Interview Protocol

Teacher
Interviewer: Kelsey Ross
Interviewee:
Date: 3/24/2016
Time: 30 mins
(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?

We typically write it as a unit plan. For instances, our next unit is about
Westward Expansion and we work as a workshop model. We also use Lucy
Caulkins throughout our lessons and use the teacher points.

What types of materials do you need available when you plan lessons?
We go through UBDs which means Unite By Designs in Cabarrus County.
UBDs list out what students should be able to do and their goals for that
unit that they should be able to do. UBDs have a checklist and assessment
ideas as well that we us. We also use Pinterest, internet, and past units that
we have taught to help plan lessons.

In what ways do you plan to accommodate individual differences in the

classroom?
We use students pretest and posttest data throughout the units to
understand what levels our students are on who still needs help in certain
area. We also group our students based on those specific skill levels. Those
groups work extensively on the skills that they are not as advance in.
Instructional Questions:

What are some of your instructional challenges as a teacher?

In this point of my career, it is the materials. When I started teaching we had
textbooks, but now I havent had textbooks in years. Due to that challenge,
we rely on Pinterest and the internet for order books. While we have so many
books, many dont have the specific type of book that I need for things like
social studies.

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

One thing that I can say is a success as a teacher this year is being able to
incorporate the writing and reading together in the sense of reading
responses. This year I have heavily incorporated reading responses.

What do you consider essential characteristics for successful teaching?

A big characteristic for successful teaching is being able to have a good
classroom management. The struggle with this is that every class is different,
some classes are easier and some are harder. This is a characteristic that you
will have to develop overtime and see what works best for you. It is also very
important to be reflective, to be able to look over your lessons that you have
done and decide what went well, what went wrong, and what you want to

change for next year.

How often do your students receive social studies/science instruction?

Students receive science every day during their block period. Social studies
is integrated throughout the lessons and is not taught explicitly. We definitely
teach reading and writing much more than social studies. I feel like the social
studies is minimal since my biggest focus is on the reading and writing.

Are you satisfied with the amount of time that you currently allot for social
studies/science instruction? Explain.
Science absolutely. This grade they definitely get a lot of science. Social
Studies no, I think that if we had more time in the day we could have a
separate block for social studies and have it taken out of reading and writing
altogether. The only problem with having social studies as its own block
would mean that the block times for each topic would get shortened into 60
min blocks.

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?
Right now they are learning about the Bill of Rights in social studies this
week. And science they are learning about ecosystems and things within that
such as food webs, food chains, predator prey relationships, etc. We use the
UBD for social studies and science.

What does reading instruction look like in your classroom (e.g. readers
workshop, basals, etc.)?
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?
We are completely readers workshop so we do not have any basals.
Readers workshop is set up with a mini lesson that should not take longer
than 15 mins. During that mini lesson it always follows the same format of
me modeling, they practice, and then they do the independent work. I usually
give them a task that relates to the mini lesson. We do book clubs on
Tuesdays and Thursdays. One goal that I have my students doing right now is
comparing text within past novels and the novels they are reading during
their book clubs.
Classroom Management Questions:

What motivation tactics do you use to ensure a desire to learn?

One motivation tactics that I use to ensure a desire to learn is giving my
students free choice of what they want to read. In our book club model, I give
them choices to pick from that they put down their three preferences. Letting
them have ownership in the classroom really allows them to be interested in
whatever they are reading. Also, we have the 1, 2, 3, 4 which assesses the
classs behavior. Sometimes this helps students do well in the class because
you can tell the class that the other classes are at a three and they are at a

two. This helps student assess their own behavior and allows them to almost
compete with the other classes to be on their best behavior to get a higher
score than other classes. Motivation is honestly really hard to monitor
because some students are naturally motivated and other arent. Its finding
what works best for each student.

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.
Our class rules are very typical-not talking while the teacher is taking, no
laying down on the carpet, safety first, etc. Student behavior is monitored
throughout the day with a behavior card where they get stamped each block
if they were good and students get a note on those cards if they did
something bad. Each note made is a lap around the recess area. Each night
the parents are supposed to sign off on the cards. If students do well over a
long period of time, they get prizes such as lunch with a friend, snack in
class, etc. At the end of the quarters, students get a party for good behavior.
Negative behavior is prevented by teaching expectations at the beginning.
Following through with those rules are very crucial. We still have to practice
lining up the halls quietly. Students need to practice the procedures. A huge
thing is following through with rules and making sure you are 100%
consistent.

Tell me about the pacing of lessons and interaction in the classroom- use of
time- and other aspects of timewait time, and time using teacher talk and
student talk. What works well with your students?
With the workshop model everything is very timed out. I had to learn to
teach by 15 minutes in our mini lesson. Wait time is very important as well. I
use a turn and talk because this allows them to teach each other and add to
their learning. The students also know that the only time I allow them to talk
is only when I tell them they can.