Interview and Log

Identify an elementary, middle, or high school teacher who is willing to be interviewed for approximately one hour. The preference is that the teacher be interviewed virtually in the classroom where they ordinarily teach so that they can make reference to the environment with their answers. However, if it does not work with the teacher's schedule for you to interview them in their classroom, work to find a time and a place that works best for them. The interview must take place during a convenient time for the teachernot during a planning or lunch time unless the teacher has specifically requested that.

Review the elements of the log (found below) before you do the interview, but do not be trying to complete the log during the interview, instead take good notes of the things you see, hear, and feel, then complete the log after you have left the interview.

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NOTE:

Fully observe the Interview Etiquette presented below.

Teacher Interview Etiquette

Before the interview

Arrange a pre-interview conversation so that you understand the context for the teacher you're going to interview. During the conversation you can ask questions about what they teach and explain the purpose of your interview (e.g., "I'm working on a teaching certificate and I am most interested in how you feel your teacher preparation program relates to what you now do every day").

Based on this conversation, develop a clear picture of specific things you will ask (besides the provided questions) during the interview, but be open to other things that may come up.

During the interview

As a guest of this teacher, remember to:

Be on time.

Use the provided questions as a guide, not a drill sheet. You may not get to all the questions, some answers will come up naturally in the conversationkeep it pleasant and flowing, not an interrogation.

Remain respectfuleven if the teacher gives answers that surprise, worry, disappoint you, stay polite and neutral.

Take descriptive notes as you in interview. Try to be as specific as possible and include direct quotes from the teacher, e.g. "I have found my discipline system to be very effective" rather than making generalizations such as "she likes using a discipline system." This will help you write a more substantial and interesting summary.

After the interview

Briefly thank the instructor before you leave and tell him/her one or two things you enjoyed

about the interview.

Follow up with an e-mail message thanking the teacher again.

Remember to keep your thoughts on the interview confidential.

Based on a document retrieved 10/29/19 from: CITL Illinois Services

EDU 216- Suggested Interview Questions & Log

During the interview use a printout of the suggested questions under each section as a guideand leave yourself room to take good notes. After the interview log start by filling out the following sections, answering the questions with full sentences and an interesting narrative. Some of the questions you can answer by researching the school ahead of time online.

The Teacher:

Identify the teacher by first initial and preferred pronoun (He or She).

What do you teach and where? How long have you been teaching in this setting? How long have you been teaching all together?

What do you believe drew you to teaching? Was it a decision you made coming out of high school or was it something you came to latermaybe even as a career change?

Your Preparation for Teaching

Go straight through college in a teacher preparation program then came out and started teaching? Earned a degree in another area first, then came back and added teaching credentials?

How well do you feel your teacher education program prepared you for the "real work" of teaching? Can you give examples of areas in which you felt well prepared and others were you might not have been prepared quite as well?

The School/Classroom:

What ages are served in the school? How many students total enrollment? Teachers? Others?

How would you describe the school?

How would you describe your classroom? What is the tone or feel? What do you do to establish that? What factors contribute to making the classroom an effective learning environment?

"Discipline" or "Classroom Management":

How do you "keep order" in your classroom? Is there a specific system you use? If so is it a system you learned of elsewhere or is it one you invented? What makes whatever you do effective?

If an "event" occurs -- how does it usually develop? What do the student(s) do? What do you do? Not do?

Use of Questions:

Can you explain how you use questioning in your teaching? How do you know what questions to ask when? Why do you ask them? What do you do with the answers? What do students do

with the answers?

Instructional Interactions:

How would you describe the "flow" of classroom communication? Primarily from teacher to students? How much communication moves in the reverse direction? How much exists between students? How would you rate the "appropriateness" of that flow?

What is your role in most of the lessons you teach? (i.e., source of all the information? facilitator? or what?) What evidence do you use to indicate the degree to which students are actively involved in learning? How do you measure if and what they have learned?

Use of Learning Aids and Manipulatives:

Can you tell me when and how you use any of the following?

Audio-visual materials?

Demonstration materials?

Models?

Charts/maps?

Live/preserved specimens?

How effective do the materials seem to be? Do you have enough materials to make them effective teaching aids?

The Reflective Side of a Teacher

What is your greatest reward in teaching? Why? Has it always been the same or has it changed over time?

What is the greatest negative of teaching for you? Why? Has it always been the same or has it changed over time?

What advice would you give to someone considering becoming a teacher?

Based on document retrieved 10/29/19 from: Classroom Observations What Will You Look For?