What should I bring for a teaching (middle school) interview?

[Cindy B]

I just got a phone call to interview on WEDNESDAY for a leave replacement.

I have two different portfolios because of class structure-- One is a HUGE one with my unit plan, lesson plans taught and things of that nature. The other portfolio is more job related with resume, Praxis scores, philosophy of education, unofficial transcript and instructional episodes.

Here is my delimma:

I did complete some middle school field placement (pre student teaching) prior to my 15 week student teaching. Three of these placements were upper elementary middle school however, since I wasn't student teaching, I only taught one lesson-- on punctuation.

I did a lot of field observation and did some guided reading lessons but those are not at 6th grade level. (tutored at risk students)

I don't want to overwhelm the interviewers with all my materials. What would be the best approach to the portfolios--both or the "employment" one?

Should I bring the guided reading lessons? The at risk tutoring record? (inferencing lessons) Or should I bring the Powerpoint of the punctuation lesson?

How much is too much?

Thanks!

 

[flying_babyb]

I would bring the employment one for sure and the reading lessons and record but probally not the powerpoint. I wish you more luck then I had at my interview today. I filled out the application and was sent home.

 

[Cindy B]

Sorry to hear about your interview.

They already have my resume, cover letter, and an explanation letter why my certifications aren't there yet (sent to the state but still in process).

So far I have:

A vocab lesson
A integrated Social Studies/Language Arts lesson (letter writing)

Guided Reading Lessons (4)
Inference Lessons (4)

 

[XYSRUS]

Always bring several copies of your resume. Your interviewer doesn't always have it with them or some other people may need a copy. A copy for yourself to go through the bullet points. Bring as much info about yourself that you can without looking like a fool carrying it all. Good luck.

 

[richmond282]

I never once had an interviewer look at my teaching portfolio. I'd take the professional one w/ the essentials. The interviewers should ask enough questions to find out your abilities w/o having to read your "big" portfolio.

 

[MM27]

My college was all about the portfolio during our senior year. The professors had us convinced that principals and superintendents were going to look through and evaluate us on them. I had only one interview where a pricipal asked to see it, but I think she only asked because she saw me holding it and she felt bad. She looked through it so quickly that I'm sure she didn't see anything.

Good luck to you on your interview.

 

[Cindy B]

I've been told to make little packets for each person since this is a group interview with the principal, language arts supervisor, and the HR dept.

I looked over all my lessons and I'm doing a quick 3 lesson plan thing on a middle school book since all my stuff is elementary based. I'm going to keep my vocab lesson but I'm writing 3 new lesson on The Giver.

 

[Blueeyes101817]

Good luck!
I know that we went to the same school (if i remember correctly) so i know how much they pushed the portfolio in the last semester. I went on 5 or 6 interviews after graduation and one school looked at it--and like another poster said, i think it was because she saw me holding it.

I did notget a job in a public school so i worked at the private day care I had been working at for the 2007-2008 school year. I put together a different portfolio with lesson plans from teaching pre-k, letters of rec., resume, and pictures from throughout the year, as well as cards/notes the parents sent to me.
All of the interviews I wnet on this last summer looked through it and commented on how much they loved the pictures and the different touches other than the portfolio like Rowan had us do. No one wanted to look through unit plans ,etc

Good luck!

 

[MushyMushy]

Yeah, they probably won't even glance at your portfolio.

One thing you should definitely do is Google some teacher interview questions. Print them out and go over them and prepare your answers. I've also seen schools that will ask you to write a brief essay on the most recent educational article you've read. So I make sure to always have one handy.

 

[Cindy B]

Good luck!
I know that we went to the same school (if i remember correctly) so i know how much they pushed the portfolio in the last semester. I went on 5 or 6 interviews after graduation and one school looked at it--and like another poster said, i think it was because she saw me holding it.

I did notget a job in a public school so i worked at the private day care I had been working at for the 2007-2008 school year. I put together a different portfolio with lesson plans from teaching pre-k, letters of rec., resume, and pictures from throughout the year, as well as cards/notes the parents sent to me.
All of the interviews I wnet on this last summer looked through it and commented on how much they loved the pictures and the different touches other than the portfolio like Rowan had us do. No one wanted to look through unit plans ,etc

Good luck!

Yes we went to the same school. I think they redid the portfolio requirements because they wanted to include pictures (especially of the students working and me teaching)

I also have letters of rec. but I don't have any parent letters (but copies of letters that I sent to parents). I have Praxis scores, resume, four instructional episodes with high, med, and low and I'm going to include additional language arts lessons that I am writing now.

I'm not going to bother with unit plans though-- it's tedious enough.

 

[Barb D]

I've been told to make little packets for each person since this is a group interview with the principal, language arts supervisor, and the HR dept.

I looked over all my lessons and I'm doing a quick 3 lesson plan thing on a middle school book since all my stuff is elementary based. I'm going to keep my vocab lesson but I'm writing 3 new lesson on The Giver.

I have no suggestions for you -- but this reminded me that when DD15 was in middle school her teacher told the class that Jonas DIED at the end of The Giver. Sorry, Teach. Not only did he not die, but there are two sequels.

 

[Blueeyes101817]

Yes we went to the same school. I think they redid the portfolio requirements because they wanted to include pictures (especially of the students working and me teaching)

I also have letters of rec. but I don't have any parent letters (but copies of letters that I sent to parents). I have Praxis scores, resume, four instructional episodes with high, med, and low and I'm going to include additional language arts lessons that I am writing now.

I'm not going to bother with unit plans though-- it's tedious enough.

I thought of something else..i had a section called parent communication..in which i put a copy of the weekly newsletter i would send..as well as "oops notes"---the school that i am at now, loved the parent communication section

 

[Cindy B]

I have no suggestions for you -- but this reminded me that when DD15 was in middle school her teacher told the class that Jonas DIED at the end of The Giver. Sorry, Teach. Not only did he not die, but there are two sequels.

Even I know that... I'm doing a prereading on utopian society, a during reading and an after reading activity.

The during reading will be a double entry and the after reading will be a predictive text answer and reflection.

 

[Cindy B]

I thought of something else..i had a section called parent communication..in which i put a copy of the weekly newsletter i would send..as well as "oops notes"---the school that i am at now, loved the parent communication section

I have parent letters after each instructional episode. (Here's what we learned about the social studies, here's what we learned in math..)

My cooperating teacher really prevented me from talking to parents so I sort of had to do it on my own when she wasn't looking.