It will be here before you know it...interviewing season. There are the
standard questions and expectations like please list your strengths and your weaknesses. Although it is important to know what a potential
teacher feels about themselves, those are not the bits of information that
stand out to me. The things I want to know are:
What do you know about setting up the
classroom for students with autism?
How is that classroom going to look
different from the typical classroom?
What supports are you going to have a place
in that classroom?
What materials are you going to have in the classroom?
How will the
staff members be utilized in that classroom?
Those are
some of the things that I think really pinpoint if somebody has an idea of how to
organize their classroom. Even if they
have not yet had a their own classroom, it is nice to find out if they have a
sense of how they're going to make that happen.
Additionally
I would like to know a few other important items like:
Do you know the IEP process?
How you work with others?
Are you able to provide a leadership
role in the classroom?
Are you able to give clear instructions
related to what needs to happen for the students?
Are you able to work with other
people and take constructive criticism if something needs to be changed?
Most importantly,
I want to know:
How do you deal with disruptive
behaviors that may be displayed by students with autism in the classroom? (Which
may look different from disruptions in a typical classroom.)
What preventative strategies will
you use?
Do you know the principles of
applied behavior analysis?
If you do not, do you know at least
a little bit about it?
Can you discuss the link between
reinforcement and behavior?
Do you know about planned ignoring?
How do you use preventative materials & supports so that the behaviors don't occur?
If you are hired, you may notice that you may be called on to be knowledgeable
about behavior. So, it won't hurt to
start learning some of those principles of applied behavior analysis so that you
can respond to behaviors in a systematic way and not just act on a whim. So,
that brings to mind:
Are you someone who knows how to de-escalate
situations?
Do you know some key strategies to
de-escalate the situation with the child with autism?
So, even if
these questions are not asked directly, somewhere in the interview process
these questions to be addressed.
In this day and age, you
will need to have some background in the Common Core State Standards and how
that Common Core can be linked or aligned to your classroom programming.
Where will it fit in?
How do the student’s individual needs
get balanced in with the structure of the Common Core?
That is about all I can think of for now. Even if
these questions do not come up in your interview, they are critical to think
about before taking your first step into the classroom. If you need some ideas to help with the questions asked, check out the free Teacher as a Leader Series from Autism Classroom. Good Luck!
What do you know about setting up the classroom for students with autism?
How is that classroom going to look different from the typical classroom?
What supports are you going to have a place in that classroom?
How will the staff members be utilized in that classroom?
Do you know the IEP process?
Are you able to give clear instructions related to what needs to happen for the students?
Most importantly, I want to know:
How do you deal with disruptive behaviors that may be displayed by students with autism in the classroom? (Which may look different from disruptions in a typical classroom.)
Do you know the principles of applied behavior analysis?
How do you use preventative materials & supports so that the behaviors don't occur?
Are you someone who knows how to de-escalate situations?
