Interview with Bug - aged 5 1/2

Two years ago I interviewed my children C (almost 5) and Bug (3 1/2) for this blog.  Their answers were both entertaining and enlightening, so last week I repeated the interviews, and this year filmed them.  Last week I posted C's interview (aged almost 7), this week is the turn of his little sister, Bug.

I had no difficulty getting Bug to sit in front of the camera - she loves the lens!

Here we go:

Hello Isobel.

Hello.  

I'm going to do an interview with you, is that all right?

Yes

How old are you?

Five

Tell me about your school.

Well, it's fun, and we're just coming up to our school play.

Wow.  What are you doing in the school play?

I'm doing the girls' song, the whole song, and our class song.

And what do you have to wear?

You have to wear a red skirt, a white shirt and a blue headscarf for the class song, the girls do.  And the boys have to wear blue trousers, and I don't know what the other colour for the top is, I think it might be a red top.  And... and the girls have to wear a black for the girls song.  The boys have to wear... I can't remember what the boys have to wear.

That's all right.  Can you tell me about your friends at school?

Well, I want to tell you about the clothes we wear in the whole school song.

Go on, you tell me about those then.

We need to wear colourful clothes for that, and I wear my orange, green and blue shorts, and my blue Mickey Mouse top.

And what about your friends then.  What can you tell me about your friends?

My friend Sally is really kind to me, and my friend Lucy - she is really kind to me.  Sally and me sometimes pretend we're having holidays.  

That's nice.

And we dress up with the dressing up.  And as well we play in the aeroplane when we're pretending to go on holiday. 

That sounds fun.  What's your favourite thing to do at school?

My favourite thing to do at school is playing in the workshop area.

Are you looking forward to going into Year One?

Yes

Why.

Because Year One will be doing a little bit of playing.

Do you like it outside?

Yes.

What do you like to do outside?

I like to play outside in Year One to find fossils in the chalky stuff.

What do you like to do at home.  What's your favourite thing to do at home?

My favourite thing to do at home is to play with my toys and play outside.

Tell me what you think about your brother.

He's quite nice and only sometimes he hurts me.  

Does he hurt you?

Sometimes.

Do you hurt him?

No.

Are you sure?

I do sometimes.

What about the rest of the family?

Well, I love you.  And I love Daddy.

Thank you.  Do you love Charlie?

Yeah.

That's good.  What about Nana and Grandad and Grandma and Grandad?

I like them as well.

That's good.  Are you ready for some quick questions?  Favourite colour?

Pink

Favourite toy?  Unicorns and Barbies.

What about Teddy?

Oh yes and Teddy.  Just Teddy.

Favourite clothes. 

The clothes that I'm wearing. (shows)

Favourite story or book.  

My favourite story is Black Beauty.

Favourite thing on TV?

CBeebies and Blue Peter.

Favourite film?

The BFG and Peter Pan and The Lion King, and Matilda and Frozen and The Little Mermaid.

Wow!

Favourite food.

Spicy chicken, chorizo, chocolate and ice cream and even sweets.

And curry?  Yes curry and paella.

What do you want to do when you grow up?

I want to be a hotel owner. 

Wow.  Why?

So I can look after you when you're old.

Oh thanks!

Thankyou for being in my interview.  Have you got any questions for me?

Yes.  What's your favourite food.

That's a tricky one.  I think it has to be jelly.  Jelly still.

What's your favourite colour.

Green

I think yellow as well.  

Yes I do like yellow as well.

And, um...  what's your favourite clothes?

My rainbow coloured woollen jacket jumper thing.

I know where that is.  It's under my bed. 

No, that's another one.  It's on my hanging rail.

Thank you, are you ready to pop down?  Thank you very much.  See you later.

And that's where we are with her!  Bug in a large nutshell.  Loving my kids.

Interview with C - aged almost 7.

Two years ago I wrote two blog posts where I interviewed C and Bug.  Their answers were both entertaining and enlightening and told me a bit about them as little people.  Two years on I repeated the interviews to see how their answers had changed, and this time I recorded them!  Here is C's interview this time around:

First of all, it's worth noting that this was my third attempt at getting C to come and talk to me in front of the webcam.  In the end I told him that I gave up and would get his sister to do her interview first, and that seemed to prompt him to get on and give it a go!

Hello C.

Hello.

How are you?

Nice

How old are you?

6

When's your birthday?

seventeen days.

Tell me about your school.

My teacher is called Miss Dawson.

Do you like school?

Yes

What do you like at school.  What's your favourite thing?

RE

What's your favourite thing at playtime?

Playing.

Uh huh!  Who with, and what with?  Who do you play with?

Faith

What do you play?

Skipping.

And why is RE your favourite subject.

'Cos I like all the gods in the stories.

What's your favourite thing to do at home?  Think about all your toys.  What's your favourite ones?  ... model railway? Lego? 

 Lego.

Do you like it outside?  

Yes

Why?

Because I like riding on my bike.

Tell me what you think about your sister.   

She's funny.  

Why?  

Because she tells me jokes.  Does she?  Are you sure?  She is funny.

What about the rest of your family?  

They're nice.

And now some quick questions:

Favourite colour?  Purple

Favourite toy?  My Lego.

Favourite clothes?  What does that mean?  Which ones are your favourite clothes, what do you like wearing the most?  Beaver Uniform?  Shorts and T-shirt?  All of them.

Favourite toy?

My Lego.

Favourite story or book?  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and my favourite author is Roald Dahl.

Favourite song?  My Old Man's a Dustman.

Favourite thing on TV?  Top Gear.

Thank you very much C, do you have any questions for me?  Umm no.  Thank you for doing this interview.

Ta Ra.  

Do pop back in the next week or so to see the interview with Bug.  She's a very different character, as you'll see very clearly from her answers and her confidence in front of the camera.  For a start it will take me about three times as long to type up the transcript of her interview because she talks a lot more than C!

6 steps to prepare for a teaching job interview

Competition in the teaching job market seems to be as fierce as ever, with sometimes many tens of applicants chasing one vacancy, particularly the prized permanent positions which offer so much more security and scope for career progression.  If you've made it as far as the short-list then your application form must be pretty good, so the next hurdle is the interview.  How to demonstrate to this school that you are the best person to fill their vacancy.

1. Find out about the school - you'll most likely already have done a lot of homework about the school, including a visit and tour before you completed your application form.  Now is the time to consolidate that research.  Revisit the school website; read key policies; read any school newsletters; have a look at the most recent OfSted Inspection Report.  Being able to comment at interview on something that the school does and how you can contribute or add to it will help the panel to see you as the missing piece of their school jigsaw.
2. Plan your answers - When I've had feedback from unsuccessful interviews, particularly where the headteacher knows me, I've been told that I don't say enough at interview.  Even though the headteacher knows that I do something or know about something, when the opportunity to say so comes up in the interview, I miss it.  I've now made myself a set of Key Interview Answer index cards.  Each card has a potential topic on, and a brief note of the key items I must get across when I answer a question on that topic.  So I have cards on Safeguarding, Outstanding Lessons, the Curriculum, Behaviour Management, and Assessment.  I've also made a note of specific examples from my own practice that I can talk about in each area.  Before the interview I am looking at these cards daily, and I'll take them with me to look at as a refresher just before the interview.  Hopefully when the questions come up I'll remember to cram in every point and not miss the chance to show what I know and can do.
3. Update your knowledge - Make sure that you are up to date with changes to the curriculum or assessment.  If there have been changes then they will almost certainly ask about what you think about them in your interview.
4. Prepare your lesson - Almost all teaching interviews now include an observed lesson to give the panel the opportunity to see how you really interact with children, and how you operate in the classroom.  This is another area I've had feedback on from unsuccessful interviews.  Each time I've been told that while I clearly know my stuff and have a great rapport with the children, my lessons are too complex and busy.  So the first rule here is to Keep It Simple.  Have a very clear idea of what you want the children to learn from the lesson, and work on how you are going to achieve that.  If possible, get in touch with the Class Teacher beforehand to find out what topic or area of work the class are currently covering so that you can fit in with or refer to it.  The teacher should also be able to give you information on class groupings and abilities and whether there will be a Teaching Assistant in the room, so that you can plan accordingly.  The panel don't want to see the top of 30 heads working in their books, they want to see you interacting and teaching, so the more interaction in the lesson the better.  Don't be scared to use practical activities and games - yes, the children will get excited and the noise level may rise, but as long as you are on top of this and the children are engaged then some good learning will be happening.  Be wary of relying on technology - finding out that the interactive whiteboard is different from the one you are used to, or that the computer won't read your memory stick minutes before your lesson just adds an extra layer of stress that you don't need.  There's plenty of time in the interview to talk about how you use technology in the classroom, for your observed lesson aim to do without (unless its a Computing lesson!).
5. Practice - Practice answering possible interview questions (back to those index cards), and if possible practice your observed lesson.  While every class will respond differently to any lesson, by running through it you'll at least have a clear idea of potential pitfalls, time-scales and the resources that you need, as well as feeling more confident when it comes to actually delivering the lesson.
6. Plan your day - we're now on the logistics side of the interview.  What time do you need to arrive?  How will you get there and how long will it take?  Where will you park?  Do you need to take a packed lunch?  What time will you expect to finish?  What will you wear?  What will you do afterwards?  (Usually the Headteacher or Chair of Governors will phone later the same day to let you know the outcome of the interview, so you can either be driving home, pacing nervously up and down your sitting room, taking your kids to their swimming lesson and sitting in a noisy swimming pool, relaxing with a book in your favourite cafe, or out for a nice walk with the dog - whatever you will be doing, make sure that you can hear your phone and will be available to take that call.

Good Luck!

I've written this post because I'm in the middle of making all these preparations.  I have a job interview on Thursday for a part-time post starting in September teaching Key Stage Two.  I had applied for a couple of permanent and full-time posts, for which I wasn't short-listed (boo).  But with all the issues with my health at the moment (which seem to be getting more rather than less complex), I think part-time or even Supply Teaching is probably the best option for me for the moment.  I'll let you know how I get on.

Interview with Bug, aged 3 1/4

Following on from my blog interview with my delightful four year old son last week, it was time to take on my feisty and imaginative daughter... here's how it went:




Hello Bug.
Hello.
How old are you?
Free.  (This is supposed to be three, but she struggles a bit with 'th-' and it often comes out as either f- or d-.  We're working on it!)
What's your favourite food?
Chocolate mousse
What about your favourite colour?
pink
Tell me about pre-school. 
I love it.
What do you do there? 
Sometimes I don't get to do register.  I play there... and learn.
What can you tell me about your friends?
I like them.
Who are they?
Percy and Eliza and Eleana and Phoebe and Emmy.
Are you good at Pre-school?
Yes (mummy splutters into her coffee, thinking about this week's incidents that have involved pouring a bucket of water over one child, battering another with traffic cones, and walloping another!)
What's your favourite song?
Hey Diddle Cat and the Fiddle.
Favourite game?
I like playing Pooh Sticks
Favourite toy?
My little doggy.
What about your teddy?  
I love him.  I love my baby.
What's your best time of day?
When Daddy comes home.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
A cat.
Why?
Because I want to.
What's your favourite story?
The Enchanted Wood (Enid Blyton)
What do you think of your family?
I like them.  
What about your brother?
I like him.
Thank you for doing this interview. 

That's okay.  I like doing interviews with you.

An interview with C. aged 4 1/2.

 This post is inspired by one I saw here, on The Artful Parent. I just said, "I want to interview you for my blog.  Can you come and sit here and answer some questions?"  I was expecting him to make a daft noise and run away or do a forward roll or something equally as helpful, so the first surprise in this interview was his compliance!  I'll interview Bug next week, so that's one to look forward to.  Here's how things went with C:

Hello C.

Hello

How old are you.

Four.

Tell me about pre-school.

I always play outside.  I love doing register and I haven't done the weather for ages.  (At register they take it in turns to select the correct card for the date, the day and the weather - the weather is the most popular.)

Do you have any friends?

Yes.

Can you tell me about them?

I love chasing Percy and I like my new friend Jack.

What's your favourite thing to do at home?

Play with the Lego and with my old jeep.

Do you like it outside?

Yes

What do you like outside?

I love running around and riding my bike and stuff.  And gardening.

Tell me what you think about your sister (she was trying to climb on me as I was asking the questions)

I like her.

And the rest of your family? 

I love them.

And some quick ones:

Favourite colour? Purple

Favourite toy? Old Jeep (this was found in the attic at Nana and Grandad's and is more than forty years old)

Favourite clothes?  All of them

Favourite story?  "We're all going on a Bear Hunt" (by Michael Rosen)

Favourite song?  All the ones I make up myself

Favourite thing on television?  Deadly Pole to Pole

image from CBBC website

It will be nice to do this again in the future and see how his answers change.  At the end I thanked him for doing such a nice interview, and he beamed at me.