Section 6: Teacher Candidate Teacher Interview Video

Introduction and Summary of the Video Experience

Prior to actually recording my interview simulation for this section of the portfolio, I had to

reflect upon my experiences that I have had both in an educational sense, and in regards to the portfolio

project itself. I found upon reflection that I have what can only be described as an “organic” feeling of

readiness to complete an interview. What I mean by this is that I did not have to take too much time and

did not have to stress about how to answer the interview simulation questions, because they came to me

rather quickly and in amounts that needed to be reduced in order to fit the time limit. In addition to that,

upon reviewing my portfolio to ensure I had my artifacts in order, I came to section 5 and found that the

answers I had come up with for the interview were supported by my educational experiences and

readiness to teach subsections of the portfolio. This was a comforting discovery, as it truly shows that this

project was a strong means of self-reflection and self-awareness moving forward through this journey into

the field of education. After recording my simulation interview session on Screencastomatic, I

experienced what I can only describe as a level of excitement for the future where I will actually conduct

an in-person interview with real people evaluating me in real time for a position as a teacher. I truly look

forward to the opportunities to come.

Teacher Candidate Interview Questions & Responses

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

in education.

A: I can recall being an elementary-aged child and being brought in to my mother’s grade 1

classroom to “help” set up the room at the end of every summer. By “help,” when I look back at it, I am

sure she meant she wanted me in sight so that I don’t tear the house apart while she was gone for the day.

However, it was during those set up sessions that I really became interested in what my mother did for a
living, and it translated into the future where I volunteered in her classroom, to where I ended up today –

in the MSED graduate program at Medaille College. Additionally, during my time in the University of

Toronto’s Bachelor of Kinesiology undergraduate program, I had not decided that I wanted to go into

teaching, however many of the parts of my degree that I enjoyed, involved necessary skills used in

teaching. I thoroughly enjoyed program design as I was able to take my knowledge of the subject matter

and teach it to others through first applying it to a plan, and then coaching and evaluating through the

process the individual took. In comparison to education, those steps can be related to applying curriculum

standards to a lesson plan to meet objectives, make adaptations based on knowledge of students in the

class, and effectively expressing myself to students in general. The signs were present that education was

in my future, I just didn’t know it yet.

Q: What have you learned in your teacher training program that will make you and excellent

classroom teacher and colleague?

A: During my time in the Master of Science in Education program at Medaille, I have learned

how to analyze and utilize curriculum standards for ELA, math, science, social studies, and technology. I

have learned how to develop lesson plans and learning segments based on those curriculum standards, and

develop objectives and learning outcomes for students using Bloom’s Taxonomy. Additionally, I have

learned how to evaluate the modifications, adaptations, and resources in place in order to ensure that

students that require them get them, and how to structure lessons and learning segments in ways that

ensure students that require extra assistance still get an equal education to their peers. Furthermore, I have

received multiple certificates for professional development, that demonstrate my preparation to utilize

technology purposefully, as well as provide a safe learning environment for students. I believe that with

this wealth of experience that not only will I be a strong educator, but a colleague to my fellow teachers

that will be present to discuss, listen, and assist with their needs in the classroom.
 Q: 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?

A: I can provide an even better example than a single lesson I taught. I have completed an author

study using SMART Notebook technology that consists of many features, 3 of which are lessons in math,

art, and health. This author study presentation therefore integrates 3 curriculum areas and 3 sets of

standards for each, being the Common Core standards, Ontario curriculum, and ISTE standards for

technology. Through use of click and reveal, erase methods, drag-and-drop, SMART community

activities, and more, this presentation provides students with motivation to become actively engaged in

their learning as it requires their active participation in fun ways. I would say that the results of the

presentation based on the evaluation I received were incredibly successful, achieving a near-perfect grade,

and I am incredibly confident that applying similar presentations in an elementary classroom setting

would be successful.

Q: How will your knowledge of the current trends in education inform you as an educator in our

district/board/school?

A: I believe that my knowledge of the current trends in education will inform me as an educator

in your district, school, and board in a way that leaves me prepared and ready to bring an up-to-date

outlook to the field of education. It is clear that technology in education is a trend that is growing quickly,

and the question this poses is: is the use of technology in the classroom purposeful? I believe that using

technology for the sake of using technology is counterproductive to students in their learning

environment. By learning how to properly implement SMART technology, Weebly websites, Smore

forms, and more, I am entering your district/board/school optimally prepared to improve student

engagement and motivation in their learning through the use of purposeful technology, which also saves

physical resources, therefore creating a “greener” classroom environment. Moving away from wasted
time and wasted resources is what technology should be doing outside of improving education of

students, and I think I can effectively bring that to your district/board/school.

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

A: I cannot speak for the other applicants, for what they have or don’t have to offer to this

district, board, and school. What I can speak for, is what I can bring to the table as an educator for you.

Through my education at Medaille College, I have been taught how to effectively teach ELA, math,

science, geography, social studies, and more by learning how to utilize and apply curriculum standards,

how to evaluate students in those subjects, and how to help them progress. In practical settings, I have

successfully presented lesson plans in those subjects to my peers and the impressive professionals that

instructed me through my graduate studies, with excellent feedback. In regards to helping students who

need extra resources, I bring a willingness to do everything in my power to ensure they have the most

accurate, useful accommodations and modifications they need to ensure they receive and equal education

to their peers. I am well-trained in using technology purposefully for education rather than for the simple

sake of using technology. What is truly important to me outside of the standard curriculum work and

technology trends, is ensuring that students leave my class at the end of the school year with strong health

habits in regards to healthy eating, enjoying physical activity, and promoting a healthy lifestyle as they

progress through life. It is incredibly important for healthy lifestyles to start in childhood, and I look to

make that a priority in my classrooms throughout my career.

Conclusion

What this final section of my MSED portfolio project has done for me is add more fuel to the

excitement I have burning to finally get into an interview and solidify my position as an educator, and

turn what started out as the interest of a child that was “helping” his mom set up her classroom, into a

legitimate career. I genuinely believe that the preparation I have gained through my experiences at
Medaille College, both in the graduate classrooms as a student, and in the elementary classrooms as an

observant and assistant, will help me stand out from a surely vast population of applicants. Through my

competencies in subject matter for ELA, math, science, social studies, and geography, to my ability to

purposefully present those subjects through technology, my drive to ensure students that need extra help

get it, and my hope to promote healthy lifestyles effectively, I believe I will be a strong candidate for any

school I apply to teach in, and I believe that I will benefit any classroom environment I have the

opportunity to be in. I look forward to simply get the chance.