Interview Protocol

Teacher
Interviewer: Clair Gallant
Date: 3/1/16

Interviewee: Miss. Grace (pseudonym)

Time: 7:45

(These are sample questions. Please add your own questions to learn more about
your specific classroom. This interview should take place in your initial meeting,
prior to the two week intensive).
Planning Questions:
How do you write a typical lesson plan?
The plans I write are typically created using the backwards model. I look at
standards and objectives and what the students will need to know by then
end of the lesson. I begin my planning with the end learning goal.

What types of materials do you need available when you plan

lessons?
I need the pacing calendar, common core standards, unpacking
documents, and any unit tests that will be used for assessments.

In what ways do you plan to accommodate individual differences in

the classroom?
The students are provided with pull out services depending on their
needs. I also provide additional time to students who require it to complete
assignments and I modify in class assignments daily.
Instructional Questions:
What are some of your instructional challenges as a teacher?
I find challenges with time constraints on many days with the amount of
time I have to teach a unit before student assessments.

What have been some of your instructional successes as a teacher?

I believe I have made progress with helping students grow in their Reading
levels from the beginning of the year to the end.

What do you consider essential characteristics for successful

teaching?
A teacher should be patient, encouraging, a role model with great
leadership skills, and relatable to their students.

How often do your students receive social studies/science

instruction?
They receive this instruction every day for about 30 minutes a day.

Are you satisfied with the amount of time that you currently allot for

social studies/science instruction? Explain.

I am not satisfied with the amount of time allotted for social studies/
science instruction but with other instructional obligations there is little
time left on most school days.

What social studies and science topics/units will be studied during

the second week of my clinical experience? What are possible
goals/objectives I could address for my lessons? Do you have any
instructional resources that would support these goals/objectives?
Our class will be covering how people use natural resources in the
community in social studies and recognizing patterns of observable
changes in the moons appearance from day to day in science. In
lessons for the social studies topic your goal/objective could include
the students being able to recognize what natural resources are in
our community and how we use them. In lessons for the science
topic your goal/objective could include noticing the moons features
as observed from Earth. Resources I use for social Studies are Social
Studies Alive and for science I use Raz Kids.

What does reading instruction look like in your classroom (e.g.

readers workshop, basals, etc.)?
We use a Balanced Literacy Approach to Reading Instruction. This
includes in my classroom beginning with reading workshop activities
with read alouds and silent reading practice, word work activities,
then writing group activities and writers workshop.
What reading topics will be studied during the 2 nd week of my
clinical experience? What are possible goals/objectives I could
address for my reading lesson? Do you have any instructional
resources that would support these goals/objectives?
The Reading topics being covered during your 2 nd week of clinicals
will be focused on describing characters, setting, and major events
in a story, using key details. Possible goals/objectives you could
address in your lesson could be identifying the major events in the
story and the plot from beginning, middle, to end. Instructional
resources I have for support are Read Tennessee for graphic
organizers to help students identify the events in the story.

Classroom Management Questions:

What motivation tactics do you use to ensure a desire to learn?
I allow my students to work with a partner or in groups frequently so they
can motivate each other.

Tell me about the classroom community. What are the class rules?
How is student behavior monitored? In what ways is positive
behavior reinforced? In what ways are negative behaviors
prevented? Tell me about the consequences for negative behavior.
Every morning our class has a meeting to discuss positives and negatives
happenings in our classroom. We discuss, as a group, solutions to any

issues and highlight positives. Students behavior is monitored through a

pulling card system where students are asked to pull a card if they
misbehave. These cards have a consequence for each level they pull a
card. The positive behavior in our class is reinforced through incentives the
whole class can work toward. We like to have ice cream treats if the class is
behaving in a positive way.

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?
I typically teach a 10-minute mini-lesson on the specific skill I am teaching, then
teacher-student interaction activity for another 10-15 minutes, then the students
work independently or in groups during their workshop time.
As a beginning teacher, did you have issues with classroom
management? If so, what were your solutions?
It was intimidating at first but my main solution was to use any resources I could
salvage from my college education, other teachers, and my own personal
research.

What is your favorite part of being a teacher?

I love making a difference in these kids lives. I want them to love coming to
school and leave the year with me better than when they first entered my
classroom.

Is first grade your grade of choice?

I love first grade because they have a hang of the school routine and they are
really beginning to blossom with their reading and writing skills. I love seeing the
growth of the students at this age especially in their Reading abilities.

Teacher Interview Reflection

The teacher interview was very helpful for me as an aspiring educator. I felt
that by myself giving my cooperating teacher the interview and allowing her time to
answer the questions thoroughly, instead of a quick face to face interview, it gave
her the ability to provide me with more thorough answers. I actually had my IMB

experience last semester and this semester the Language Arts class is the only IMB
course I am enrolled in. Last semester during my IMB clinicals I had so many
questions for my cooperating teacher, many of which I would lose track of and
forget to ask. This interview contained many questions I know I missed asking my
cooperating IMB teacher last semester. I found that the questions in this interview
were a great tool for my cooperating teacher as well so that she could see what I as
a student am looking to learn and observe during my experience.
The organization of the interview was great for the cooperating teacher. I felt
the questions the interview contained were essential questions that are exactly on
point with what an aspiring educator would be eager to know. I found that upon
meeting my cooperating teacher, this interview served as a bit of an ice-breaker
and was a great introduction for her to see some of the main questions a student
like me may have. In addition to this, the interview would truly give me a great deal
of inside information and was a great way to begin the clinical experience this
semester with my teacher. She was so helpful with taking up time to give me the
most information possible in this interview but in person while working with her as
well.