Section 6: Teacher Candidate Teacher Interview Video

Teacher Candidate Interview Video

https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cqiU38Opfk

Teacher Candidate Interview Questions & Responses

Briefly share a little about your background experiences that have led you to choose a career in

education.

As an undergraduate student, I had the opportunity to complete placements in various

organizations with different populations of children and youth. Not completely knowing what

direction I wanted to take my career, I began volunteering with Autism Ontario and was

ultimately placed in a private school in Mississauga, ON working with children with autism and

other developmental and physical delays and disabilities. Sooner after my placement, I was hired

and then trained in DIR Therapy. I was involved in the creation and implementations of IEPs,

daily programming and developing individualized accommodations and modifications to help

my students reach their goals, whether that be motor skills, academics, or social skills, for

example. It was then that I realized I loved working in the school system, and I found myself

having the urge to grow within the field. That was when I decided to go back to school and

complete my Master of Education, giving myself the opportunity to move forward in my career

and become a teacher.

What have you learned in your teacher training program that will make you an excellent

classroom teacher and colleague?

Spending the past few years working in education, creating an individualized learning

opportunities for my students, I have gained quite a bit of experience making IEPs based upon
different learning and sensory profiles. The practical experience I have acquired will be

incredibly beneficial to me moving forward, however what I was lacking was the foundational

knowledge and educational pedagogy to solidify my guide my practice. Along with the

knowledge I have acquired, my teacher education program has also provided me with the

opportunity to explore different teaching methods, create lesson plans, perform different

assessments with students, etc. adding to my practical experience.

Provide us with an example of a lesson you taught. How did you integrate it with other

curriculum areas, address the CCLS, technology, student engagement and motivation? What

were the results of the lesson?

One of my favourite lesson’s I’ve taught thus far has been on the 5 Themes of

Geography. I chose to work through my lesson with my students using the gradual release

model. First, my students and I discussed what the 5 Themes of geography are, and we used the

City of Buffalo to identify a couple of features as a class. Next, my students broke off into

groups to finish the remaining themes together. After it was clear my students understood the

different themes and activity, I sent my students off to different areas of the school (the library,

the gym, etc.) and they completed their own 5 Themes of Geography. I loved this activity

because it got my students up and moving, and it kept them engaged. Being able to explore the

school kept them motivated to complete the activity and work together as teams, all while

meeting curriculum goals. I love integrating movement and exploration into my lessons, because

lecturing isn’t my style. As a result, my students did exceptionally well with the activity and

demonstrated quite clearly on my informal assessment they grasped the concepts I was teaching.
How will your knowledge of the current trends in education inform you as an educator in our

district/board/school?

From what I’ve learned from my experience in the field and the knowledge I’ve acquired

as a teacher candidate, I understand that the field of education is constantly evolving. More than

ever, using technology to enhance lessons and engage students is essential, and utilizing diverse

teaching methods to reach more students is also of the upmost importance. Knowing that, I will

continue to take part in professional development to improve my ability to utilize technology

efficiently and effectively to better support student learning. I will also dedicate my time to

collaborating with my colleagues and doing research to broaden my teaching practices and

explore different methods to engage my students.

Why should we hire you instead of the other applicants we have interviewed?

You should hire me because I am dedicated to the field of education. I have taken a

different route to get where I am now. I chose to study children and youth during my

undergraduate degree because I wanted to understand the population I wanted to work with. I

have been working in special education, and am certified in DIR therapy, providing me with an

additional valuable certification that will influence my practice. I have the foundational

knowledge, real-life experience, and passion to continue learning and bettering myself as a

professional. If you hire me, you’re hiring someone who will never stop being dedicated to

learning and that is what separates myself from other candidates.

Conclusion
 This section provided the opportunity for prospective employers and other interested

personnel to hear my responses to various mock interview questions. My responses are recorded

above for reference, and my interview was recorded using Screencast-O-Matic.