I have an interview on Friday. Tips?

Discussion in 'Job Seekers' started by bros, Apr 21, 2014.

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  1. LouiseB

    LouiseB Cohort

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    May 28, 2014

    I don't think he took the advice/suggestions given.
     
  2. bros

    bros Phenom

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    May 29, 2014

    Some people in my education classes were not the best at writing lessons. Or had difficulty tying standards to their lessons.

    I became more comfortable with teaching lessons during my student teaching, as I was teaching 1-2 lessons a day (as I taught the lesson in the afternoon, then they'd always have centers before the end of the day. In the morning, I was only allowed to teach math, as that is what my cooperating teacher taught).

    I did not mean to put anyone down. My apologies for any offense. I know that spark was the wrong descriptor, but I could not think of a proper one - perhaps the naivete present in younger students - but that may be a bad way to describe it too. Hm. Well anyway...

    During my student teaching, it was prohibited for me to be alone with students - it was a policy of the district and my college that was strictly enforced. I had the additional prohibition of not being able to assist students if they had issues zipping/unzipping or buttoning/unbuttoning clothes - due to my gender. No student teacher is allowed to be alone with a class at any time - even if their cooperating teacher has to go to the bathroom. Luckily when I student taught there was a hall monitor, so my cooperating teacher could leave the classroom to go to the bathroom.

    One time I was left alone with the students - minus the hall monitor watching - for an extended period of time, when my CT was helping check the heads of every staff member and student in the school, as the nurse and substitute nurse they brought in were being overwhelmed by the volume of people.

    My topics tend to last a while - easier to keep an ongoing discussion to a single topic than spread it across many, in my opinion.

    My original question was indeed answered.

    I did. When I had the interview I attempted to maintain eye contact with the interviewers, sweeping my eyes across the people room, not leaving my eyes on any one person for an extended period of time. I brought copies of my resume with me, but they stated they did not need them. I also brought copies of transcripts, just in case, along with some lessons I had taught that I considered to be good. I also brought along a copy of the letter of recommendation written by both of my cooperating teachers for student teaching.

    That sounds like what people described here as a portfolio.
     
  3. czacza

    czacza Multitudinous

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    May 29, 2014

    Bros...you brought PAPERWORK, not a portfolio to your interview. It's great you were consciously trying to apply good social skills to your interview...with time and practice hopefully that will become more natural for you and not something you ave to try so hard at...

    The requirements of your ST were typical in not being left alone with a class, etc.....your teaching, however, was extremely limited. Your gender should not have affected you helping kids...there are plenty of male early childhood teachers.

    Undergrad students, like your classmates,WILL have difficulty writing plans due to inexperience, but again, it's not the plans that are most important... The plans I write for my principal are not at all detailed...especially compared to what's required in college, but I'm at the top of my game as a teacher, with connecting to kids, with classroom mgt, community relations, collegial work, committee contributions, etc, etc....weekly plans tend to be good for Monday...a roadmap of where one would like to go over a weeks time, but they get changed due to student needs, bumps in the road. Teachers need to be adaptive, flexible and have a lot of strategies/tricks in their bags.

    Bros, again, I applaud how far you have come in life, your wealth of knowledge about sped services and sped law, and your interest in education. I wish you well in finding a career path that is better suited for your knowledge.
     
  4. kcjo13

    kcjo13 Phenom

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    May 29, 2014

    bros, this has absolutely nothing to do with what people are trying to tell you. We're not talking about "alone" as in being a boy and being alone with a girl. Or vice versa. We're talking about being responsible-solely responsible-for the education of a class full of students. With no one watching, supervising, or correcting.
     
  5. LouiseB

    LouiseB Cohort

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    May 29, 2014

    Thank you kcjo for helping to clarify my post!
     
  6. kcjo13

    kcjo13 Phenom

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    May 29, 2014

    I don't think it will help, but sometimes I just can't help myself...:rolleyes:
     
  7. bros

    bros Phenom

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    May 29, 2014

    So you're talking about experience as a teacher outside of student teaching, which I need to get a job first to gain.

    I was referring to being a guy and being in the hall with the line of boys at the bathroom and not being able to help them.

    Called the district yesterday - the HR person said they have been busy since I filed my paperwork and nobody has gotten approved since January.
     
  8. swansong1

    swansong1 Virtuoso

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    May 29, 2014

    It sounds like they are giving you the run-around. Any reason they might be doing that?
     
  9. Caesar753

    Caesar753 Multitudinous

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    May 29, 2014

    I think that many people are expressing concerns about the fact that you seem to have been given even less leeway and freedom than other student teachers. Even with the constant supervision rule (my program had it, too), it seems that you were given very few opportunities to actually be in charge of students, the classroom, and the lessons. When I was student teaching, I was in full control of the classroom: I handled discipline, I taught the lessons, I supervised students....My cooperating teacher was present in the room and served as a safety net for me if I would have needed it, but she didn't jump in or take over, ever. I was required to teach every period every day for the duration of my placement; there was none of this "I was only allowed to teach two 20-minute lessons per day" type of thing. I can't imagine being a new teacher on the first day and being able to feel confident in my abilities in the classroom if I had never, not even once, been in control for a full day before.

    I also get the impression that they're giving you the runaround about the sub thing. It seems really fishy to me that they haven't hired any subs in 5 months. What are your thoughts on that?
     
  10. LouiseB

    LouiseB Cohort

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    May 29, 2014

    Thanks Caesar. Your student teaching situation is exactly what I'm talking about: teacher being in charge and taking over the classroom.

    I also think it is interesting that they haven't hired any subs since January.
     
  11. Pi-R-Squared

    Pi-R-Squared Connoisseur

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    May 29, 2014

    During my student-teaching experience, after observing and helping for the first two days, I asked if I could take over 4 of 6 classes. They were Algebra II and Algebra II with trig. classes so I was quite comfortable. The other 2 were pre-calculus based classes so I had to read the books and take notes. Eventually, I was teaching all 6 classes and my cooperating teacher would leave the class after I got started. It was as if she knew I could do it, so I think she went to other teachers' planning periods and would chit-chat! Sometimes, she would be sitting in class reading the paper and doing the crossword puzzle! Or read the news online. Or out came her Sudoku booklet! Granted, I had juniors and seniors so the discipline wasn't bad.

    Now, did this prepare me for my own classroom? A little yes, but a lot of no..... I was hired as a middle school math teacher and the discipline issues are so different than in HS! The content was easy compared to my ST classes but classroom management was a problem, a big one! To the point where I was in tears because I thought I was a crappy and awful teacher!!! Luckily, the P and AP were both supportive. Overall, the student teaching experience gives a beginning teacher some experience in front of the classroom. Once you get your own classroom, it's all yours and you have to learn how to handle situations that just come up.
     
  12. czacza

    czacza Multitudinous

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    May 29, 2014

    feels like the runaround...this is the time of year when teachers realize they didn't take all their personal days, their own kids have field days or graduations they want to attend, or they just simply need a mental health day after state testing, SGOs and such...and subs are needed. Today my team of six teachers had a half day inservice workshop and a few teachers called in sick and there were subs ive never seen before in to fill those slots...Theres always a need for reliable subs.
     
  13. gr3teacher

    gr3teacher Phenom

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    May 29, 2014

    This is definitely prime time for a new sub. It's very difficult for me to imagine a district not adding any subs since January.

    Granted, I've also never worked full-time for a district with fewer than 2000 teachers, and my current district has several thousand teachers.
     
  14. allaragallagher

    allaragallagher Comrade

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    May 29, 2014

    Same. My mentor teacher only retained control of her AP class. I planned lessons for and instructed all her other courses. While there may have been a rule prohibiting me from being alone with the students due to liability issues, there were MANY times my mentor teacher was out of the room. I would sometimes have an Ed. Tech in the room, but I was treated like a professional adult and oftentimes allowed to teach without my mentor in the room. I subbed (as a student teacher - no application in - no pay) for three days while she was out. I taught solo from my third day until my last. However, I do know of people who were not as fortunate (I spent my full placement with one teacher so I didn't have to wind down and gradually release control of the classroom again) who ended up co-teaching a lot because their mentor couldn't let go. They would jut get to know their students, start teaching independently, and have to start transitioning for their next placement. Maybe things are different in the lower grades though. I taught juniors and seniors.
     
  15. dgpiaffeteach

    dgpiaffeteach Aficionado

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    May 29, 2014

    I was usually alone with students. My mentor usually sat at a table on the other end of the hallway and did work for the drama club. I loved it. She only had one prep so it was pretty easy from that respect.

    Even my tiny district adds subs almost every month.
     
  16. heatherewf

    heatherewf Rookie

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    May 29, 2014

    I student taught in a second grade classroom and was probably technically not allowed to be alone with the students either. But during my complete take-over weeks, my teacher frequently stepped out of the room and lingered in the hallways - probably glad for the break, lol. She had never had a student teacher before but was completely comfortable with me taking over. I've been reading bros' student teaching thread out of curiosity and it sounds like he really didn't put in much effort as far as trying to take over a whole day. (For instance - if the afternoon CT was tenured, why only spend half a day with her for the entire semester? Take over HER class for at least a couple weeks. I understand wanting to shadow the SPED teacher in the morning but you can take over the lesson-leading for an entire day if you really make it known that that's your goal... IMO.) When my CT had a sub, the sub basically sat there or circulated the room when the students were working. I did EVERYTHING start to finish. I was fortunate enough to, like bros, do my ST from Aug-Dec so I basically set up the classroom management. (My CT and I met at a Starbucks a week or so before I started and she informed me she did flip-the-card. She NEVER did it the whole time I was there because my classroom management technique worked very well. I subbed in that class a few times after I graduated and she still never busted out the cards to be flipped and my kids were still echoing the guidelines I had implemented during my ST. Just saying.)

    Where there's a will, there's a way.... I haven't seen much will from bros. =\
     
  17. eternalsaudade

    eternalsaudade Companion

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    May 29, 2014

    Agreed. I am a guy and teach even younger kiddos and I am frequently changing diapers, buttoning and zipping clothes, picking up and carrying kids, helping kids use the potty, and so forth. If I wasn't allowed to do these things simply because of my gender, I would not be able to do my job and I would have a very disgruntled co-teacher! If you were an actual male kindergarten teacher, you would most likely be assisting with the things you mentioned, so if someone told you that you weren't allowed to because of your gender, they told you wrong.
     
  18. Caesar753

    Caesar753 Multitudinous

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    In bros' defense, his program may have stipulated that student teachers were not allowed to help students with bathroom or clothing issues, due to some sort of liability concern. I don't know if this is the case, but I can see it being a possibility.

    I also think that it's not fair to imply that if bros would have been deemed effective enough by his cooperating teachers, then he would have been left alone, even if his program required the presence of a licensed teacher at all times. My program had a similar rule, and it was drilled into our heads at all of our pre-service meetings that we were NEVER to be alone with a class, that there should always be a licensed teacher present, and that we should never be asked to substitute (although we could and certainly should take over all classroom duties when a substitute was present). We were expressly told, multiple times, that we could be dismissed from the program and receive a failing score if we violated this rule. If any school representative ever asked us to supervise a class alone or substitute, we were to report to our university supervisor immediately. In my program, the rules weren't overlooked just because a student teacher was deemed effective or trustworthy. Bros' program could be similar. He shouldn't be dinged by us for something that was potentially outside his control.

    My own concern for bros is that it seems that his role as a student teacher was possibly super controlled and limited, even within the guidelines of his program. I can't imagine any program being as limited and limiting as bros' program, and that makes me wonder what happened. I have my suspicions. I'm curious, bros, do you think that your role was limited, compared to other student teachers? If so, why might that have been?
     
  19. bros

    bros Phenom

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    May 30, 2014

    (Continued...)
    Compared to other student teachers in my capstone, experiences were varied. Some were just told on the first day "Here's the text book, teach until your last day. I'll sign whatever forms you need me to sign, you teach them until you leave. I'm not lifting a finger." Others were limited to control of small groups only - such as students in schools for children with multiple disabilities.

    I think my role was limited from a combination of luck of the draw and my morning CT underestimating my abilities - as the first day I told her I was disabled, and her demeanor changed slightly. My afternoon CT was very accommodating - and would push me to do more than I was comfortable with with regards to lifting, fine motor activities, etc. but was always ready to assist if I needed an extra hand. She's also ask me before doing something if I needed any help with it, or if I was able to do it/how could I be accommodated so I could do the task.
     
  20. olivecoffee

    olivecoffee Companion

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    May 31, 2014

    No background checks were required for any of the student teachers? I find it odd that an accredited university wouldn't require student teachers (and even the districts, for the matter) to pass a background check.

    I am student teaching this August and I had to pass a background check before I was admitted to the program. If the background check is more than a year or so old, we have to do another one before we are placed. I've looked at other teacher education programs in my state and every single one of them require a background check for which we are obligated to pay.

    I would have assumed that background checks were required for student teachers out of the students' safety.

    ETA: I forgot to mention that the background checks in all of the programs I've looked at are required before admission to teacher education/student teaching. If a student doesn't pass, they generally can't proceed in the program.
     
  21. TeacherNY

    TeacherNY Maven

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    I find it sad that a person would accuse someone of lying about being sent to the hospital. A student down the hall from me had a seizure last week and they sent him to the hospital. Not all seizures require immediate medical intervention but unless you've experienced one first hand I don't think anyone has the right to question it.
     
  22. Pi-R-Squared

    Pi-R-Squared Connoisseur

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    The posts in this thread are becoming more absurd as we continually allow bros to get bashed to the point he has to post a discharge paper to "prove" that he had a medical condition. Holy crap.... So sad that bros had to do this...... I'm just waiting for someone to say, "Well, he blacked out the date and time.... That was from long ago....." Enough already, people! The original topic was about interview advice and suggestions....

    Bros is a job seeker on this forum now. He graduated from college and now is looking for work..... That alone is hard enough.....

    Bros, I would recommend your sending private messages to people you can trust and who won't smack you down like some people here are just itching to do once they see your posts and replies.....
     
  23. czacza

    czacza Multitudinous

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    Bros...don't be pushed into revealing medical records by one post. Those of us who have interacted with you over time do not doubt your medical issues and disabilities.
     
  24. bros

    bros Phenom

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    Only thing my program requires is that we check a box on our student teaching applications that we say we haven't committed any disqualifying crimes.

    Yeah, seizures suck. If I had had the seizure at home, I probably would've had to go to the hospital too, because my brother would've probably had to have given me one of my emergency medications which requires... medical intervention for a few hours after being administered.

    Eh. I don't mind. I don't mind the posts. Sure, the ones by Lurker have gotten a bit bizarre, but yeah.

    I was only planning on keeping it up temporarily - which I have done.
     
  25. swansong1

    swansong1 Virtuoso

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    Bros, I would recommend that you don't even reply to the threads by people trying to bait you. Those type of people don't usually hang around long when they realize they aren't upsetting anyone like they wanted to.
     
  26. mmswm

    mmswm Moderator

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    This thread has gone far past its original intent and has now deteriorated into squabbling. It's time for it to close.
     
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