Chanel Cain

Peggi Bloomquist
October 16, 2016
Teacher Interview Questions

A. General Questions
a. Planning Questions
i. How do you write a typical lesson plan? What format? The format I
use for lesson plans is something that we created as team last year and
then I have modified to what seems best for me.
ii. In what ways do you plan to accommodate individual differences in
the classroom? When planning my whole group lessons and small group
workshop I am using the data that I have collected from the TRC, MAP
and classroom observations. At this point in the year I am still moving
students around in groups based upon observation, student behavior and
student needs.
b. Instructional Questions
i. What are some instructional challenges as a teacher? The month of
September was mostly devoted to assessments. I have a higher student
absentee rate and there are always holidays or programs which disrupt
consistency in the classroom. All of this interrupts the flow of teaching
units.
ii. What do you consider essential characteristics for successful
teaching? In order to be successful you need to be consistent in your
expectations, behavior, classroom management and routines. You need to
set high expectations for all students. You also have to connect to your
students. They need to know that you are interested in them, care about
them and believe in them.
iii. How often do your students receive social studies/science instruction?
Are you satisfied with the amount of time given? Students receive
social studies every morning right now with the bully and socialization
lessons. Science comes 2-4 times a week with the literacy block. No I
dont think its enough time especially because the science is now tested in
fifth grade.
c. Classroom Management Questions
i. What motivation tactics do you use to ensure a desire to learn? You
need to establish routines that students can predict. I am famous for
asking the students What should you do? How would you solve that? I
dont know, someone look that up for us What do you think I am going to
say or suggest? I want them to realize that we are a team, I am teaching,

but they can be a part of that. They can bring their ideas, knowledge and
teach us as well.
ii. Tell me about your classroom community. What are the class rules?
How is student behavior monitored? We create a class constitution. I
teach them how everything must be written in the positive tell me what
to do, NOT what not to do - Walk in the hallways, keep your hands by
your side, sit quietly and eat in the cafeteria. The rules are consistent
throughout the entire school which is very helpful because that means the
consequences are also consistent everywhere. We have the clip charts
from Leader In Me and all students know what is expected everywhere.
They also know that the teachers communicate about behavior.
iii. Tell me about the pacing of lessons and interaction in the classroomuse of time- and other aspects of timewait time, and time using
teacher talk and student talk. What works well with your students?
The literacy class is quite bright so I give them a little more leeway in
staying on task. We have dialog and its a little bit looser about raising
hands and calling out. But they do understand that when I give a
direction, it is expected. There are rewards for those who follow
immediately (clipping up) and there are consequences (clipping down) for
those that dont. Math needs to be a bit stricter because these students get
off task much faster and get much noisier much faster. Work doesnt get
accomplished without a tighter routine.
B. ELED 3226
a. Writing Questions
i. Do you have Writing Workshop? If so, how do you manage yours
within your classroom? How much time is allotted for writing
workshop? How many days a week? There is a specified writing
workshop time which encompasses grammar as well as the creative side of
writing. This is the time allotted also for our science/social studies so
sometimes if we are introducing a new unit then the writing will be
embedded in readers workshop. Fairly soon we will begin our nonfiction
research project and a great deal of time will be dedicated to writing for a
nonfiction topic.
ii. What strategies do you use with students that are having difficulty
with certain strategies and skills? Workshop time is when students are
pulled either group by group for practicing a skill or students (small group
or individual) are pulled to reinforce or push on a strategy or skill that has
been taught.
iii. How do you choose topics for students to write about?
C. ELED 3223
a. Social Studies Questions
i. How do you keep your political views out of your teaching? In second
grade its fairly easy to do. We will be working on Kids Voting shortly,

but one of the lessons I teach the students is we have a democracy in this
county and that means NOBODY needs to know who you are voting for.
ii. Other than tests, how do you assess student learning? Classroom
observation, writing samples, workshop activities and small group
discussions is where most of my assessing comes from. I will pull
students in small groups based upon strategies taught or even one on one
to check in with them.
D. MAED 3224
a. Mathematics Questions
i. How do you make the curriculum relevant to the lives of your
students? Students dont really question what they are learning in second
grade. I do try to point out when I (or someone else) have had to use the
skills they are learning.
ii. Describe a few of the teaching techniques or strategies that are most
effective for you. It needs to be hands on with manipulatives. I love using
games to reinforce skills. Make it fun!
E. READ 3226
a. Reading/Literacy Questions
i. What methods have you used or would you use to assess student
learning? Assessing students is ongoing. It needs to be in whole group
lessons, small groups, in their writing and when you are talking with them
one on one.
ii. How do you integrate technology into the curriculum you teach?
Technology is tricky. I use RazKids and my document camera constantly.
I look for PowerPoints to present and videos that will jazz up a
presentation BUT the minute you plan on using something, the internet
will go down or the video wont work. I do use Compass Learning,
DreamBox and RazKids during workshop time and for homework.
iii. In what ways, both formal and informal, might you assess a student
with limited English fluency to be sure the student is truly learning
the content of your course curriculum? I have a student who moved
here from Brazil about 6 weeks ago. It requires a great deal of one on one
time and flexibility. She is very bright and willing to try to participate
and write even though its not going to be perfect. You have to create a
safe environment where they feel safe to try.
F. ELED 3221
a. Science Questions
i. How do you encourage teamwork among your students? Sometimes
the activity is based upon content and sometimes its based upon
cooperation. Before we begin anything we talk about what teamwork
looks like, and how everyone behaves. When I create teams I have been
observing students and planning my groups based upon who I think will
work well together. After activities I will schedule discussions not only

about the content but about how people worked together. I think some of
the most powerful learning comes from the students teaching each other.
We celebrate that.
ii. How do you use computers in the science classroom? Currently not
really, maybe in a future unit it might happen.