1. THE BIG INTERVIEW Whitney Taylor Ashford University EDU 650

2. SELF INTRODUCTION Hello my name is Whitney Taylor. I was born and raised in Greensboro, NC. I have been working in child care since I was 16 years old. I obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development and Family Studies in May of 2013. I attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. I am currently a NC Pre K teacher serving young children and their families. I am applying for the lead teacher position of the pre-k classroom. The qualifications include having a bachelors degree in education and a B-K license.

3. PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION My philosophy of education is that every child should have the right to a stimulating atmosphere to grow in four areas of development: intellectually, physically, emotionally and socially. It is my goal as an educator to know every student as an individual and to help every student I come in contact with achieve their full potential. Create a classroom in which children feel safe and cared for, that supports risk-taking and collaboration, and allows for free expression of creativity by students. Utilize student-centered instruction to encourage students to become lifelong learners.

4. CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN A classroom management plan is the set of procedures and systems that are put in place to create an environment that focuses solely on student learning. Establish high expectations for student behavior, academic achievement, higher order thinking, self-directed learning, creativity, development of critical thinking and collaboration skills to improve student learning outcomes. A successful classroom management plan incorporates the following: A goal of a plan Rules and expectations A classroom procedure Student and teacher roles and expectations Implementation of the plan

5. DIFFERENT SCHOOL MODELS I recommend that the school should implement the magnet school model program, Why? It was created in the 1970’s to aid in school desegregation, magnets encourage students to extend beyond their local school districts for a novel educational experience Magnets strive to eliminate isolation of minority groups Magnets can offer learning experiences not part of public school education Magnets can innovate in terms of curriculum and experiential learning opportunities

6. DIFFERENT SCHOOL MODELS Public: All students within a district are admitted free of charge, one of our society’s defining features, integral to the local community in terms of education, athletic fields, and as a place for coming together. Charter: A contract between a local school district and a sponsoring agency, free of rules that govern publics schools but held to identical level of accountability as public schools, license must be renewed after a specified period of time. Private: A tuition fee is paid by all students, no government regulation, offer specialized programs not available in public schools. Magnet: Created in the 1970’s to aid in school desegregation, encourages students to extend beyond their local school districts for a novel educational experience, strives to eliminate isolation of minority groups, offer learning experiences not part of public school education, innovative in terms of curriculum and experiential learning experiences (Newman, 2013)

7. EFFECTIVE LESSON PLANNING AND DESIGN The most important elements of an effective lesson design includes clear learning objectives. Those objectives should be clear, complete and measurable. If a teacher has no learning objective in mind, how will we know how to guide the students? An effective lesson plan and design also includes the common core state standards.

8. IDENTIFY THE ROLE THAT STUDENTS PLAY IN THE LEARNING PROCESS I believe the role students play in the learning process is having responsibility. They have to know what is expected of them and be able to follow directions and participate in group discussions. Students should become motivated in wanting to learn new topics and skills and often utilize 21 st century learning skills. Students should be able to take information and know how to apply it.

9. ASSESSMENT MATTERS A critical component of teaching There are two types of assessments used in the classroom: Formative: informs teachers and students of where the student is in the learning process. Summative: informs teachers how much curriculum content a student has mastered. Summative assessments are in the form of state standardized test and are designed to assess school effectiveness, not individual student performance. Both formative and summative must be used together as they serve different purposes.

10. PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES (PLC) Being that I am currently a pre k teacher, we incorporate PLC every other Tuesday for 30 minutes. In a PLC, in order to maximize school effectiveness and educational outcomes the teachers: Share successful lesson plans Exchange positive results of specific learning targets Support other ideas without being judgmental Collaborate (Newman, 2013)

11. WHAT WOULD ONE EXPECT UPON ENTERING THE CLASSROOM DURING THE SCHOOL DAY? Upon entering the classroom one is expected to see the following: Engagement Focus Enthusiasm Dedication Commitment Creativity

12. REFERENCES Churches, A. (2009). Teaching skills: What 21st century educators need to learn to survive. Retrieved from http://www.masternewmedia.org/teaching- skills-what-21st-century-educators-need-to-learn-to-survive/http://www.masternewmedia.org/teaching- skills-what-21st-century-educators-need-to-learn-to-survive/ Evertson, C. M., Emmer, E. T., & Worsham, M. E. (2003). Classroom management for elementary teachers (6th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Lopez, D. (2013). No excuses university: How six exceptional systems are revolutionizing our schools(2nd ed.). Turnaround Schools Publications Newman, R. (2013). Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century: Connecting the Dots. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc Wiggins and McTighe (1998) What is Backwards Design? Boston, MA: Pearson