Mock Interview Reflection

My avatar was a picture of stick figure drawn on a chalkboard.

The questions I felt most comfortable answering were definitely the first two: “Tell me about yourself” and “Why have you chosen teaching as your profession?” The answers to both of these questions are almost instinctual. It makes perfect sense that they were placed at the front of the interview so that candidates are able to ease their way into the more difficult questions. Even though I felt confident in my answers for these two questions (I mean, really how badly can you screw up “Tell me about yourself”?) listening to the tips/pointers at the end of the voice thread gave me some ideas of how to better refine my answers (for example, keeping things focused on the educational aspects of my life and providing “teasers”). Even though I may feel comfortable with my answers there is always room for improvement.

The hardest questions were those that addressed parental concern about his/her child using the internet and the student visiting an inappropriate website. To be honest, these questions were hard because I’d never really thought about them before. In TE class after TE class the same ideas are drilled into our heads, things like classroom management, diverse learning styles, or individualized instruction, however these types of concerns about the use of technology are never addressed. I wanted to answer to the best of my ability while still trying to be quick on my feet (I certainly won’t have time to erase and re-record during a real interview) but I was still unsure of the quality of my answers.

This mock interview was helpful on several fronts. First off, it gave us some common questions to familiarize ourselves with. While some of them we might have seen coming, others we might not have. It can only help to hear these questions and begin to think about how we can effectively provide answers during real interviews. Secondly, I’m glad I got to hear my classmates’ responses. It provided me with a whole lot of “Why didn’t I think of that?” or “Good point!” moments. Finally, Joe’s suggestions provided to be valuable to listen to. He provided great (and simple) pointers and that I know I will be able to incorporate into future interview experiences.