interacting professionally

INTERACTING PROFESSIONALLY

ED 402 Professional Seminar

Sharon Alessi Ashley MacCainChristina Ibanez Patrick Williams

“To be a good teacher is hard work. You have to be totally engaged and positive and creative and happy all the time to be a good teacher and have a hell of a lot of responsibility and not a lot of respect, not a lot of pay in the end.” (Hayley, taught for 3.5 years)

Portfolios

Rationale for Portfolio Usage

Portfolios set new teachers apart from other candidates by presenting tangible evidence of their skills and abilities.

Portfolios allow candidates to exercise control over portions of the interview

Portfolios are an important marketing tool for promoting the beginning teacher's skills and abilities.

Portfolios can be used to augment answers during an interview

Quotes about Portfolio Usage

“I found the portfolio to be very helpful. I feel that it helped me provide vivid and tangible examples of my teaching methods, ideas, and skills.”

“Although the portfolio took hours of preparation, it is an excellent visual tool to use in an interview versus explaining verbally everything in detail.”

“It showed professionalism as well as my organization skills – not to mention my teaching strategies.”

Portfolio Do’s and Don’ts

DO… DON’T… Take the time to

organize Be selective in

choosing artifacts Use your portfolio to

make the best first impression

Be able to rationalize your choices and discuss the portfolio

Sell yourself short Include every sample Rely on the

interviewer to read your entire portfolio

Allow the portfolio to carry the interview

The Interview

Let’s take a look and see what is wrong in the following interview video clip.

Interview #1

When interviewing for a teaching position, what does a bad

interview look like?

Fidgeting Chewing Gum Not being able to answer a question Avoiding eye contact Speaking unprofessionally Having a cell phone turned on during the

interview

Let’s take a look and see what characteristics we see in the next video.

Interview #2

When interviewing for a teaching position, what characteristics do employers look for?

Impeccable Communication skills (verbal and written)

Honesty Motivation Strong work ethic Organizational skills Teamwork skills Flexibility

Do’s and Don’ts for a Good Interview

DO… DON’T… Dress professionally Exude confidence Do your homework Be honest Emphasize your

passion for the profession

Present yourself as relaxed and calm

Let yourself get flustered

Walk into an interview blind

Make up answers that you think the interviewer wants to hear

Downplay your experience and expertise

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Conducting a Parent-Teacher Conference

It is important to have a good working relationship between parents and teachers

Teachers need to understand that the parent is the first teacher. It is the teacher’s duty to respect the parents and their decisions

Remind parents that your door is always open to them, and that good communication is the key to their child’s success

Let’s take a look and see how this parent-teacher conference went.

Parent-Teacher Conference

Discussion:What was wrong with this

conference?

Let’s see how conference #2 went.

Parent-Teacher Conference

Discussion:How did the teacher’s actions change the tone of this conference?

Tips for Conducting a Parent-Teacher Conference

Be prepared- Document strengths and difficulties of the child

Welcome parents by shaking their hands, introducing yourself and greeting them by their name

Be receptive to what the parents are saying-they are the first experts of their child

Snapshot

ReferencesBenotti, M. (2011). Eleven ways to make your interview successful.

AAEE Job Search Handbook, 16-17.Buchanan, J. (2010, June). Informaworld. In May I be excused? Why

teachers leave the profession. Retrieved April 14, 2011, from http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/section-db=all-content=a923260929-fulltext=713240928-dontcount=true#s923260963

Campbell, C., Cignetti, P., Melenyzer, B., Nettles, D. & Wyman, R. (1997). How to develop a professional portfolio: a manual for teachers. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Humphrey, E. (2010, March 3). Parent Dish. In Make the most of parent-teacher conferences. Retrieved April 15, 2011, from http://www.parentdish.com/2010/03/03/make-the-most-of-parent-teacher-conferences/

Johnson, K. & Hodges, C. (1998). Developing professional portfolios in a teacher education program. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Job Employment Guide. Teacher interview questions. Retrieved April 15, 2011, from http://www.job-employment-guide.com/teacher-interview-questions.html

Additional InformationAbromitis, B. (November 8, 2008). Suite101.com. In Successful

prek-12 parent teacher conferences. Retrieved April 24, 2011, from http://www.suite101.com/content/parent-teacher-conferences-a77874

Davies, C. A+ Resumes for teachers. In Teacher Interview Questions and Answers. Retrieved April 15, 2011, from http://resumes-for-teachers.com/news/education-interview-questions.htm

Teaching Interview Questions. Interview questions for teachers – tips and guide. Retrieved April 20, 2011, from http://teachinginterviewquestions.org/

The Teacher Spot. Parent-teacher conferences. Retrieved April 27, 2011, from: http://theteacherspot.com/firstyears/parent_teacher_conference.html