Section Six – Teacher Candidate Interview Video

Introduction to the Teacher Candidate Interview Video

In this section I briefly discuss my experience of filming a mock interview using my Weebly

website. As a teacher candidate, having the skills and knowledge about the profession is not sufficient;

being able to effectively communicate your passion and potential is important as well. This interview

gave me the chance to see if I am able to express myself to someone who may be considering me for a

teacher candidate position. Mock interviews are a way very useful form of practice but they allow you

to enact what an interview process would be like. They are an important preparation tool and can

significantly increase ones confidence before the actual interview. Doing this mock interview also

helped me think about how I would answer the common questions that might come up in such

interviews. Some of these questions and my answers are discussed later in this section.

While recording the interview I had to do a few different takes because I either spoke too fast or

a forgot to mention an important point. When you are very passionate or excited about something, you

tend to speak a little faster. This speed can cause you to scramble your words and make it difficult to

for the interviewer to understand what you are saying. Without hearing myself over the initial

recordings, I would not have realized how fast I was going. This interview experience was made more

interesting because I was able to use a class Weebly website I had created. Having the website with me

allowed me to easily provide evidence for my skills and understanding while answering the questions.

The website also made me feel less stressful because I would not be panicking in trying to find the right

piece of paper, which might happen in an in-person interview. Even though this mock interview was

completed online it gave me a chance to really think about how I want to present myself as a teacher

candidate. It also made me mindful about some important interview do’s and dont’s. Overall this was a

very informative, interesting experience, and a great way to bring this portfolio to its end. Directly
below are the links to my Weebly website as well as the video of the interview. The video along with

all the contents of this portfolio can also be found on the website.

Weebly Class Website: https://mspatelclass.weebly.com/

Teacher Candidate Interview Video: https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cYXYhnLT1u

Teacher Candidate Interview Questions and Responses

Certain questions regarding experience and beliefs are bound to come up during interviews.

Below are my responses to some of these common questions. While doing the mock interview these

questions acted as a guide and helped me decide what to share and what part of my website to use to

substantiate my answer.

1. Briefly share a little about your background experiences that have led you to choose a

career in education?

At the onset of my undergraduate program I had a very different professional goal in mind. My

fascination and interest in Astronomy had led me to the Physics & Astronomy program at the

University of Waterloo. Although I was thoroughly enjoying the program, my extra-curricular

involvements and unfulfilling experiences in the science research & development world were

slowly steering me towards a different profession. My experience as volunteer with a science

outreach group and my role as a Residence Life don were integral in helping me see that my

true passion lay in the field of academic support. These and other smaller experiences placed in

me situations where I was able to teach and help students inside and outside of classrooms. I

later decided to gain spend some time working as a tutor at various learning centers. My

experience as a tutor helped me learn some very important lessons such as: the effects of

continuous and scaffolded support, the importance of differentiating instruction and the benefits

of forming strong relationships with the students.

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

excellent classroom teacher and colleague?

Apart from planning, scaffolding, instructional methods and learner accommodation, I also

learned that a good teacher is one that is also a good learner. I learned about the importance of

being a partner-in learning and showing students that learning is not restricted to age or skill-

level. This understanding will guide my pedagogical practices and general demeanor in the

classroom as I will not hesitate to make mistakes and will provide students various

opportunities to teach each other and myself. From the program I also learned about the many

problems that can arise when a teacher makes an assumption about the students background or

any issues they may have. Making claims about a student with little information and minimal

interaction can seriously diminish the quality of the support they will receive. The Medaille

College teacher training program has also significantly increased my appreciation of working as

a team to achieve a common goal. Working on group projects with these individuals has showed

me that I can find support in my peers and provide support to them as well. I have also learned

that meaningful collaboration happens when ideas are exchanged, opinions are respected and

responsibilities are shared.

3. 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?

During an online field observation I was able to teach a component of lesson segment on

Energy that I had created for a Grade 5 class. The lesson plan was for a 3-Day learning segment

in which the first lesson was on the identification of the different forms of energy and where

they are found in the students’ surroundings. To support different types of learners I used an oral

discussion along with a slide show which included words and images. The slideshow also
helped me incorporate a technological element into the lesson. Using a sorting activity I first

modeled the process of identifying the form of energy an object is using. Sorting was then done

with the whole class for a few more objects. The final component of this lesson was an activity

in which students would spend some time in the common area of the school to pick certain

objects and then determine the form of energy they use or produce. When I carried out the

sorting component of this lesson with students in the online classroom, they really enjoyed the

examples I had selected. They were also very engaged because they were able to work in teams

and earn points for their teams for correct answers.

4. How will your knowledge of the current trends in education inform you as an educator

in our district/board/school?

Educational practices are constantly evolving as new information and resources are made

available. As an educator, it is important to remain updated on these changes so that students are

receiving the most relevant and useful instruction and support. A big change that has recently

come in and which is rapidly accelerating is the use of technology in education. Classrooms are

now equipped with more digital devices and resources. To make best use of these resources, it is

integral that a teacher is comfortable using various technology in the classroom. Technology

should not be used as an easy time-filling activity, but rather as a tool which can supplement

classroom learning and help students develop the tech skills they will need in their future

professions.

My knowledge and comfort with technology can be seen through the following:

• Weebly website

• Virtual Field Trip Page

• Smart Board Lesson on Time

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

My strong background in Science has really helped me become analytical and procedural in my

thinking and teaching. As an educator I don’t want students to just learn enough to get to the

next grade, I want them to develop the analysis and problem-solving skills which can be used in

any subject or situation. As an educator, I will bring to your team my unique experiences,

knowledge of effective practices, and a high enthusiasm to support my future students. The

students safety and support and will always be my biggest priority. I confident that my passion

and potential set me apart from other applicants and make me a strong candidate for this role.

Conclusion

In this section I talked about my experience in making a teacher candidate mock interview

video. During this mock interview I was able to think about the answers to some important questions

regarding my background experiences, teacher candidate journey, and knowledge of best practices.

While answering these questions I was able to reflect on everything I have learned and how I can use it

in my future classroom. Being able to use my Weebly website for interview also reminded me of its

usefulness as a technological tool for communication and sharing resources. Although this was only a

mock interview, it definitely helped me feel more confident about myself as a teacher candidate and

everything that I have been able to accomplish so far. It also helped me see that I still have lots more to

learn and that a positive and open mindset will be benefit me and my future students in the classroom.

Communication is such an integral skill. My Weebly class website and the teacher candidate interview

video embedded in it is an important example of my communication skills. Although the experience

was a bit intimidating initially, I feel that recording this interview video was the perfect way to

summarize everything this portfolio tries to capture about my journey and growth.