Section 6:

Teacher Candidate Teacher Interview Video

Teacher Candidate Interview Video

The final section of the portfolio project includes a mock teacher interview video that will

take viewers through the pages on my Weebly website https://mskerbs.weebly.com, so that they

can get an idea of all the skills I have been acquiring through my education at Medaille College.

The video will also answer some questions regarding my background experiences and

knowledge I have acquired through my education at Medaille College. You can watch my

teacher candidate video by going to https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/crfoF3Vn59M. The

videotaping process gave me the opportunity to consider what I believe to be the most important

pieces of educating and how I am able to fulfill this role. Due to the time constraints of the video,

I was only able to include a brief description and not touch on all of the points that I would have

liked to. I am glad that we were able to include the Weebly website in this video as I believe it

showcases the skills and knowledge that I have acquired from Medaille. Also, if viewers are

interested in learning a bit more about myself as a competent educator, then they have the

opportunity to look into this on my website. I am confident in my abilities to apply the content I

have learned in a classroom setting and I am not afraid to ask other educators for help. I think

that one of the greatest parts about becoming an educator is that there is such a large network for

collaboration among teachers. To sum up, this entire portfolio project has made me reflect on my

past experiences and the new ones I have gained through the teacher training program at

Medaille. I hope you enjoy watching my teacher candidate interview video and that it helps you

get a better understanding of my abilities and who I want to become as an educator.

Teacher Candidate Interview Questions & Responses

I have included my responses so some of the typical interview questions that would be

asked. These questions are also answered in my Teacher Candidate Interview Video, but for ease

I have integrated a written response as well. The responses below will consist of some

background experiences I have had that led me to a career in education, what I have learned

through my teacher training program, an examples lesson plan, current trends in education, and

finally why you should hire me. I will demonstrate my readiness to become a teacher through the

responses I provide below.

Briefly share a little about your background experiences that have led you to choose a

career in education.

- I have taught dance for about 10 years now and I have a great love for teaching and

working with the younger generations. In high school, I really had no idea what I wanted

to do with my life. So, I did a 5th year and took a couple of family studies classes and

peer-tutoring. I really enjoyed the family studies classes and decide to go to the

University of Waterloo and pursue an arts degree. I majored in sexuality, marriage, and

family studies with a minor in German and applied language studies. My major

introduced me to anti-oppressive practices and recognizing your own privilege in society.

When I finished my degree, I thought I wanted to become a teacher but because I wasn’t

100% sure, I decided to start volunteering in classrooms where I knew the teacher. Of

course, this was halted by the pandemic, but I got enough that I felt this is what I wanted

to do. So here I am now at Medaille College pursuing my Master of Science in

elementary education.
What have you learned in your teacher training program that will make you an excellent

classroom teacher and colleague?

- Medaille has taught me how to plan lessons that consider my approach to instruction and

any accommodations or modifications that should be present in a classroom with students

who have exceptionalities or a first language other than English. I have had to create

many lessons that cover a variety of subjects. I also understand the multiple options that

are available to assess my students whether it be a test or a presentation. Technology has

become an essential part of the classroom in recent years and so I am able to apply my

ability to use Google Classroom, SMART Board, and many others. Along with

technology, Medaille also taught me about how to conduct research in a school setting. I

think that conducting research shows that you are a caring educator and wish to learn

more about how we can support our students in the classroom. As an educator, I will

always be looking for ways to improve my teaching and support my students so that they

are able to achieve to their fullest potential. The last thing I learned was how to be a

culturally responsive teacher. I already had a lot of this knowledge from my undergrad

but Medaille helped me see how I could apply this with a narrower focus, in a school.

Provide use with an example of a lesson you taught. How did you integrate it with other

curriculum areas, address the CCLS technology, student engagement and motivation?

What were the results of the lesson?

- The lesson plan I chose to display here is a Grade 5 math lesson on the measures of

central tendency. In order to get the students interesting and thinking about the learning,

they will be doing. I asked the students if any of them knew the average lifespan of a

squirrel is 9 years, and that the average porcupine has 30,000 spikes, or that the average
 person laughs 10 times a day. I then asked the students what they noticed that was the

same between all of those statistics. Students would discuss this question in pairs and

then share what they discovered. The purpose of this anticipatory set us to create an

authentic learning experience for the students and help them understand where this math

is applied in their own lives. Continuing through the lesson I have students think about

the mean, median, mode, and range. We go through each term to see if they remember

what they mean and if not, I provide a clear definition for them and an example. Then all

together we would use a data set and have student volunteers come to complete them on

the whiteboard. After this is done, I would allow the students to work through another

example on their worksheet with their elbow partner. By gradually releasing support, the

students should be able to become successful with this math concept. Accommodations

and modifications will be made, with Google translate being available for English

language learners, as well as an educational assistant present to help with them and the

IEP students. With two teachers being present, the students who require extra assistance

will be able to get it while they work through the example.

How will your knowledge of the current trends in education inform you as an educator in

our district/board/school?

- One of the current trends in education that I see is the switch to more technology-based

learning. With the pandemic, teachers have had to make the switch to online learning and

rely more on technology than before. With this, many teachers have had to get creative in

the ways that they get their students to participate, whether it be in breakout rooms,

Kahoot, Kami, or Flipgrid. They are many resources out there to help students stay

engaged during online learning.

 - Another trend in education is the implementation of body movement, being a dance

teacher, I definitely have many ways that I can get my students moving in my classroom

to give them a break.

Why should we hire you instead of the other applicants we have interview?

- I am empathetic, organized, and passionate. My goal is to make every student feel

included in the classroom, no matter their differences. I hope that one day students will

recognize the privilege that they hold within society and use it to make positive change

for others. This will be done by considering the many aspects of culturally responsive

teaching and applying them to my classroom every day. I also understand the importance

of using physical movement in the classroom and out. A lot of children participate in

extracurricular activities but not all students are able to afford the luxury. This is also the

reason I would like to implement technology in the classroom. I am skilled in the

technology that is being used in classrooms right now and I think students should begin

learning how to type and use Microsoft or Google suite of products for their work. Many

jobs use this technology and I think it will be helpful for students to be exposed to this

quite early and consistently. And lastly, I have a strong love for educating as I have been

teaching dance for the past 10 years and I would love to continue this in a school setting.

I think that elementary school can really shape how some students will turn out later in

life and I would like to be a positive influence for those students who may not have the

best role models at home.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this section has provided a mock interview that answers some questions

for prospective employers to consider when thinking about hiring me. The video included also
gave a brief outline of my Weebly website and the components that are included on it. I have not

only described some of my background experiences that have led me to this career in education,

but also the new skills I have gained during my time at Medaille. Throughout this journey I have

gained knowledge in a variety of teacher competencies, most importantly how to create a lesson

plan and implement it into my own classroom. A sample lesson plan is also talked about in this

video to show viewers that I am able to plan, instruct, assess, and also accommodate or modify

anything for the variety of learners present in my class. In addition, I discussed a couple of the

trends that are occurring in education right now and how I would be able to use technology and

body movement in my classroom to benefit the students. The last thing that I mention is the

reason you should consider hiring me as a teacher. I have learned a great deal creating this

portfolio as I have been able to reflect on my entire life and who I have become. I am proud that

I have figured out my passion in life and I am looking forward to starting my teaching career in

the near future.

[Back to Table of Contents]

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