Briefly share a little bit about your background experiences that have led you to choose a

career in education?

I have always been interested in a career in education as evident when looking at my

educational and employment background. I completed post secondary school unsure of which

career path I was going to embark on which led me to volunteer at a local elementary school

whereby I assisted students who were learning disabled. It was this experience that led me to

Mohawk College where I obtained a certificate in Educational Assistant Worker. Shortly

thereafter, I was employed with the H.W.C.D.S.B as a school based educational assistant (EA).

During my time working as a school-based EA, I had the opportunity to work with a variety of

exceptional students and excelled in working with individuals diagnosed as Autism Spectrum

Disorder (ASD). My experience working with students with ASD led to acquiring specific

knowledge such as how to manage behaviors of students with ASD and I also have current

certification in Behavior Management System (BMS) training. In addition, I have extensive

knowledge on augmentative and alternative communication systems, and overall knowledge of

the disorder itself. I also worked as an itinerant speech language and hearing EA whereby I

acquired the specific knowledge about hearing and speech disorders and how to service

individuals requiring specialized services that catered to their particular needs. I was trained in

utilizing specialized hearing equipment and delivering speech therapy.

What have you learned in your teaching training program that will make you an excellent

classroom teacher?

The Msed program at Medaille College has taught me the importance of culturally

responsive teaching that entails welcoming all students into the classroom, no matter race, age,

gender, language, or ability. I believe that when students feel accepted and in a safe place, they
are better able to take the necessary risks so pertinent for their learning. Therefore, I will strive to

set my students up with not only equal opportunities, but equitable ones that gives each student a

fair chance at succeeding. Thus, I am aware of the importance of differentiating instruction and

including many opportunities for students to engage in the learning through hands on

experiments and use of manipulatives in addition to a rich print classroom with plenty of visuals.

I also know and value experiential learning experiences whereby students can connect theory to

practice. Capitalizing on incidental moments as learning experiences and making the learning as

concrete as possible will help students to unleash their inner and natural curiosity and

capabilities. In addition, I know the importance of scaffolding students’ learning and working

within their zone of proximal development (ZPD). I also learned the importance of

incorporating plenty of divergent questioning throughout all my lessons so that I can help

students’ metacognition and their ability to acquire higher order thinking skills as proposed in

Bloom’s Taxonomy. Ultimately, I will teach my students with of a philosophy that makes the

learning meaningful and enjoyable so that I can better prepare my students for an ever

demanding and competitive world that lies ahead of them.

Provide us with an example of a lesson you taught. How did you integrate it with other

curriculum areas, address CCLS, technology, students engagement and motivation? What were

the results of the lesson?

One lesson that I created as part of my studies at Medaille was a math and science lesson

taking from the New York and Ontario common core and curriculum standards. The particular

area of math was bar graphing and the science unit was on sound energy and the notion of how

sound travels differently through different mediums, such as liquids, solids, and gases. This

particular lesson captured students’ attention in that it was a very hands on lesson that allowed
for students engagement. Students were provided with various materials and are encouraged to

make predictions, explore the materials and record their results. Students had the opportunity to

use discourse and talk about their thinking in regard to the lesson. In addition, students had the

opportunity to make clear conclusions based off the results of their experiments and depict them

by way of a bar graph. Students were permitted to demonstrate their bar graphs through a word

document or on graph paper. In addition, technology was incorporated in teaching this lesson as

various visuals from the internet were utilized to help students better understand the notion of

sound, how a sound wave looks, and how sound travel to the ear.

How will your knowledge of the current trends in education inform you as an educator in

our district/board/school?

My knowledge of current trends in the field of education will inform the way that I

deliver pedagogical practices. Firstly, I believe in setting all students up for success I have

adopted a constructivist method of teaching young children in light of Piaget and Vygotsky and

the notion of the child as curious and capable. I will ensure to plan lessons that provide students

with plenty of hands on/experiential learning that are planned according to students’ interests to

help sustain students’ attention and keep them motivated. Helping students connect theory to

practice will help make the learning meaningful and relevant to their lives. I will also ensure to

incorporate inquiry-based lessons that will help students to build critical thinking skills with a

focus on the process of students learning opposed to the end result. Helping students to build

higher order thinking skills, will better assist them in this ever demanding and competitive future

that lies ahead.

Why should we hire you instead of the other applicants we have interviewed?
 I believe that you should hire me over other applicants because I truly believe that I have

what it takes to be an effective teacher. It begins with my educational background that has

always been in the field of education. Not only am I certified as an educational assistant and

early childhood educator, but I have had the opportunity to employ the skills I’ve learned from

my certification areas in practice. These employment opportunities have taught me so much

about behavior management, a variety of exceptionalities and how to work with individuals

identified as having an exceptionality, including speech therapy. Among these credential,

working in a school has taught me the importance of professional collaboration, professional

development, student confidentiality, parent communication and professionalism on the whole.

In addition, to compliment my previous educational and employment experiences, Medaille

college’s Masters of Science in teacher education has furthered my knowledge of educational

practices by teaching me how to create an effective lesson plan and learning segments. Having

knowledge of creating an effective lesson plan, also taught me knowledge of common core and

curriculum standards, engaging the learner, the importance of differentiating instruction, and the

importance of Blooms taxonomy as the underpinning within the lesson. In addition, my studies at

Medaille helped reinforce and scaffold my existing pedagogical knowledge and taught me how

to use technology as a useful tool in the classroom. Being a mother of two children, holding a

masters in education from Medaille College, and all my background experience working in the

filed of education, I believe qualifies me to be the chosen candidate apart form others.