1. The Big Interview By: Stephanie Overby

2. About Me Hello my name is Stephanie Overby. I have four wonderful children and have been married for 9 years. I have a Child Development Associates (CDA), a BA in Early Childhood education and am working towards my Masters in Education. I am currently seeking the position of the Head Teacher for the 2 nd grade.

3. My Education Philosophy My education philosophy is really simple. There are some things that we can be sure of in life; as time goes on, children will evolve and education must as well. When working with children, I want them to understand that my reason for being in the classroom is to help them succeed, "...the teacher is the most important factor in terms of student achievement" (Newman, 2013, Chapter 4, section 7. para. 1). When the children walk into the classroom they can expect me to be consistent, helpful and caring. I will work to ensure that the children know the rules and expectations so they will be know what is expected of them. I will also explain my expectations so that the children know what to expect from me.

4. Classroom Management The plan for effective management is to make sure that each child is able to learn in an environment that meets each child and their specific needs. Rules and expectations will set by both the students and myself. By doing this, the children understand the consequences of their actions because we have set them together. Their role is to be an active participant and mine is to help when needed and be a facilitator between them and learning. I will make sure they are equipped with what they need.

5. Different School Models There are many different school models out there. I think it important for the faculty and staff to work together to make sure that the model is what fits best for the school. There are many naysayers out there, however, we must make sure that we are doing all we can to let them know that the work and changes being made are for the better and for the good of the children. When I see some of the things going on in schools now, I feel it is my duty to advocate for the children and I will.

6. Effective Lesson Planning An effective lesson plan includes research, clear objectives and “Clarity, completeness, and specificity are needed to drive the rest of the lesson plan design (Newman, 2013, Ch. 9, sec. 1).” It is important to avoid pitfalls when planning, such as always hands-on and not “minds-on” and coverage of material.

7. Assessment Matters Assessment is essential to growth. However, many people have it wrong. They believe assessment is for the teacher or program and while there is a place for that type of assessment it is important to know that “Assessment is not about the teacher; it’s about the student (Lopez, 2013, Ch. 8)”. When it comes to assessments, you can actually change the assessment from a summative type of assessment to a formative one.

8. Professional Learning Communities (PLC) It is important that those who are educators and like minded, get together and shares information. There are also many different organizations that you can be a part of such as, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) of International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and ASCD which educates on current research. I will make sure that I do not stop learning myself in attempts to be a better teacher for them.

9. References: Lopez, D. (2013) No excuses university: How six exceptional systems are Revolutionizing our schools Stenhousepublishers. (2010, November 30). Rick Wormeli: Formative and summative assessment [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJxFXjfB_B4 Newman, R. (2013). Teaching and Learning in the 21 st century: Connecting the dots. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc