1. The BIG Interview Samantha Golden Flores EDU650 Dr. Jackie W. KYGER, Ed.D. February 16, 2015

2. About Me I am applying for the position to become the lead teacher. Currently, I maintain the title as the Lead Toddler Teacher where I am employed. I also maintain two other titles which include Recruitment Ambassador and New Employee Mentor. Beginning January 2015, I enrolled myself in Ashford University to obtain my Master’s of Education with a Specialization in Culturally Responsive Education. My expected graduation date is in May 2016. I hope to be considered for the lead teacher position at your school.

3. My Goal It is my goal to be considered as the lead teacher at your school. More specifically, it is my goal to be able to teach as a second grade teacher. My passion for teaching is one that I came to recognize when I was attending high school. I have sought out ways to enhance my teaching abilities since that time. I have accomplished this by babysitting many children in my neighborhood with a variety of ages, volunteering in my church’s child care, accepting a position at Bright Horizons Family solutions as a teacher and volunteering my time at Capitol School of Austin. My experience with children started from an early age and continues to grow overtime. My knowledge continues to grow as I grow in my position as the Lead Toddler Teacher and in my studies at Ashford University.

4. Philosophy of Education My philosophy includes teachers teaching their students to the best of their abilities to ensure we are promoting success in their lives because our future lies in the hands of the students we will teach. The students and their families whom I will interact with yearly can expect that I will continue to challenge myself to be kept current in all forms of technology trainings, social media trainings as well as be approachable for my students to contact as well as their families. As stated by Newman, “Preparing students for new models of work requires new models of teaching and learning,” (Newman, 2013, Ch. 1.2, para. 7). With that being said, my philosophy coincides with this quote showing that I will ensure myself to be up to date on the latest technologies and social media trainings to the best of my abilities. I hope to expand on my philosophy of education with the experience I currently receive and hope to continue to receive as a lead teacher in your school.

5. Classroom Management Plan In order to prepare my second grade class students for success, I first plan on considering what it is they will be expected to learn during their time with me. This will be the year where my students will be preparing for taking the STAAR test. My plan is to create active thinkers in which they will start to learn helpful study habits and practice their test taking skills. The number one rule I plan to instill in my second grade classroom is respect: respect for their own selves, respect for each other and respect for me as their teacher. “Gaining or developing desired behaviors and changing or blowing out the undesired ones are the essential elements in ensuring a more effective classroom order that serves for the purpose of education and instruction,” (Gulcan, 2010, p. 259). Respect in the classroom creates a positive energy that allows for students to be comfortable in learning, making mistakes and developing positive relationships. My classroom management plan is open for constructive feedback to ensure I am doing the best of my abilities in developing my students’ learning skills and setting them up to be successful.

6. Different School Models Upon my research in seeking out different school models, I came across two schools in which seemed similar on the outside but were different on the inside. The two schools contained different population and demographics among their students. One school provided for families of high income while the other served families of lower income. Both schools thrived on curriculum of the classrooms and providing the best for their students. However, the school of higher income families was able to perform at a higher level due to its access to funds to provide students with top of the line technologies. Difficulties of the lower income family school included bringing parent involvement into their students’ lives. Between the two schools, the lower income family school had lower teacher to student ratios than the higher income family school. After conducting the interviews at these schools, my vision on different schools changed in that there are many models out there which all can be considered effective. However, it is wise to be able to tell the difference between an effective school versus just a functioning school.

7. Effective Lesson Planning and Design As stated by Newman, “Research is one of the most important components in effective teaching and learning…” (Newman, 2013, Ch. 9.1, para. 1). This statement proves teachers need to be willing to do their research in planning for their students success in their classroom. Teachers should be held responsible for researching new policies, keeping up to date with new standards and keeping current on what may be of interest to their students in order for the teacher to keep their interests. After the research has been completed, the lesson planning can begin! Teachers have the option to utilize different lesson planning methods such as the Traditional Model or the Backwards Design. “There is no best way to plan lessons, nor does a good lesson plan guarantee that students will learn what is intended; however, a good lesson plan undoubtedly contributes to effective learning,” (Hernandez, 2007, p. 229). Both have been proven effective methods, it is just a matter of a teacher finding their preference. I have found the Backwards Design model to be most beneficial for my style of teaching. The student’s role in the learning process is to contribute to the lesson by offering answers, volunteering to read out loud or problem solving in front of the class, as well as show respectfulness towards their teacher’s hard work in developing a comprehensive lesson plan specifically for them.

8. Assessment Matters Assessments and evaluations can be considered by students as scary, a waste of time, intimidating or irrelevant. “The assessment is designed to help guide the teaching and learning process, not just to evaluate where a student is in his or her knowledge acquisition,” (Newman, 2013, Ch. 11.3, para. 2). This statement shows teachers are in need of using assessments in their classroom to help guide them in their lesson planning and teachings. As much as I was not in favor of assessments and evaluations during my time in school, I understand their importance and plan to apply them in my classrooms as well to help me better understand my students needs and help them to learn effectively. My plan is to incorporate some creativity into the assessments and evaluations of my students and not make the process dreadful for both myself and for them. This is an important part of my assessing if they are ready for the next step; it is my responsibility to guide them in performing to the best of their abilities.

9. Professional Learning Communities As shared in the Newman text, “…the role of the teacher has evolved through the years from being responsible for one’s own class to being part of a professional learning community where everyone shares responsibility for ensuring student success,” (Newman, 2013, Ch. 14.1, para. 2). I find this statement to bring hope to us new teachers because it shows a sense of family in that teachers are responsible to helping others succeed. We are teachers for the students and it is our duty to ensure they are all successful. It will be my honor to help others who seem to be struggling and bring some insight onto any difficult situation a fellow teacher may be having with another student. As it has been learned, everyone has their own learning intelligences that they use on a daily basis. With that being said, teachers have their own teaching styles they use and their style could be beneficial to another teacher if given the opportunity to share their insights. We all have something to share and we all have something to learn from others. I hope the legacy I leave with my students and colleagues proves to be inspirational. I hope to be considered for the lead teacher position. Thank you!

10. References Gulcan, M.G. (2010). Student perceptions regarding vocational high school teachers’ problem solving methods against undesired behaviors in classroom management. Education, 131(2), 258-267. Hernandez, M. S. (2007). Reliable and practical guidelines for planning effective English lesson. Revista de Filologia Y Linguistica De La Universidad De Costa Rica, 33 (2), 227-241. Newman, R. (2013). Teaching and learning in the 21st century: Connecting the dots. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.