Oral Communication - Mock Interview / Portfolio Presentation
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able
- Demonstrate their professional journey in the Early Childhood Education program.
- Demonstrate professionalism skills in a mock interview.
- Display professional skills and growth by means of a professional portfolio
Teaching
It’s the LAST lesson on your portfolio! This lesson marks the final step you take. It is time to present! As we’ve discussed in great length already, this portfolio is a compilation of your best work as it relates to early childhood education. It should hold all of the necessary documents to align with the Professional Preparation Standards and be organizationally appealing.
As appealing as your portfolio may be, for this lesson it will not be enough. Even the most attractive portfolio will not land you the job of your dreams. You need to be prepared to present! The following video will assist you in your preparation. Take notes about how to prepare for the interview, how to respond to questions, how to “sell yourself” and ask questions.
Selling Yourself in an Interview
So now you should have a date set, a professional outfit picked out and questions in hand. Good luck!
Assessment
Oral Communication Assignment - Part I - Mock Interview
You interview will happen with one or two people. Ideally there will be one professional and one parent. You will not see the actual questions but there are plenty of sample questions you can find online to help yourself prepare. The following rubric is how you will be assessed. The rubric will graded together with the professional interviewer and reviewed with you for reflection and growth before you participate in a real interview! The instructor will then input the grade into blackboard for review
PROFESSIONAL APPEARANCE |
0 Points Inappropriate attire showing body parts and/or is unkempt |
5 Points Attire is too casual (ex-jeans and a tank top) or over the top (ex-gown and heels) |
10 Points Attire covers the 3 B’s (boobs, butt and belly) and is appropriate for working in the education field |
Comments |
TIMELY |
0 Points Arrives later than scheduled time |
5 Points Arrives on time with not a minute to spare |
10 Points Arrives at least five minutes early |
Comments |
NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION |
0 Points Inappropriate nonverbal cues including scowling, no eye contact, slouching and/or crossed arms |
5 Points Mixed nonverbal communication with some negatives and some positives |
10 Points Welcoming body language including smiling, eye contact, some relaxation and minimal fidgeting |
Comments |
CLEAR CONCISE ANSWERS |
0 Points Answer was very unclear, rambled on or curt |
5 Points Answer provided some detail and was unclear. Answer was too short or too long |
10 Points Answers were detailed and specific to the question. Answer was just long enough to get the point across |
Comments |
RELEVANT ANSWERS |
0 Points Answer had nothing to do with the question |
5 Points The answer provided some relevance to the question but didn’t address the topic completely |
10 Points Answer was applicable to the question and covered the topic in its entirety |
Comments |
APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE |
0 Points Inappropriate language included slang, profanity and incomplete sentences/thoughts |
5 Points Language was causal and informal at times. |
10 Points Language was professional and used appropriate early childhood terminology |
Comments |
APPROPRIATE TONE |
0 Points Tone was inappropriate and was too quiet, whiney, quick, monotone and lacked personality |
5 Points Tone varied throughout the interview |
10 Points Used appropriate tone for appropriate answers. Appropriate pace, volume and personality |
Comments |
USE OF PORTFOLIO |
0 Points Did not use portfolio or used it excessively and untimely with the questions |
5 Points Spent a little too much time on the portfolio and/or had a hard time locating artifacts |
10 Points Used examples in portfolio to enhance answers, and/or referenced portfolio to display skills and strengths |
Comments |
QUALITY AND APPROPRIATENESS OF QUESTIONS ASKED |
0 Points Did not ask questions or questions had nothing to do with the position |
5 Points Questions were somewhat relevant and/or off topic |
10 Points Questions were relevant to the position, company and expectations |
Comments |
WRITING PORTION |
0 Points Writing was not legible, unacceptable errors and |
5 Points Writing lacked detail, errors were distracting to the message and |
10 Points Writing was neat, minimal errors and thoroughly covered the questions with examples if applicable |
Comments |
Oral Communication Assignment - Part II - Portfolio
The second rubric is for your professional portfolio. The instructor will be grading your portfolio but will request that the professional interviewer provide you with feedback without a grade attached. The instructor will input the grade manually into blackboard using the rubric to assure accurate feedback and grading
APPEARANCE & |
0 Points Binder was falling apart and/or complete disorganization of materials |
5 Points Binder was in dis-repair and/or the organization was hard to follow. Some items were easy to find |
10 points Three ring binder, clearly labeled and easy to navigate |
INTRODUCTION SUMMARY |
0 Points Did not provide summary |
5 Points Summary is unclear and contains few details. Uncertainty of how the summary relates to the organization and purpose of the portfolio |
10 Points Summary is clear and detailed and captures the organization and purpose of the portfolio |
TABLE OF CONTENTS |
0 Points Table of contents is incomplete or missing |
3 Points Table of contents is missing required materials |
5 Points Table of contents contains professional background, each NAEYC standard with artifacts, and professional information |
TRANSCRIPT, |
0 Points Missing all items |
3 Points Only two items are present and/or resume is outdated/incomplete |
5 Points Transcript, philosophy and resume are present. Resume is up to date and clear |
NAEYC STANDARD 1 |
0 Points Missing all artifacts and/or artifacts presented are unrelated to the standard |
5 Points Missing one to two artifacts and/or one or more artifacts are unrelated to the standard |
10 Points Three artifacts are shown, meet the key elements and display strong skills within the standard |
NAEYC STANDARD 2 |
0 Points Missing all artifacts and/or artifacts presented are unrelated to the standard |
5 Points Missing one to two artifacts and/or one or more artifacts are unrelated to the standard |
10 Points Three artifacts are shown, meet the key elements and display strong skills within the standard |
NAEYC STANDARD 3 |
0 Points Missing all artifacts and/or artifacts presented are unrelated to the standard |
5 Points Missing one to two artifacts and/or one or more artifacts are unrelated to the standard |
10 Points Three artifacts are shown, meet the key elements and display strong skills within the standard |
NAEYC STANDARD 4 |
0 Points Missing all artifacts and/or artifacts presented are unrelated to the standard |
5 Points Missing one to two artifacts and/or one or more artifacts are unrelated to the standard |
10 Points Three artifacts are shown, meet the key elements and display strong skills within the standard |
NAEYC STANDARD 5 |
0 Points Missing all artifacts and/or artifacts presented are unrelated to the standard |
5 Points Missing one to two artifacts and/or one or more artifacts are unrelated to the standard |
10 Points Three artifacts are shown, meet the key elements and display strong skills within the standard |
NAEYC STANDARD 6 |
0 Points Missing all artifacts and/or artifacts presented are unrelated to the standard |
5 Points Missing one to two artifacts and/or one or more artifacts are unrelated to the standard |
10 Points Three artifacts are shown, meet the key elements and display strong skills within the standard |
PRACTICUM EVALUATION & |
0 Points Both items are missing |
3 Points One of the items is missing |
5 Points Items are present. Evaluation displays the students skills in early childhood education practice |
LETTERS OF REFERENCE |
0 Points Did not provide any letters from professionals and/or all letters are outdated |
3 Points Only provided one or two letters from professionals in the field and/or one or more letters are outdated |
5 Points Three letters of reference are provided from professionals in the field, and are less than one year old |