EDUC 1300 - Education as a Profession: Field Experience

Candidates will interview two practicing K-12 public school teachers for their field experience Successful completion is required for course credit. The instructor will determine if the assignment was done in a satisfactory manner.

 

ACTIVITY - TEACHER INTERVIEW

Interview two practicing public school K-12 classroom teachers. These teachers may be professionals of your choice, either individuals you know personally or ones whose names have been provided for you to contact. This interview may be accomplished through direct contact by visiting and sitting down with your teacher at a prearranged time or, if schedules conflict, you may interview by phone or email. Your interview must include the following questions (substitutions are allowed for questions with no asterisk). After the interview, gather your material and type your responses in complete sentences for each of the interviews and turn these in at the designated time specified by your instructor. If you are able, try to select a teacher in the major and subject area that most interest you. When your interview is completed and recorded, take time to write a reflection based on the information you have received and recorded.  The written reflection should be typed, 12 font, double-spaced, and a minimum of one full page in length (check with your instructor for more specific direction).

                On selecting two teachers to interview...

                        1. The two teachers must be K-12 public school teachers.
 
                        2. If you know two teachers that you respect, then interview them. Use your personal contacts to locate teachers whenever possible.
 
                        3. If you do not know two teachers, then you have some options.
 
                            .....1) Ask friends in your class for teachers they might know in the area.
                            .....2) Join an activity on campus that will have teachers to make a contact. KDP and Teachers United often have teachers as guests.
                            .....3) Attend a professional development activity like Arkansas Curriculum Conference of CMLA Conference to meet teachers that might be willing to be interviewed.
                            .....4) Ask your instructor to provide contact information. Instructors cannot find teachers for everyone in the class, but might be able to locate teachers for special cases.
 
                        4. Remember, this is your assignment. Lack of response from a teacher is not an excuse for late work.

                        5. Send a personal "thank you" when you have completed the task.

Interview Questions:

* 1. How long have you been teaching?  What grade levels and/or subject areas have you taught or are teaching now?

* 2. What influenced your decision to become a teacher?

* 3. What do you enjoy most about teaching and why?

* 4. What do you enjoy least about teaching and why?

   5. How do you go about selecting what content and skills to teach, and can you make your own decisions as to what topic to teach?  Are you confined to the “official” school curriculum?

* 6. When do you find time to plan?

   7. What are the professional development requirements of your school district?

* 8. What kind of technology do you use with your students?

   9.  How do you get to know the students in your classroom?

  10.  What (if any) diverse groups are present?

* 11. What are your basic beliefs about discipline?

* 12. If you were to describe the process of teaching in one sentence, how would you describe it?

   13. (Newer teacher) What has surprised you most about teaching? (More experienced teacher)  What are some of the changes that you have personally seen taking place over the years?

* 14. Do you believe that teaching is a profession? Are you treated like a professional?

   15. Do you belong to any professional organizations? Why or why not?

   16. What do you wish the university teacher preparation program had told you about teaching before you entered the field?

   17. Is there any reason that you would leave your job?

* 18. What advice would you give to a student who is thinking about teaching as a career?

*required to use as is. Other questions may be substituted for more student/license specific questions.

 

 

Rubric for teacher interviews

 

Description

Possible

Earned
Professionalism/appearance/hardcopy

20

  

Communication skills: mechanics, spelling, grammar

20

 

Contact information as instructed

20

  

Contextual information for choice of teachers

20

  

Required information: answers to questions provided

40

  
     

Reflection of experience includes personal focus on information(description/evaluation), and personal meaning explained (plans for the future)

 

80

 

SUMMATION

200

 

 

Suggested but not required format.....

Page 1: Cover sheet with name, instructor name, date

Next page: Contact information for each teacher that includes the following.

name, teaching assignment, school, email address or phone number, mailing address

Next 2-6 pages: questions and answers using heading with teacher's name

Next 2-4 pages: reflection on the experience that includes the following.

(1) Why did you choose each teacher?

(2) What were the key points?

(3) How were the points similar and different? Did they align with anything discussed in class? Did they relate to anything you experienced as a student?

(4) How will you be able to use this experience when you become a teacher?

 

Please consider sending a thank you note to the teacher, email or USPS is acceptable.