Interview

Interview Notes

The following information should be included in the Writing Response portion of your Writer’s Notebook. Please answer these questions before the interview:

  1. How would you describe the SFHS environment based on your personal experiences?
  2. What words do you associate with the school?
  3. What kind of learning do you think takes place within the school walls? What other activities take place?
  4. What do you expect to learn when at school?
  5. What is one learning experience that has surprised you in SFHS?

Write these questions in a notebook prior to your interview. During the interview, be sure to take notes; however, you need to focus your attention on your interviewee. Do not merely look/write in your notebook. That would be rude. Both partners need to take notes. Trust me, you will not notice or write down the same things.

  1. Name, Position
  2. Years of working at SFHS/years of working in education
  3. Questions asked and response of interviewee
  4. Something that surprised you in the interview
  5. Direct Quote

Interview Questions

Construct a series of questions to ask your interviewee before you meet with them. Practice asking your questions so you don’t become confused during the actual interview. Your interview should only last about 10 to 15 minutes, as you are taking time out of the interviewee’s busy schedule. This time will primarily be determined by the amount of talking your interviewee partakes in. That being said, always prepare more questions than you may have time to ask. You can then choose to eliminate questions during the interview process. Be sure to listen to your interviewee’s answers carefully. If one of their answers addresses the answer to another one of the questions you have, do not ask that question. Ask another question or ask a clarifying question in response to their answer.

  1. Find out your interviewee’s professional background: exact job title, years of working at SFHS, years in education, where they went to college, what they studied, etc.
  2. Find out your interviewee’s personal connection to education:
    1. Why did they become a teacher, administrator, curriculum director?
    2. What is their favorite part of teaching, education?
  3. Ask your interviewee about their roles within the school:
    1. Teaching
    2. Coaching
    3. Clubs
    4. Volunteer
    5. Professional development
  4. Ask your interviewee about goals for the future:
    1. Preparing students
    2. Creating new experiences
    3. Further education
    4. Career advancements
    5. Technology changes
    6. Ask your interviewee about their perception of the school environment. Ask them to explain in detail and through experiences.

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