a calm and non-threatening manner. In any situation where someone is hostile, I really feel like it's important for them to know that I am their friend and an advocate for the well-being of their child and themselves. 3). In my opinion the attributes of a highly effective classroom are open mindedness, a welcoming and understanding attitude and a non-biased acceptance of everyone's differences. I think that one of the most important attributes, in any environment, is making sure that everyone within that environment feels accepted, valued and important. 4). An example of an exemplary series of lessons that I have taught would be the one that I covered on 4th grade habitats. The lessons were all designed around being as flexible as possible in order to accommodate the individual needs of each student and I made sure that each lesson was presented in an easy to use and comprehensible format. 5). My teaching is based on the idea of flexibility. I value positive reinforcement techniques and my number one goal is to make sure that my teaching style is accommodating to all of my students. 6). The responsibility of learning is one shared by all of us, meaning myself, our students, our students parents and our fellow educators. Learning is a huge task and just like that old saying, "It takes a village" to make sure that our kids are getting all that they need from their education. 7). A hierarchy of interventions that I might use to control the occurrence of problem behaviors in my classroom are those based on the idea of a Positive Behavior Support system. I would initially implement a class-wide behavior management system, possibly utilizing something like a token economy system and then move into more specialized levels of behavior management that worked to target any of my students that were having a hard time managing with the class-wide system. 8).I think that the attributes that distinguish a truly outstanding teacher from just that of a good teacher are the willingness to go above and beyond their call of duty as a teacher. Being an outstanding educator means being flexible, being accommodating, be original, authentic, creative and exciting; it means grabbing a hold of your students and striking up that irrepressible desire to learn and explore the world around them. 9).Two current trends in education that I have heard quite a bit about here recently are that of inclusion and the incorporation of technology in the classroom. Both of these trends are exceptional ideas and I will do my very best to support the inclusion of all children in my classroom by providing and educational experience that is tailor fitted to each of my students' needs and would love to incorporate technology into the inclusive environment, which I think can only serve to improve the experience all together. 10). The specific steps that I would take to help students win each day are those of a supportive and scaffolded approach. I do believe that every child has the ability to be successful in the educational environment and I think that it is our job as educators to provide them with the specific levels of support that they need to reach their individual goals. 11).My two top strengths are my flexibility and willingness to make changes where they are needed. My two worst weaknesses are my tendency to be an overachiever and my tendency to be a bit of an enabler. 12).Well I would have to say that in a perfect world we all might be able to achieve mastery, but in the world that I live in, mastery is only an idea that I hold as a goal or target that I someday hope to attain. In all honesty I always feel like there is room for improvement, if there wasn't, then I would be applying for the position of "God", not the one that I am applying for right now. 13).If I had a student that was failing in my class, the first step that I would take in order to help him or her would be to take a look at the way that I was teaching. After careful adjustments and changes had been made on my end, I would look to see if there were environmental influences that were working to negatively influence this child's success. 14).Technology plays a huge role in my teaching. I believe that technology can be a source of accommodation, creativity, authenticity and a fresh way to engage and prepare our students for the world that they have ahead of them. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: left;">15). I would just like to say that while I'm sure there are some other really great candidates up for this position, I can promise you that you will not find another teacher as enthusiastic and willing to give there all, as I am. I have never wanted something so much as I do want this position. I feel like it's the place that I'm supposed to be in my life and I can't wait to get out there and begin to help our kids shine.