Discussion Questions

1. Why did you choose to become a teacher?  What excellence in teaching have you observed as a student or during observations? 

2. How would you define “making a difference in teaching?”  What “difference” is your goal?

3. What are the advantages of having an accredited teacher education program?  How will this assist you in your professional endeavors?

4. How have the “acceptable” and “unacceptable” practices changed in the last 25 years for the teaching profession?

5. How do you see social media fitting into the acceptable and unacceptable practices framework?

6. Who has seen their program advising plan?  Who has had met with their advisor?  Please share your experience with us about that process.

7. Where do you plan to teach?  What do you think about teaching in a “high turnover school?”

8. Why do you think one in five beginning teachers are gone within the first three years?

9. Why do you think most teachers are white females?  What could be done to diversify the teaching field?  How do you think this impacts the students?

10. Have any of you considered teaching in a high poverty area?  What would motivate you to teach in this area?  What inhibitions would you have about this?

11. What factors do you think have helped cause the shortage of teachers in Math, Science, English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities?

12. What do you think can be done to help alleviate these shortages?

13. How do these shortages possibly impact student learning?

14. What have you already completed that should be part of your portfolio?  How will you decide what or what not to include in your portfolio?

15. How will you use your portfolio in coming years?

16. What would be the benefit of reorganizing teacher education programs into apprenticeship models, where all the work is done in a clinical environment with an expert mentor?

17. While alternative routes to licensure have grown in recent years as teacher shortages have increased in most states, many parents are uncertain about their qualifications for teaching in a field that they did not receive a diploma. What would you tell a concerned parent to ease their fears in this type of scenario?

18. Teaching is a profession like law or medicine, and all teachers must abide by a code of ethics in this field. Why do you think we see more news stories about teachers not abiding by this code in their personal relationships with students? What role has social media played in this increase of bad press for these teachers?

19. When you complete your clinical experience, what types of qualities are you looking for in the mentor teacher that will guide you along your journey? Why do you value these particular qualities in a mentor? What qualities do you NOT want in a mentor, and why?

20. Do you think that the limited pay and benefits in a private school setting is the main reason why those teachers transfer to a public school setting? Would you be willing to earn less money in order to teach in a private school setting?

21. Technology is hotter than ever in public schools as it becomes more affordable and easy to access. What will be your greatest challenge in teaching with technology? How can you harness your students’ mobile technology for good, rather than fighting the losing battle of keeping it away from the students?

22. Collaboration with colleagues is a large indicator of success as a new teacher. How do you plan on collaborating with your team teachers? How will you handle the conflict that will inevitably arise in differing opinions over teaching philosophies and/or curricular decisions?