When answering this question, you must remember that being a teacher is a job that involves continuous growth and learning. Personally, I would talk about the experiences of the three different internships I underwent in college. Interning was a great way to prepare myself because not only was I able to see what to do in a classroom, I was also able to see what NOT to do. Being hands-on and in the classroom, gave me a great idea and perspective of what to expect in different classroom settings. As a pre-service teacher I was able to make mistakes and learn from them in a comfortable setting. By making these mistakes, I was able to consult with other teachers and classmates to get feedback on different solutions.

The most important thing to avoid when answering this question is sounding like a know-it-all. While it is a great thing to include all of the areas that the university covered, you do not want to make it sound like you know everything there is to know about teaching. If you think this about yourself, you will never be an effective teacher because you will not continue learning. I would talk about the ESE and ESOL classes that I have had, and how they have prepared me to handle the rapidly changing and diversifying classroom in today's society. I would also discuss the subject areas that we have covered and how they have prepared me to teach the curriculum. The other area that I would touch on is the area of applied behavior and classroom management. The university has prepared us thoroughly for those areas, and they are much needed to be an effective teacher.

You would want to avoid talking bad about your college experience if you had one. Then you would want to take the time to discuss what did you learn and how you applied it and how you can apply it in your classroom.

This is an intricate question because basic college courses can truly fully prepare someone to walk right into teaching. You could bring up the multiple internships you went through, the experience gained from them, etc. You could also add how much you learned from these experiences and through the creation of the portfolio.

You can discuss what helped you, and how it shaped you as a teacher. Avoid what you didn't like or bad experience.

I am stuck on this question, as this question has many layers to it. If I was asked this question during my interview, I would have to think about this. I do think that my university has prepared me well in a lot of areas, but also has neglected a lot of other important matters. I have learned a lot on my feet and in-person while teaching in the school system. My program goes into the science behind the thinking and teaching process. I have learned a lot and have grown a lot with all of the information I have learned. I wish that the program had a more hands-on approach and real-life correlation to teaching in the county. There are a lot of disconnects within the program, verse teaching each day. This is a great question to get me thinking and it grabbed my attention!