Fifth Grade: Language Arts Teacher
Sample Questions and Answers
Why do you want this position?
First, I started off as an English major in college. I was not sure whether I wanted to be a journalist because of journalism class in high school or if I wanted to be a high school English teacher or an Elementary Teacher. The end of my freshmen year of college, I had decided that I wanted to become an Elementary Teacher. I changed my major to Family and Child Studies with a Concentration in School Settings.
I want to teach 5th Grade Language Arts because I believe reading and writing is something that is so powerful for everyone. I want students to develop a love for reading and actually want to pick up independent reading books on their own. I want students to discuss what they read and be able to reflect on it. Writing is a foundation that needs to be built from Elementary and Middle School grades. Students will need to write in their life and careers, whether it is to write a card or to apply for a job. I will teach students how to use write and reflect what they want to say in a meaningful way.
I believe the more you read, the more you learn and knowledge is power.
-I know this might not all seem that clear, but I am just trying to get my ideas out their, so when I am asked questions tomorrow my mind does not go blank.
How are you qualified for this job?
I went to Montclair State University and I have a degree to teach K-6. Besides that, I love to read and write in my daily life. I like to blog, journal, and write letters to people. I tutored a Fourth Grade student to help her write more effectively and after my tutoring her writing became understandable and clear by her teacher. She also had trouble with spelling, so I dove deeper to see what patterns caused her to spell words incorrectly. In March, I had a Maternity Leave Replacement where I taught a 5th Grade class every subject. I did see improvements with student writing with my time with the class.
How would you teach your class?
I would use the Readers/Writers Workshop. I would start off with a mini lesson with a read aloud. I would have an anchor chart or list the strategy or reading skill for the day on the whiteboard or Smartboard. Before the read aloud, I would talk to the class how we would use the reading strategy, what they should look for, and any vocabulary that they need to know. Students would have a focus for the read aloud, which we would discuss in between reading. I think it is very important for students to be able to share and discuss a book using critical thinking skills.
After the read aloud, I would want students to use their own books and use the strategy that they learned. They would jot down notes in their notebook or write it on a Post It that would be shared with the class at the end of the class period.
I would use Guided Reading Groups where students will be in small groups according to reading levels. This would be determined by their developmental reading assessment. I would be able to meet with groups and teach them a strategy that they are working on with their group. I would try to meet each group for 20 minutes. I would review the previous days’ reading or introduce a new book, go over tricky vocabulary, and set a focus for the meeting. I would give the group a questions and strategy to use with their reading. Students would also be assigned pages to read with their group. I would listen to students read and check in with all groups. When checking in, I would ask the groups comprehension and critical thinking questions. Some days, I would assign groups a writing assignment and other days they may have a project to complete. The closing is very important because the whole class will share what they learned with the class and this might open new ideas to students who did not learn that.
I would love to do Book Clubs with my class where groups will be able to select a book from the class library where they will all read and discuss together. I think this will allow students to become more reflective readers and develop a greater love for reading because of being able to share it with a small group. I did the Book Clubs when I taught 5th Grade and I loved how passionate students were to read. They had to work together and decide what book they wanted to read next and had to voice their opinions. I believe the Book Clubs were a good way to have students work in a democratic way.
Weekly Tina. 