1. ED 402 Professional Seminar Sharon AlessiAshley MacCain Christina IbanezPatrick Williams

2. “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)

4.  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

5.  Teachers find portfolios to be helpful, in that the portfolio helps to provide vivid and tangible examples of teaching methods, ideas, and skills.  Though portfolio preparation is extremely time consuming, it is an excellent visual tool to use during an interview versus verbal explanation.  Using a portfolio shows professionalism as well as organizational skills while showcasing one’s teaching strategies.

6. 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

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

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

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

13.  Impeccable Communication skills (verbal and written)  Honesty  Motivation  Strong work ethic  Organizational skills  Teamwork skills  Flexibility

14. 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

16.  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

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

19. What was wrong with this conference?

20. Let’s see how conference #2 went.

22. How did the teacher’s actions change the tone of this conference?

23.  Welcome parents by shaking their hands, introducing yourself and greeting them by name.  Be prepared- Document strengths and difficulties of the child.  Be receptive to what the parents are saying- they know their child better than anyone.  Make the conference a positive experience.  Do not get defensive, no matter how agitated the parents may be.

25. Benotti, 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

26. Abromitis, 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_confer ence.html