Week 8

Mock Interview

For this week I choose to make an avatar image through Photobucket. The website has an option where you can make your own personal “image” by picking and choosing different options and traits which best illustrates you or any other alter ego you want to create. The options ranged all the way from choosing what facial structure and eye color you had to what you were wearing and what image you wanted to have in your background.

I felt that I answered some of the questions very well considering it was my first experience being in an interview like situation. I thought that I answered the question about what my strengths were the best because I listed 2 or 3 of the traits that I thought best described me and supported them by giving examples of how they have helped me become a qualified candidate for any teaching job position. I also thought that I answered the question about what makes an effective teacher very well. I thought that I incorporated my teaching philosophy into what I believe makes someone an effective teacher. Not only did I answer the question about what makes an effective teacher, I also answered in return how I believe that I am an effective teacher. The last question that I thought answered well was how I would make accommodations for technology in my classroom if it arose. Based on the response after the interview questions, I think that I included many of the exact same examples of how to address the questions by saying that I would give them extra time, directions to access outside of the classroom to a library or coffee shop, or by having the students work with one of their classmates.

I thought that my biggest weakness was the question about my weaknesses. I thought that I struggled with this question because after I explained what my weaknesses were, I didn’t comment on how I was working on correcting them. The other question I struggled with was the question about my feelings on standardized tests. I now realize that I was way to judgmental and that I should have been more neutral in my response. Even though people may not agree with the test, it is still a reality and classes still need to achieve proper scores. Therefore, I should have explained how I would achieve proper scores and the importance they have in my classroom rather than saying how negative they were. The last question I think I struggled on was the question about my classroom management. I think that I struggled with this question because I haven’t had my own classroom really to manage yet. However, I now realize that I should have at least given examples of how I structure my classroom or what type of expectations I have for my students in order to give an idea of how I will manage my room. For examples instead of just saying that my students will have more of an active role in my classroom, I should have explained how they will have more of an active role and what effects this has on the classroom environment and management.

I think that I can take a lot away from this experience in the future. This assignment gave me my first experience of what a real interview will be like. I hope that in the future this will help me be a little less tense in an interview because I will have already had the emotions before, and I will also know what question I may expect in the interview so that I am more prepared and know how to make myself stick out more as a teaching candidate. Not only will I know what questions to expect, I will also know what should be included in the questions in order to make sure that I showcasing my complete package or capabilities, and not just a portion of it. The most important things I learned from this activity however was that during an interview I need to talk less about who I am outside of the classroom and more about who I am inside the classroom, and that I need to back up anything I say with examples of how I achieve them inside my classroom or lessons. It is not enough just to say that I do this or believe this, but that I explain what or how I do it and/or why I believe what I do.