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Section 6: Teacher Candidate Teacher Interview Video

Introduction /Teacher Candidate Interview Video

Section six of this Portfolio Project is the Teacher Candidate Teacher Interview Video. In

this section, I will present a five to ten minute professional video, using the screencast software,

in which I will answer questions to simulate a job interview. These questions will address my

background experiences that have led me to choose a career in education and what I have learned

throughout my educational path, particularly while undergoing the Master’s of science in

education, elementary education program from Medaille College.

I will also provide an example of a lesson that I taught and the results from this

experience as well as my knowledge of the current trends in education In this video, I will make

connections between some of my Portfolio artifacts, the curriculum and professional standards,

the teacher skills demonstrated, the teaching strategies used and my professional dispositions in

order to adequately answer the questions.

Finally, this section enables me to use my Weebly Website (which can be found at the

following URL address: [Link] as a tool to enable future

employers to get a better sense of who I am as a teacher candidate. This will offer them the

opportunity to be more familiar with my work and my teaching style while also being able to

navigate through my Portfolio artifacts in a more interactive way.

In this segment of Section six of my Portfolio Project, I will present the interview

questions and answers that will be featured in my professional video, using the screencast

software (which can be found at the following URL address: [Link]

[Link]/watch/cqivetOpZb). Making this video enabled me to look back on the experiences I

have gained that have enabled me to become the teacher that I am today. This video, alongside

this Portfolio Project allowed me to reflect on these experiences and highlight the ones that I feel

best represents my abilities as an educator. I also believe that this simulated video interview

allows me to demonstrate my professionalism and my communication skills in an interview

setting. Finally, this video allows me to navigate through my Weebly website to showcase my

organizational skills, my creativity and some of the artifacts discussed in Section three of this

Portfolio.

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

career in education?

Since my first language is French I thought it would be fun to showcase this fact in my

Welcome page or Bienvenue page for my students.

To summarize Section 2, as a child, I had the privilege to attend an all-girl private school

at the elementary and secondary level. This is where most of my memorable learning

experiences as a student occurred. My school had very strict catholic values and prided itself on

forming elite members of Québec’s society. It is one of the first schools founded in Québec City

and it is very proud of the mark it has made throughout history. Upon graduation from secondary
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school I went an English CEGEP, then returned to my French roots to attend Laval University to

study Law. I passed the Bar in 2005 and was received as a lawyer in early 2006.

I must admit that becoming a teacher was never an occupation that I had considered

growing up. Being a lawyer third generation, you could say that the law was more a family

affair. It was almost expected as a career path. However, throughout the years and the inspiring

people that I met, I realized that as much as the theory of law was fascinating, being a lawyer

was not the professional development I wanted to pursue. I wanted to find a career that would

inspire others as well as myself; a career that I would be passionate about. This is where teaching

plays a role into my professional growth.

Initially, I pursued a variety of professional fields in the search of the right path.

However, it is only recently that I realized that the common denominator from my eclectic work

experiences is the fact that I helped coworkers acquire better work skills. Additionally, it is with

my volunteer work that I recognized my ability to connect with children.

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

classroom teacher and colleague?

During my teacher training program at Medaille College, I believe that I have learned an

array of tools that will enable me to become an excellent classroom teacher and colleague.

Indeed, the program focuses on creating well-rounded teachers that are able to plan and instruct

lessons as well as conduct formal and informal assessments in order to determine not only the

level of comprehension of my students but also the effectiveness of my instructions.

I learned an assortment of teaching strategies, various classroom management techniques

and how to create a welcoming classroom environment. I strongly believe that to be an impactful
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teacher, one must first know and understand their students. This is why I have a page on my

Weebly website directed strictly to my students so they can express themselves on a discussion

boards created by the padlet software. I will also add on this page some quick questionnaires

throughout the school year to help me learn more about my students.

I also believe that various types of learners have different needs and require a variety of

tools and teaching methods to enhance their learning experience. This website is also a tool to

accommodate students in this area. Indeed, students have access to a lesson and activity page. On

this page, they are able to see some of the lessons and activities we have learned in class. They

also have access to additional learning tools that may help facilitate their understanding of the

material. This page is also beneficial if a student was absent or if they have a different learning

style. Flemming encourages educators to implement differential learning in the classroom in

order to appeal to those learners. As a result, I believe that providing various mediums and

collective learning lessons, which can be translated into a community of learners, is beneficial

for all students, especially those with an IEP.

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?

An example of a lesson that I taught is a science lesson on the water cycle. This lesson is

part of a lesson segment created in collaboration with two other colleagues. The lesson that I

created is part two of a three day learning segment. In this lesson I have used a YouTube video

that accesses prior knowledge of the water cycle. I also created an activity with the SMART
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board, which includes a digital assessment, for students. This can be found in the lesson and

activity section of my Weebly website.

I selected this lesson because I believe that it showcases my ability to plan and instruct

interesting and interactive lessons for different types of learners while still meeting the

curriculum standards. As previously mentioned, this lesson is part of a learning segment created

in collaboration with two other colleagues from my cohort. This demonstrates my ability to work

well with others and to adapt to different teaching styles in order to assure that our lessons would

seamlessly flow from one to the other.

This lesson also encourages students to use the scientific learning method, which pushes

the students to find answers through observation and investigation. It provides a hands-on

approach to the students, which engages different types of learners. I was able to mostly assess

students informally by asking them prompting questions while conducting their experiment, by

doing regular check-ins and with the use of an exit ticket before leaving the classroom. I also was

able to formally assess student’s knowledge of the vocabulary previously learned during day one

of the lesson segment by reading the student’s journals and their hypothesis. However, I have

recently created a SMART board activity on this lesson and with the use of a software will be

able to provide them with an online formal assessment while they are taking the digital lesson.

I was excited to see the level of engagement the students demonstrated throughout the

lesson. They were not afraid to ask questions or to answer them. They took risks in creating their

hypothesis and demonstrated their inquisitive minds. They also seemed to have well retained the

vocabulary words learned during the previous lesson. The use of various anchor charts and

vocabulary booklets may have been a great help for these results.
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How will your knowledge of the current trends in education inform you as an educator in

our district/board/school?

My knowledge of the current trends in education has prepared me into becoming a

knowledgeable, well-equipped and well-organized educator. I am familiar with a variety of

teaching strategies in order to properly and effectively deliver a lesson. I also learned various

classroom management techniques and how to create a welcoming classroom environment. To

be an impactful teacher, one must first know and understand their students. Sometimes it is done

through direct interactions with the students, some other times, additional training is required.

It is also important for educators to understand of the needs of different types of learners

who may require a variety of tools and teaching methods to enhance their learning experience.

Implementing differential learning in the classroom, through the use of technological tools,

visuals, manipulatives and collective learning can appeal to those learners. I have created a

SMART board author study (Artifact #5) that provides engaging activities and requires the

students to interact with the SMART board technology in order to conduct the lessons.

We live in a world that bombards students with information more than ever before. It is

also important for educators to be able to create a safe learning environment for their students in

and outside of the classroom, through the use of various communication skills and appropriate

classroom settings. It is also imperative to educate students about becoming responsible cyber

citizens and to be aware of the dangers that occur when they are online. I have created a section

in my Weebly website for this specific concept. Indeed, on the Cyber safety page of my

portfolio, students can see a Prezi presentation about cyber safety.

Finally, I believe there is a great need to improve equity of learning experiences in the

classroom, not only for students with an IEP but for students of different racial, religious and
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sexual orientation. Indeed, Geneva Gay advises that students perform better when they feel

represented in the lessons presented. Educators must provide “culturally responsive teaching to

allow students to feel validated and part of the learning community” (Gay, 2010). She also states

that in order to achieve this, teachers, must first have positive views towards these various types

of diverse individuals, since these views are usually reflected in their teaching. This is another

reason why, continuing our professional education is so vital. It is to ensure that we, as educators

can learn to understand and feel empathy towards these minorities who often do not have a voice

and to assure that our classroom can become a safe learning environment for them.

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

Throughout this interview, I have demonstrated my knowledge of the various theories,

techniques and pedagogy that are essential to be a teacher in today’s society. However, what I

believe distinguishes me from the rest of the applicants you may have seen through this hiring

process are my personal experiences.

Indeed, my cultural heritage has made me understand how difficult it can be to learn a

second language and how alienated someone can feel when they have difficulty to communicate

with others. Toronto has an increasing immigrant population, who often do not speak English as

a first language. This will give me an opportunity to better connect and create stronger bonds

with those students and their families.

I also believe that my diverse work experiences can only enrich my abilities in the

education field. My proficiency in different domains allowed me to develop a good sense of

adaptation and excellent work ethic. I am equally able to work in a team environment as well as

independently.
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I would also like to mention that my work experiences have helped me learn how to

recognize and respond to the needs of others. This will allow me to identify the specific needs of

each student and adapt my teaching methods to those particular needs.

As a parent I can also understand the demands and concerns parents or caregivers may

have. As a professional, I gained great communication skills which will allow me, in addition to

conducting effective instructions to my students, to interact with various parents and update them

on their child’s performance and progress in relation to the curriculum. I believe that acquiring

parents’ or caregivers’ trust and support is very helpful to the student’s educational success.

I believe that my life experiences will help me provide real-life examples to most of the

lesson that I will be teaching them. I also believe that making a career change later in life can be

a great way to show that we are always learning and that taking a different route is a learning

experience that can only enrich them. My law background will help me push my students to

question and to become critical thinkers, while my flight attendant background and own cultural

heritage will encourage my students to become well versed with various cultures and nations.

Finally, I believe that all these experiences will allow me to create a culturally responsive

classroom where differences in opinions, beliefs and cultures are embraced and valued.

Conclusion

In this section of my Portfolio Project, I presented a five to ten minute professional video,

using the screencast software, in which I answered questions that simulated a job interview.

These questions addressed my background experiences that have led me to choose a career in

education and what I have learned throughout my educational path, particularly while
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undergoing the Master’s of science in education, elementary education program from Medaille

College.

I also provided an example of a lesson that I taught and the results from this experience

as well as my knowledge of the current trends in education In this video, I made connections

between some of my Portfolio artifacts, the curriculum and professional standards, the teacher

skills demonstrated, the teaching strategies used and my professional dispositions in order to

adequately answer the questions.

Finally, this section enabled me to use my Weebly Website as a tool to enable future

employers to get a better sense of who I am as a teacher candidate. This offered them the

opportunity to be more familiar with my work and my teaching style while also being able to

navigate through my Portfolio artifacts in a more interactive way.

[Back to Table of Contents]

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[Back to Table of Contents]