Section #6: Teacher Interview Video Script

Interview Questions
1. Briefly share a little about your background experiences that have lead you to choose a
career in education.
It was back in July of 2005 that I sold off my belongings and made my way to South
Korea to try my hand at teaching. Before this, I spent numerous years working in insurance, but
I never enjoyed myself in it and didnt feel positive about it as a career. In other words, I was
ready for something else. When I decided to make a change I had to figure out what direction
that change would be in, so I thought back to my days spent as a tutor and swim instructor in
high school. I enjoyed teaching and helping children to succeed, so I thought that teaching might
be something for me. At the time, I was lacking money for another degree and was weary about
spending another year in school without doing something practical in the field first. For me the
answer was South Korea and within a month of making that decision I was stepping off the plane
in Seoul. My intention was to stay for a year and find out if it was truly something for me to
consider as a career. Within two weeks I knew that teaching was what I wanted to do and that I
was going to stay in Korea for a while. Six months later I met my wife and very quickly Korea
turned into my home. It wasnt until Sept. 2014 that we left everything behind and left for
Canada. The reason behind this decision was a combination of wanting a better school life for
my children and fulfilling a promise I made to myself during my first week in Korea: I was going
to become a professional teacher.
2. What have you learned in your teacher training program that will make you an excellent
classroom teacher and colleague?

While it is difficult to sum up what I have learned during these past twelve months at
Medaille in one quick video, there are certain elements that have been very important in helping
me develop professionally as an educator. The coursework has allowed me to cement much of
the theory with actual situations and experiences gained in South Korea. The continued and
focused effort in effective lesson/unit planning has been very enlightening and useful. My prior
experiences with this emphasized flexibility and quick reactions. There was a benefit to this, as
it allowed me to become comfortable with sudden classroom changes. But now that the detailed
process is known, I feel especially confident of my planning abilities.
Related to effective planning, was the work done with curriculum and the standards of
both Ontario and NY State. Teaching overseas always had a triage feel to it, partly due to the
lack of standards published in English, but also the drastic differences in the level of students.
The lesson may have had its specific focus, but time always had to be spent on prerequisite skills
needed to understand the material. I became good at creating lessons that addressed multiple
levels of student ability and what I have learned about the standards had increased my skill that
much more so.
I spoke of theory earlier, but this was an area that I was looking forward to before I came
to Medaille. In Korea there was always a vacuum when it came to discussing ideas and methods
with motivated, professional colleagues. I had all this experience, but not the expertise to expand
upon it. There were many times over the past year listening to colleagues or reading textbooks,
when I had an Ahh, thats why? moment. I also looked forward to learning about the
integration of technology into teaching and I was very happy to be challenged in expanding my
skill set with technology. The creation of SMART board lessons and my own Weebly website
filled a gap in my skill set. Learning about tools like screencasts in creating flipped classrooms

or discovering new websites like blabbermouth to bring pictures alive through animation has
taken my teaching to a whole new level.
You will be able to see these things previously discussed incorporated into my artifacts. I
have been able to take in many new elements of pedagogy and combine them with areas I know I
am strong. In doing so I have connected more material, theory, skills and strategies together and
know that it will make me a good teacher, whether working with my students, colleagues or
contributing to the school to make it a better place for all involved.
3. Provide us with an example of a lesson you taught? How did you integrate it with other
curriculum area, address the CCLS, technology, student engagement and motivation?
What were the results of the lesson?
The lesson described here was the one posted for artifact #7. It is a SMART board
science lesson that investigated animals and the relationships to the natural world. The science
was based upon a book that students had read together as a class during story time. The story
was about a boy and his grandmother going fishing. The SMART board lesson focused on fish
and how they exist in the natural world. In this manner, literacy and science curriculums were
integrated together as the subject of one directly related to the other. By initially using the book
and later the SMART board as a base, students were able to discuss and describe different
animals and environments. This followed the Common Core literacy standards for grade 1.
Student engagement was done by having students fish for their names on the SMART board,
like so. Continued interaction with the board motivated student interaction and thought. The
lesson went really well and had students actively learning and enthusiastically practicing right up
until the end of the class.

4. How will your knowledge of the current trends in education inform you as an educator
in our district/board/school?
Now more than ever before education is faced with the need for teachers to be flexible
and proficient in various subject areas and differentiate teaching techniques to be successful.
This means that a teacher has to be a dedicated lifelong pursuit of better understanding of
curriculum content and professional development. My background in math and science provides
a strong base already and my commitment to further education is evident through my actions
leading up to this point in my life.
This concept especially applies to the usage of technology to engage students and involve
them in active learning. The world that students are growing up in is the environment that we
have to teach in and my preparation and experimentation of technology allows me to be
unintimidated in the constant inquiry needed to keep up. In addition, the greater complexity of
family life calls for greater and more effective efforts when communicating and informing
parents. Effective teachers understand that parents who are better informed show greater
interest/involvement in the learning environment.
5. Why should we hire you instead of other applicants we have interviewed?
I have shown through my actions that I am highly committed to becoming the best
teacher that I can be and the effort I place in my teaching is consistently applied no matter where
in the world I may be. The teaching experience I gained in South Korea is extensive and allowed
for skill development in areas that are related to not only classroom management, but in effective
communication of ideas and the flexibility of adjusting explanations depending on learning style
and academic level. I have the skill to positively challenge and relate to many students
regardless of culture, language, age or any other difference.

I strive to bring humor and light into my workplace and view learning as a fun activity
that first has to be teacher lead. I will never quit on my students or my colleagues and will
always endeavor to become better and learn more about this profession. It might have taken me
a long time and a very different route to become a teacher, but the support I will provide for my
students to ensure their success, knows no bounds. I know that you are interviewing many
highly qualified candidates for this job and I am telling you that you will not find a person more
dedicated or work harder than me.