Interview questions (2008)

Interviewer: How do you assess reading in your classroom?

Me: I just need a minute to think.

Interviewer: Sure

Me: (To myself.....I know what it is...what is it called...great I'm taking too much time...ugh....)

Me: I would have the student read a passage and while they were reading I would take notes. I would make notation of words that they were mispronouncing and have difficulty with. Oh, a Reading Inventory. (I get home later that night and realize that I explained a Running Record not a Reading Inventory....great....)

Interviewer: Have you had experience with IRI, or RR?

Me: Unfortunately I have not.

Interviewer: Oh you didn't do any during student teaching?

Me: Unfortunately I didn't have the opportunity, I remember working with them in college.

Interviewer: Ok, well you are applying for a paraprofessional position in our district also right? Ok, well if you don't get this job I would like you to get some IRI and RRs under your belt as a para.

Me: Ok, thank you. (GREAT I didn't get this job......)

The rest of the questions went well. I wish I would have realized that I was talking about a RR instead......and I could have fixed it before the end of the interview. I just hope I didn't ruin my chances for the other position as well.

:huh:

 

What is IRI and RR's?

 

I was wondering what they were also. I think that the RR must be the running record and the IRI must be some type of individual reading inventory. Can someone from NY let us know?

 

IRI = Informal Reading Inventory

RR = Running Record

 

are they assessments, programs or methods?

 

They're assessments. With an IRI you have a certain grade level passages that you have to use where you have a special recording sheet and comprehension questions to ask the student and then with a running record (by Marie Clay) you can use any book or passage and you can either use a special running record sheet or just any piece of blank paper to keep track of miscues.

 

yup

 

Check this out for RR, Running Record. It explains nicely how to perform the assessment.

http://www.readinga-z.com/guided/runrecord.html


I wish I wouldn't have gotten them confused during my interview.

 

I'll bet you never do again. And thanks for the link,it's pretty interesting stuff.

 

I had a screening interview today that I think went really well. The past couple of days I read through this thread and let me tell you-- it helped me out a lot with some of the questions I was asked! Thanks to those of you who regularly post GREAT interview responses!!

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

- Tell me about your classroom management (I had my classroom management handbook that I created in grad school with me-- it helped getting to show my interviewer that)
- How do you teach reading and writing?
- What is balanced literacy?
- If I were to visit your classroom for two weeks, what would I see? (I had a hard time answering this since there is so much to say and my interviewer had quite a few questions left to ask me. The interview was only 25 minutes long)
- What assessments do you use?
- Why did you become a teacher?
- What are some best practices for teaching math/science/social studies/reading/writing?
- How do you promote a positive relationship with your parents?
​

There were a few more, but these are the ones that I remember right now. I felt so bad because I RUSHED through the best practices questions. She thankfully understood that we were pressed for time and seemed genuinely pleased with my responses.

Oh, she also asked if there was anything I would like to add about myself.

 

Great Questions I was asked before I was offered a job today:

1.) A parent comes to your classroom door while the bell rings and the kids are coming in the room and morning announcements are going on. They want to talk with you and you can see they are upset. What do you do?

I gave a real life example that went well. I mentioned Active Listening. I mentioned taking care of the parent's needs right away, after seeing my class was cared for by my paras.

2.) When would you use physical force to restrain a child?

3.) When do you want help from the office in dealing with a child? (correct answer: As a last resort.)

 

Well this is my first time officially POSTING on the board but i have read it probably a hundred times...haha I have had a few interviews but no bites yet...I am elementary...I have been selected to do a "screening interview" but it is WRITTEN answers through email and then they are going to select a few to be interviewed in person--so he emailed us the questions and a due date. I am just stumped on a few questions and any help would be much appreciated--I LOVE this thread!

1. How do you incorporate “Best Practice” educational research in your lessons? What professional journals do you read regularly?

2. Describe a teaching strategy you used to maximize the learning potential of all students.

3. What do you feel are the most important things students should learn at the Kindergarten level?

Thank you in advance for any help and again I love this thread--it has been a GREAT help so far =)) Thanks!

Megan

 

Question I got

It is the third month of the new school year and you have just finished a week-long unit of study that covered key grade-level standards for your students. Prior to teaching the unit, you invested significant time and effort into preparing lessons, activities, and supporting materials. However, over 50% of your students failed the end-of-unit test you administered at the end of the week. To keep up with the pacing calendar, you are expected to move on to a new topic the following week. Please describe what next steps you will take to address this situation.

What I , as a teacher, can do in a situation like this? Can I perform another test? Should I rewrite my lesson plans for another unit? Help me to find the solution,please. I'm lost

 

I have also been in this situation. I think I would mention that, after listening to the parent's concerns, I would schedule a conference before or after school as soon as possible. That way, I would have time to prepare any documents/materials and could give the parent my complete attention.

Disclaimer: I'm not sure if this would be a good response or not, but I wanted to share my own experience with this. Hopefully another member can give you a great response!

I dealt with this when I was a LTS: my team teachers and I met frequently to come up with materials, lessons, etc for a 2 week social studies unit. When it came time for us to give the unit test, most of the students in all three classes stunk it up big-time. We met with our principal to discuss this and in the end we made slight changes to the pacing guide. We spent an additional day reviewing the material the students messed up on the test and the next day they re-took the test (we started the new unit-- a science unit-- that day as well). We were lucky, though: the introductory material for the science unit was based on what students had already studied and we were able to condense two days of material into one.

 

It depends on your state/city/school district policies. In IL, we are mandated reporters, and have strict guidelines about this situation. We would not mislead a child, and tell him that we won't say anything, but rather reassure him/her that it is not okay for people who love you to hurt you. That is what they need to know.

Many times, children are afraid of losing the only parent they have left, and like adults, they feel that abuse happens because it is their fault, they deserved it, and if they try harder, the person will love them once more. They know of family members who were taken away, and families separated, and this...in their minds, is more tragic and terrifying than staying with an abusive relative. :unsure:

Reporting procedure is secure, and it can be totally anoymous. We must report anything that could be judged as harmful to a child.

It is hard to say whether he was hit, or was playing around and bumped into something. Sometimes, kids are scared of getting in trouble, especially if they were at the wrong place at wrong time. And they will make up stories to cover their tracks. But if a kid comes in bruised, or has badly treated injuries (i.e. new bandages on old wounds, gashing wound, or limping child), is hungry, tired, missing clothes, or soiled clothes, and this happens repeatedly...you must take steps to help the child. I think they asked you twice to make sure you gave the same answer, and will be there to support child. If I were you, at the end of the interview I would ask,

"Do you have a policy for reporting child abuse? Did I respond to your question correctly?"

Especially, if you are new to area, or never taught in the district.

IL law.. FYI

http://www.state.il.us/dcfs/faq/faq_faq_can.shtml

 

anytime!

 

I use that for my weakness question. I say sometimes, I try to do too much, and realize that I can't wear two hats. I have concerns for my children and their families, and must convince them to see the social worker/family service worker/school psychologist. A lot of times, parents trust and know me as their teacher, and they want answers...but not the right ones. They know and are often afraid if they go to the social worker, they could lose their kids, or kids may be pulled out of school.

For example, A parent tells you, "I got put out of my apartment, and we are living with my sister, and that's why we have been late."

You, realize that school is important, but you know tardies will hurt your school and child.

And, you know the child MUST live in the district.

What do you do?

No parent will waltz in office and say, "Hey, I'm not living around here anymore, just wanted you to know."

So, as a teacher, you must gather all details. Convey trust and understanding with parent and child. Let your supervisor know. Because, when (not IF) they find out, and they learn you knew all the time, you will be out of a job! You must talk to your supervisor and social worker, and see if there is something that can be done to keep the child in your class. If all efforts fail, or in most cases, the parent fails to follow up and meet the guidelines of the deal (make efforts to come on time, give up school bus, etc.) then the school has no choice but to drop the child.

If you hide this evidence, you can be in big trouble. :unsure: Too many teachers feel they know what will happen, and directors and princpals don't understand. They will break rules and pick up, drop off kids and parents! This is not good because your insurance doesn't protect you.

And parents in desparate states can do all kinds of things. Even if you think you can trust them!



that's my take on the subject...

 

Yes. Your answer. My belief is that teachers are responsible for their children and the office is only used when a child no longer responds to my reqeusts, has endangered himself, or others. (well me too, but I won't keep saying that!) I would make sure my class is covered, contact the parent, and if I could not get an answer, I would call the office first before bringing the child down for redirection.

never say ...

for punishment
to get him out of my hands
to let you handle it

Of course, I would come back to the office... (never) and ask the child if he/she is ready to come back to the room, and make ammends.

truth is..most teachers will leave those kids in there the rest of the day, to worry the secretary... the principal doesn't even stay in the room sometimes!

I may stop in and say, "We are going to gym!" yeah, mean..but I get my point across...

I'll come back....

sometime before the end of the day...

 

I am sorry to say, you have thrown me for a loop! I am drawing a complete blank!

All I can think of is blow off, b.s. answers! this is terrible. These questions seem so vague to me. Maybe that is why I can't answer. What is it they really want to know? What I can do, or what I know?

best practices???... like individualization, life long learners? those are catch phrases... it could mean a million things to a million people... in theory... but in every day life?

why not just ask what teaching strategies do you prefer?

sigh!

 

Hmmmm.. I'm not good with numbers, but if 1/2 my kids failed, then I obviously did something wrong. I must go to next topic, but for Pete's sake, I better do a heck of alot of re=teaching, remedial work, workbook pages, or ditto sheets, before and after school with a lot of people!

ok, I will find a nice way to say that.

After reviewing my results of assessments, I will create individualized lessons to promote a better understanding of the topics that needed further clarification. I will contact parents, and arrange to work with individual students and small groups before school and after school. In addition, while pressing on with the new subject matter, I will continue to provide additional worksheets from various resources to help those students obtain a better understanding of the areas which they are lacking.

Man, this is getting hard! :|

 

Thank you very much!

 

Wow, you are good! Excellent answer, thank you!:2up:

 

Thanks..and you are quite welcomed!!

 

How about these?

1. You have an autistic child in your classroom who has a hard time with transitions. How do you accomodate this child?

2. What 3 words would your students use to describe you?
What 3 words would parents describe you?
-I said students: 1. fair, I maintain consistency and respect 2. fun or in a students own words: cool-- that I do fun projects,etc 3. patient, they feel I listen to them,care, and value them as a person
- I said for parents: 1. good communicator 2. caring about their individual child, that I do what it takes so their child learns in the best manner, 3. That their child enjoys being in my class!

3. How do you know that your students are learning?

 

First, I have to contain myself and try not to make a face when they say 'autistic child'. It seems to me that a professional educator word use the appropriate language and say, 'a child with autism."

Once I get by that, I would say. "It would be my hope that my student with autism is assigned a one-on-one aide, who would be able to shadow him/her and be prepared for transitions. As a team, we would work on strategies that provide the most effective way of improving his skills and increasing his abilities to deal with change. One of the things I would suggest is having my aide take the student to the door to be the line leader, or head out of the classroom before we line up. In that way, the student will not be overwhelmed by the sudden movement of the rest of the class."

(still steaming over this. Word to the wise..when they use language like this, it shows me that are not very accepting of special ed. students.)

#2

"I feel my parents would say I am supportive, understanding and resourceful. I believe they would tell you that I stand up for the rights, and listen to their needs. I also feel they would say I make an effort to understand their concerns. In addition, I believe my parents would tell you that I offer a wealth of information, and provide them with the direction to get the help they need."

#3

"I know my students are learning when they are able to teach back to others. When my students make observations, use vocabulary words in the proper context, and ask me questions related to the themes that are presented, I know they are learning. The best example of student learning is when they explain a concept to another student."

How can we prepare to answer questions about our skills, background and abilities, without secretly trying to decipher what the interviewer really wants...and what type of person they are??

I find that more challenging. I may blow the interview, but it may the best decision I made at the time.

 

From the Suburban Cook County (IL) online consortium...

This is really cool, because when you complete one district online application, you can automatically download your responses to as many schools that are in the online database!

Describe the skills or attributes you beleive are necessary to be an outstanding teacher.

How would you address a wide range of skills in your classrom?

Please explain how your past personal and professional experience make you a quality candidate for the postion for which you are applying.

These two questions are for teacher aides...

Describe the skills or attritibutes you believe are ncessary to be outstanding when working in student support services (teacher aide)

How would you address a wide range of issues in your group?

 

Me too! Thanks for providing great responses to these questions!!

And Kass, I really must apologize to you since I royally messed up my response regarding the unit plan! After answering your question I looked back through my lesson plans to see what we did and realized that I got some information wrong. We did delay the next unit by two days and we reviewed the information. However, we re-wrote the test and only administered the first part (the part that they all seemed to correctly answer). For the second part, we decided to wait until the next social studies unit came up (in this district, they have a social studies unit, then study a sciene unit, then back to SS, etc...). The information the students messed up was going to be discussed in the next unit (economics) anyway, so we just combined units. Fortunately it worked well for them and they ended up doing well on that unit test.

I also wanted to mention that my team reflected on our assessments and lesson plans to come up with different approaches/strategies for teaching the upcoming unit. In addition, during my guided reading time, I set up a learning station dedicated to their old social studies unit (though I always had a station that reviewed old information).

Hope that helps! Sorry for messing that one up-- I feel like such a buttmunch!

 

Here's a tricky one......WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT YOUR LAST BOSS and the WORKING ENVIRONMENT THERE?
Now! You definitely don't want to bad mouth your last boss so you have to be careful about your answer.

 

I would probably start off with something positive like it was extremely beneficial to have weekly staff meetings but I would have appreciated if we could have had a 15 minute brainstorming activity.. and the same for the working environment... the planning hour added much needed time to better prepare us for each lesson yet I would have enjoyed a synchronized period to meet with my other team members...

 

Wow, rebel1, that's quite a question!! I've never been asked anything like that before and hope I never am!

Would it be wrong, though, to say that there is nothing I would change about my last boss and working environment? I was a LTS at the most wonderful school and treated like one of the faculty the day I was hired; all faculty and staff at that school were valued and treated well. My principal was amazing: supportive, excellent leader, thankful/appreciative. I would have loved to have had a job there, but there weren't any openings for the fall.

If I talked about where I student taught, my response would be quite different...

 

My interviewers (4th grade position) graciously gave me a copy of the questions so I could follow along during our meeting. I'm sure several of the same have already been posted here so I won't type all of them out, but here are some of the more unique ones. (PM me if you'd like the entire list of 12 qu's.)

What does it mean to be a teacher?

What is the ideal relationship between a teacher and student?

What motivates you to achieve your goals to be successful?

How would you describe yourself as a team member?

How would others describe you as a team member?

Why should you be selected for this position?

 

More Interview Questions

Thanks glitterfish for posting the interview questions. I added them to my website.

Could you post or email me eric@road2teaching.com the other questions? Also, do you have any additional elementary-specific interview questions?

Thanks!
Eric
www. roadtoteaching.com

 

I GOT IT!!!!!

Well, after my interview from last week, I thought "NO way did I get the job!" They had over 250 applicants, and interviewed about 20 people....so I was really just happy to have been interviewed! Anyway, they called yesterday and offered me the position!!!!!
5th grade! I am super excited and (nervous too!) and wanted to thank you all for all the great contributions, this was a great help in my interviewing process.
Now if you could just all help me set up my classroom in the next 2 weeks.... hehehe. :2up:

 

Beautifully stated.

I am currently wearing my "Teachers Make All Others Professions Possible" t-shirt. Perhaps, you can tie that in to Number 1. The others were great. They seem "sincere." I've been teaching so long that it has become second nature. I often wonder how I would answer that question today. I would answer just as you did.

Your classroom awaits you

 

MKMAXWELL,

As I tell my friends who worry about their inexperience or their competition, "God already knows where your classroom is and what he has for you, is for you!"

Congratulations

This is why we teach--to encourage children to dream. You're living proof that they come true.

 

MKMAXWELL, just wanted to wish you a big-time CONGRATS!!!

I hope we read more posts like yours!

 

Congrats, mkmaxwell!! Sometimes the interviews we think we bombed are the ones that end up with offers.

 

ditto lilimisses and smalltowngal!!

and I am available... will set help set up classrooms for food...

but not today......

congratualations!!!

 

That is a total trip up, tick you off, make-you-wanna-get-up-and leave question!!!! You are sooo right. They want to strike a nerve! Relax, smile, and.....

Here ya go!

"Why would I want to change an environment which I could not control."

"How can I change a person? I can only be responsible for my own actions."

 

I believe I have the skills, ability and knowlege you are looking for. You want a team player who listens well and supports parents. I mentioned that I am resourceful and have experience with parental support. You want a qualified staff person who is willing to learn. I am certified, and I in the process of earning my Masters degree, to improve my understanding of the field. I want to be part of your team.