Mrs.

Erika King
English Teacher
Milton Area School District
teaching: 13
Milton High School
570.742.7611

Position:
Number of years

Why did you choose teaching as a profession?

I always knew I wanted to do something with "English". Teaching was a fit for
me because I also always enjoyed helping and tutoring others.
Do you see yourself staying with teaching? Or did you ever think you made
the wrong career choice?
The only time I ever had any doubts about teaching was right after I
graduated. My first permanent subbing position was for 7th graders that already had
different subs every day for 2 weeks. They were pretty wild and I often thought if it
was really right for me.
What are the greatest challenges you face as a teacher?
All the paper work can be overwhelming at times.
What are the greatest rewards you get from being a teacher?
When a student has that "aha" moment, it's all worth it!
How much time do you spend on planning lessons, making assessments,
grading papers, and completing other required paperwork?
The time I spend is immeasurable... I am always adapting and working.
How do you manage your time to complete all the necessary work?
I utilize the time I have at school to the second. I sometimes work through
lunch and always work through my planning periods.
How do you differentiate your instruction to meet the various needs of
students abilities and learning styles?
First, I use the IEP as a resource since we are mandated to follow it. Then I
make the adaptations to quizzes and assignments as needed.
What advice do you have for me as an aspiring English teacher going to
Bloomsburg University?
I graduated from Bloomsburg in 1997 and I was very prepared. Student
Teaching was the most valuable experience for me.
Is it difficult to find time to spend with your family and/or friends?
No, I really am used to allocating my time.
Was it more difficult at the beginning of your career?
Probably, but I didn't have any kids then.
When you got hired for your first teaching job, what was your biggest fear?
I really don't remember. I was so excited to get my own class!
Reflection paper

This interview project hasnt changed many of my views about teaching or whether
teaching is the right career path for me, as I believe it is. It has made me think more, but
only brought about more questions and left me very anxious to do my observations over
Christmas break. I am going to continue to chat via email with Mrs. King, who happens
to be Bloomsburg Alumni. It was very encouraging that she found her student teaching
to be the most valuable part of her college education, and that she was more excited than
scared when she got her first teaching position. I have minor anxiety so Im afraid that
Ill be scared and that it will cause me to forget everything I know like someone with
stage fright speaking in front of a thousand people for the first time. The only new thing
I learned is that I might doubt myself at times but thats no reason to give up. I shouldnt
expect not to have bad days at work. I dont feel like the demographics affected her
responses very much because she wasnt really very specific. She didnt tell me where
her first substituting position was, and that was the only answer she gave me that seemed
like it could have been affected by the demographics. I also feel like she was VERY
vague about how she incorporates differentiated instruction. I have a lot of new
questions. One of my biggest questions is: Do you think it would be inappropriate for me
to participate in a pool league since the matches are held in bars, even if the league is in a
different town, and even if I dont drink? Im somewhat assuming that it would be
inappropriate, but Id like advice on how to replace this extracurricular in my life because
its one of the things Im very good at and love to do. Overall, I dont think the interview
really helped me as much as I was hoping it would. The guest speaker we had was more
helpful in that.

Rubric for the Interview project 50 points possible

Interview questions and answers (10 points)

10 -All questions and answers are completed and typed.

8 - Questions and answers are typed, but one is missing.
6- Questions and answers are typed, but two are missing.
4 - Questions and answers are typed, but three are missing.
2 - Questions and answers are typed, but four are missing.
0 - More than four elements are missing and/or they are not typed.
Demographics (10 points)
10 -All demographics are completed
8 - One element is missing
6 - Two elements are missing
4 - Three elements are missing
2- Four elements are missing
0 - More than four elements are missing and/or they are not typed.
Verification email (5 points)
5 - The verification email is included
0 - No verification email is included.
Copy of the thank you note (5 points)
5 A copy of the thank you note is included
0 No thank you note is included
Final Overall Reflection (20 points)
Analysis, Grammar & spelling
5 - Reflection is well-written with correct grammar and spelling
3 Reflection is well-written but contains 1 or 2 grammar and/or spelling errors
1 Reflection is lacking in terms of analysis and contains more than 3 errors
0 Reflection is poorly written with little attention to detail
Format
5 Reflection follows the format and is typed in Times New Roman, font size 12,
double-spaced and one page in length with no errors.
3 Reflection does not meet the format. It is less than or more than one page or is not
double-spaced
Reflection questions
5 - Reflection addresses the 6 reflection questions
3 - Reflection fails to address 1 or 2 of the questions
1 Reflection fails to address three or more questions
Communication (Expression and organization of ideas and information)
5- Expresses and organizes ideas and information with a high degree of effectiveness
3 - Expresses and organizes ideas and information with some effectiveness
1 - Expresses and organizes ideas and information with limited effectiveness

INTERVIEW CHECKLIST - 50 possible points

1. Interview questions & answers

___

2. Demographics and responses

___

3. Verification e-mail from the teacher

___

4. Copy of thank you note sent to the teacher

___

5. Final overall reflection (1 page double spaced)

___

Determined Point Value:

________