Teacher Interview

1.How do you write a typical lesson plan?

Lesson plans are created through an online data base called Oncourse. We
are presented with a template that each teacher needs to follow including:
stands, objectives, and guided/independent practice. Each lesson should be
based off of the standard that is being taught that particular day/week.
2.What types of materials do you need available when you plan lessons?
I am in charge of planning writing and health. These areas do not have a ton
of resources but I do use the CMS wiki as well as Lucy Calkins handbook for
writing. There was Scope and Sequence provided to employees in the
beginning of the year. Each quarter has different tasks for students to
accomplish for writing based off of the standard.
3.Are there any challenges you have faced while planning?
I would say the challenge is not been given enough resources to plan a quality
lesson. I constantly find myself looking for extra resources to make sure the
lessons are rigorous and also engaging. Students already do not enjoy
writing, so trying to make it enjoyable for them can be challenging. Health can
be challenging because there is not a lot of time to teach it.
4.In what ways do you plan to accommodate individual differences in the
classroom?
Each teacher is in charge of a different subject. Since my class is considered
the TD class I constantly find myself taking the lessons given to me and try to
make them more challenging. I cannot just take the lessons given to me and
use them for my particular class.
Instructional Questions:
1.What are some of your instructional challenges as a teacher?
This year my main instructional challenge is having the TD children. This
means they have scored the highest in the grade. This can be quite a
challenging trying to resources for them to use during class. Also, trying not to

teach too far into standard from fifth grade. My students are constantly
finishing early, so making sure they are being challenged once they are
completed with their work.
2.What have been some of your instructional successes as a teacher?
I enjoy having the TD class because I can try lots of new things with the class
because they willing and motivated to try just about anything. There have
been a lot of great activities/projects that I was able to do thus far with my
class.
3. What do you consider essential characteristics for successful teaching?
I believe that the essential characteristics for a teacher are organization,
preparedness, patience, and flexibility. Al these characteristics are important in
order to be s successful teacher for your students.
4.How often do your students receive social studies/science
instruction?
Students receive 45 minutes of instruction for Science and Social Studies. We
go back and forth from Socials Studies to Science each quarter.
5.Are you satisfied with the amount of time that you currently allot for
social studies/science instruction? Explain.
I do wish there was more time to have for both Science and Social Studies
because we are having to rotate back and forth between the two subjects.
6.Are you satisfied with the amount of time that you currently allot for
social studies/science instruction? Explain.
Science will be the subject that is taught during the second week of clinical.
Students will start a new unit on Matter: Properties and Change. In this unit
students will be working on the rock cycle. I will gladly provide resources to be
used at your discretion.
7.What does reading instruction look like in your classroom (e.g. readers

workshop, basals, etc.)?

Balanced Literacy is the approach we use for Reading Instruction. This
instruction includes shard reading, independent reading, guided reading,
closed reading, and reading groups. There is also time included for a Read
Aloud in the beginning of the time block.
8.What reading topics will be studied during the 2nd 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 topics being discussed during the second week of clinical is figurative
language, including idioms, metaphors, hyperboles, etc. The goal is for
students to learn how to interpret the authors meanings for using these
phrases in their writing. Resources will be provided for successful practice.
Classroom Management Questions:
1. What motivation tactics do you use to ensure a desire to learn?
I am all about having a positive classroom environment, I like my students to
consider the class like a family. Students are praised in a variety of ways
including a clip chart, secret student, behavior bingo, student shout-outs
(where students are able to the shout out the other students for good
behavior), morning meeting, VIP table, and cones that are passed out to my
hard working students. Students are more motivated when they have positive
incentives that are throw their way.
2. 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.
My classroom is set up to act like a community of learners all striving towards
the same goal, being successful. Students are asked to respect others, raise
their hand, pay attention to all that are talking, follow school rules, no bullying,
and be kind to everyone. Al these rules were created by them in the beginning
of the year. They are able to follow these rules because created them. Above I
mentioned all the positive rewards. As for negative, students will be clipped
down. Each level is a different consequence, of the last being a call to their

parents. Students as a class can be given silent lunch. Although my class

rarely has negative consequences.
3. 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 really enjoy giving the students time to share their responses because there
are usually a lot of students that want to share. I like to use a lot of turn and
talk because as much as I would to listen to everyone respond we just dont
have time allowed for is. This way theirs responses are still being heard. I also
use the parking lot quite frequently which is where students place their
response on a sticky note. Student can either are, pass, or have m read it for
them. Lessons usually go fairly quickly because my students are able to go
thought the concepts rather fast, this allows more time independent practice
and small group practice for those students who need more one on one help.