On Tuesday, March 31, I completed a mock interview with the Principal of Mifflinburg High School, Mrs. Shearer and the Vice Principal, Mr. Morrison. I felt pretty prepared going into the interview, as I had completed four mock interviews last Friday during our workshop on campus, and I had talked to both of these individuals before.
Mrs. Shearer prompted me before the interview began that the questions I would be asked were the ones that they use when they interview potential candidates. I appreciated the fact that they gave me these questions, because it made the experience more realistic. Mrs. Shearer and Mr. Morrison took turns alternating between asking the questions. They both recorded my answers and took notes on the interview.
They started the interview by asking me to tell them a little about myself. This is a pretty common question, and something that I could easily answer. They also asked about my leadership experience, or any other experiences that I have had that will benefit me as an educator. Again, this question was pretty simple to answer.
They then delve deeper into teaching questions. They asked about how I plan for lessons, which I could easily answer. I told them about starting with an essential question, finding standards and including an opening and closing activity.
Two of the questions focused heavily on incorporating students with IEP's. I did struggle a bit with this question. I think that this is mostly due to the fact that I have had few students while student teaching who need adaptions due to their IEP's. Although the answers that I gave (things along the lines of approaching them after class and asking what accommodations they need, or looking at their IEP's), I believe that I could have done a better job answering these questions, especially if I had more experience.
Other questions that they asked centered around Ag Ed. For instance, they asked about the importance of Supervised Agricultural Experiences. I certainly felt like I was prepared to answer these questions, as they were in my "comfort zone". This question stemmed into parent communication, which again, I felt prepared to answer.
Other questions that they asked had to do with assessing students' learning. While I did know what I was talking about and had answers in my mind, I don't think I did the greatest job articulating these answers.
At the end, they asked if I had any questions. I did ask them if I were to be selected, what professional development they offered. I also asked about the support for the Ag department in the district. I feel that these two questions show that I am truly interested in the position and that I am looking for opportunities to continue to learn and develop as an educator.
Overall, I did feel like I did a decent job at the mock interview. I wish I would have given more in-depth and precise answers, but I struggle with formulating answers on the fly. This is something that I would like to work on for future interviews. I would also like to work on utilizing my portfolio. For instance, they suggested showing them a lesson plan from my portfolio when talking about planning. I thought that this was a great idea and I plan on incorporating that into my next interview.
I was really impressed with the fact that Mrs. Shearer and Mr. Morrison treated me just like a real candidate. Not only did I genuinely appreciate this, but I also think that it will help prepare me for a legitimate teaching interview.
Although there was not anything that I was unimpressed by, I did find it strange when they told me that they do not require teacher candidates to actually teach as a part of their interview. In my opinion, this is a crucial part of the job and this should be the part of the interview that holds the most weight. I think that allowing candidates to teach really allows them to shine in (hopefully) their strongest suite; teaching.
In conclusion, I think that the interview went very well. I feel pretty well prepared for an actual teaching interview!
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