Answer

Interview of A Certified Teacher Teaching English Language Arts

Interview Questions

I conducted an interview with a certified English language arts (ELA) teacher in a grade 4 classroom. The interviewee was a 35-year-old female white American with 10 years’ experience as an ELA teacher. In the course of the interview, the following were the questions asked.

1. In what ways do you communicate and foster communication with students?
2. How do you ensure communication with parents?
3. What strategies/methods do you use to teach skills related to the communication area of speaking?
4. What strategies/methods do you use to teach skills related to the communication area of viewing?
5. What strategies/methods do you use to teach skills related to the communication area of listening?
6. What strategies/methods do you use to teach skills related to the communication area of thinking?
7. Which strategies do you use to foster whole class social interaction and communication the ELA classroom?
8. How do you ensure small group social interaction and communication in the ELA classroom?
9. What differentiation methods do you use for the diverse learners in the classroom including those mental disabilities?
10. In what ways do you communicate with parents?
11. How do you explain to the parents the importance of literacy skills for their children?
12. Do you explain to the parent ways that they can help their children in the development of literacy skills?
13. If yes, what ways do you use to explain to them how they can help their children in the development of such skills?

Interview Notes

• Communicating well with students involves becoming aware of both the norms and conventions of writing, reading, talking, and thinking as an ELA teacher.
• Whole class interaction is ensured by asking every learner to show their signal/card and calling out the students’ names.
• Communication with parents is done via notes on the child and family mailboxes.
• For a diverse classroom, differentiation strategies used include differentiated instructions and grouping.
• Fostering effective excommunication skills involves use of technology, group presentation, and watching films with conversational models.
• Parent communication and explanation about the need to help their children is done via verbal messages which are convincing and appealing.

Reflection

Based on the experience from the field interview, I have established that it is vital for the ELA teacher to not only communicate but also foster communication with both the students and the teachers. Additionally, since the ELA classroom is a diverse one, I have found out that differentiation strategies are vital in ensuring a conducive environment for the diverse groups of learners. Moreover, the interview responses have shown that social interaction and communication in the ELA classroom is important in ensuring collaboration and grasp of the literacy skills. Finally, the results of the study have demonstrated that communicating with parents is critical in insuring that the students can develop their literacy skills not just within the walls of the classroom but also beyond them with the help of their parents.

Reflecting on these findings, they will be vital for my future professional practice. In specific, I will endeavor to ensure effective communication with students and parents in my ELA classroom so that they can explain to them ways that literacy skills can be grasped. Moreover, in my professional practice, I will now focus on ensuring class social interaction and communication among the learners so that they can exchange information and knowledge about different aspects of literacy and communication such as speaking, viewing, listening, and thinking. Moreover, the results of the interview made me understand the role of communicating with parents and explaining to them how they can help their children in the development of literacy skills. As such, in my future professional practice, I will make sure that I find effective ways of communicating with the parents.